In no order, here’s what I observed today…
Played some tennis this morning at the courts next to Sam Stosur and Lisa Raymond. Then they politely took our court and we moved over next to James Ward and Kyle Edmund. Ward stayed for over an hour after the practice talking face to face with his coach at a picnic table. Real serious hard talk it seemed.
Alexandra Panova was there, though I mistook her for Pennetta. She was with her sister.
Cici Bellis was there again early and more focused today. She avenged the US Open loss to Zarina Dyas today, by blowing out the Kazakh girl.
I did a Biofile with Camila Giorgi. Some things I was surprised to hear about her – she likes boxing as her favorite sport tied with soccer and she likes Oscar De La Hoya, she even knew he won seven world titles. Also, Camila doesn’t drive a car. She’s working with Andrei Kozlov, father of Stefan, this week. They are long time friends, she’s hit with Stefan and younger brother Boris many times over the years.
I watched most of Feliciano Lopez vs. Dominic Thiem. Thiem straight setted F LO at US Open last year and he continued his master today, in three sets. F LO just can’t figure out this kid, despite all the support he got from his box – coach Berasategui, and some very vocal males. I was right behind Berasategui and my ear heard Vamos Felo, Vamos Feli, Tranquilo!, all day long. Great match and win for Thiem.
Djokovic and Tipsarevic battled Melzer/Linstedt in doubles. Djokovic was broken to start the match, his first two serve and volley attempts failed. They lost the first set but won the second, as Djokovic started to make some incredible volleys. Djok and Tips gave it their best and we saw the flashes of the best player in the world, but doubles is not his strength. I remember seeing Djok and Murray lose on the same court on the same day three years ago.
After the second set, Melzer said he needed to take a bathroom break, when he came back, he quipped to his box, “He said do you have your badge?” The security guard almost blocked Melzer from finishing the match. Melzer was down a mini break 25 but they turned the tables and won it 10-8.
There was a full house to see the match, and the boxes were full with Philip Petzschner, Troicki, Zimonjic and Gerald Melzer.
This tournament is on solid ground, I’tau just signed on for another six years as a lead sponsor.
Jim Martz of Florida Tennis magazine spoke with Fed agent Tony Godsick and got the scoop on why didn’t play Miami. There is no rift between Fed and IMG, owner of Miami Open, according to Godsick.
Hingis and Mirza – aka Hingza – just trounced their opponents in under an hour.
Sloane Stephens crunched Keys, Tracy Austin said on Tennis Channel Keys was crying on one changeover.
I walked by SS as she warmed up pre match outside the player gym which is next to the photographer’s media room. SS has reawakened, and had her serious game face on as she did coordination drills with mom in the hallway.
Dominic Inglot was also at the practice courts with his Polish girlfriend Nicole. I was surprised to learn that Inglot is Polish but he said his name is Swedish. Inglot plays for the Great Britain Davis Cup team and he and Jamie Murray extended the Bryans to five sets in their recent tie.
Jeremy Abramson, the guy who runs the practice courts said the players really like to hit over there, no fans watch, just pure practice without all the commotion. He said the young Americans and Isner really like it over there. It is pretty neat to see the players not being hounded and attacked by autograph and selfie requests.
Rain in late afternoon jeopardized the late part of day session and the night session.
Greg Sharko told me four teens into the second round this year is the first time it’s happened since 2007.
I spoke with Leonardo Mayer’s coach about Mayer’s six hour plus Davis Cup match vs. Brazil. He said Mayer couldn’t do anything for a week after that brutal marathon and he suffered infections in his feet forcing him to raise them. But Mayer looked strong in hitting twice at the off site practice courts.
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Dan Markowitz · March 27, 2015 at 10:21 pm
I hate to beat a dead horse, but the American men can’t even win at their home events, not the big ones anyway. Of what I saw, DY was awful against Murray today. QBall lost again, this time closely to KevAnd, and yesterday Harry and SteveJo went down. I mean, rooting for Izzie just doesn’t cut it.
No wonder why tournaments are dropping off in US, there’s not a single compelling male player, not a single one. Is Fish playing Miami? It’s come down to Mardy maybe lighting a little spark. I’ll tell you, either Fritz, Tiafoe or JD better be a lively fun player to watch. After suffering through Roddick-boredom and now Izzie/QBall/DY/SteveJo, oh, I forgot, I’m sorry, there is Sock. He is at least a lively player to watch.
Sorry for the rant.
Andrew Miller · March 28, 2015 at 12:25 am
Giorgi, Agassi if he were an italian wta player! Love giorgi game wheb she is on. Still she is oceans 11 .
dan markowitz · March 28, 2015 at 12:06 pm
I love Giorgi, too, but it doesn’t seem like she’s been able to really kick it into another gear. She is super fit and she doesn’t have that entitled or bored look on her face because she’s had to fight to get to where she is. I was watching Jankovic play Azarenka the other day, and Jankovic just has that bored, pissed-off look on her face. I know she’s a tremendous warrior and she probably just uses that look to ward off nerves or pressure, but it’s hard for me to watch her play with her lousy attitude.
Andrew Miller · March 28, 2015 at 2:38 pm
Giorgi has a tremendous game. Probably not a tremendous coach, she is under the italian federation last tie i checked, a while back. Unlikely to change for now – the money issue is in the way. I think her dad always cuts into the deals (not to be mean but that is what i got out of it, that to the family the player is a bank, like aranxta sanchez vicario – havent read her book but she was at war with her parents, brothers). If im wrong on this my fault. Coaching in the women’s game is fraught with issues, from the coach that sees the player as a possession to pretty much you name it, no friends on tour like Bouchard and the british lefty with the big game and no follow through (no offense intended, some players dont meet their pote n tial and less talented rivals do because they are ferocious!).
I like Giorgi’s game a ton, my guess is she will need a steady hand like carlos rodriguez, Henin and Li Na’s coach, to get her across a finish line at a big event, maybe a big name like Aranxta, Seles. Someone else credible. Something like the Sharapova entourage model – a pack of good influence. Djokovic has his own pack, Murray, Agassi did, Federer. Your own squad that is invested in your success and not your wallet.
Sorry to see the u.s. exodus. Smyczek is acquitting himself well, Isner still there, Sock too. Sorry to see the other fellas not get the job done. American inconsistency…an oxymoron if you arent Serena or Isner!
Andrew Miller · March 28, 2015 at 3:51 pm
Priceless detail on the practice courts Scoop and why the players like them. I have seen the Miami practice courts, they seem like a good place to work out some kinks. Coach I had said he wished he could watch the private practices, heck if I knew where those are – some hotel court? Secret of tennis must be that even before a big match a player can work on some small thing that wins a point or two in their next match. I could tell some of the best players definitely worked on big things during even their practice “tiebreaks” – they seemed to purposely lose those tiebreaks just to get a few more shots in on something specific they were working on or that bothered them.
Dan, the U.S. scorelines weren’t gawd awful – Murray seemed to at least have to work to get the win (80+ minutes is a better “out” against a top 4 player than the customary 55-59 minutes!). Thank goodness for Isner and Serena – every tournament out they take the pressure and perform (Serena more than Isner but Isner doesn’t have 19 slams by his name).
Smyczek got a set off Tsonga, pushed him to his limits in a hour and fifty minutes.
Sock polished off Fog-man in under 80 minutes.
Gulbis is gone. He must have been in denial when he answered Dan’s questions last week. He’s in a mega slump. Maybe the Latin crowd got to him during his match with Monaco.
Bellis is in the third round. Nicely done. Bencic too, she hits a huge ball. The future could set these two on a collision course.
Saw Vaidisova took a set off Halep. Seems something still in the tank – had no idea she had so many surgeries – two major ones.
My girl Lucy Safarova is gone, too!
Bouchard is gone! Ate a bagel too – 6-0 7-6. Tajtana Maria, qualifier, beat her. Maybe you guys saw this match?
Bouchard’s slump is un-nerving and has gone on for 9 months now – from the end of Wimbledon through now. This is definitely a sophomore slump and her parting with Nick Saviano is looking like a disaster. Expect her ranking to go down the drain for now. Everything everyone on TP pointed out in the “no she isn’t Seles” debate is coming to roost, as well as what happenned from the Canada Masters tournament through the U.S. open. Not just that she started losing – but that players figured out they could keep Bouchard on or behind the baseline. Like Cirstea did in her loss to Bouchard at the U.S. Open – for stretches of that match Cirstea was the better player.
Andrew Miller · March 28, 2015 at 4:01 pm
Vaidisova and Nishikori: beautiful groundies. Can see why Nishikori is top 5 – he takes the ball early, just nails it. Vaidisova was doing the same thing – the Spadea “take back” – and so was Azarenka.
Spadea’s got it. I’m sorry he’s not currently a top advisor. I’m sure Spadea likes Nishikori’s game.
Dan Markowitz · March 28, 2015 at 8:16 pm
Gulbis and his agent are fools for not hiring Vince. Spadea could get through to Gulbis. He can also hit him off the court. I’m not kidding, I know I’m not Gulbis, but when I got on the court with Vince it was ridiculous how hard he nails the ball and how consistently he can do it. Gulbis needs a pair of eyes like Vince’s and a guy who’s not going to be his lackey. Vince can talk player to player like Gulbis and it’s my impression that Gulbis doesn’t have too many friendships or connections with other players. He needs a guy like Vince who battled for 15 years on tour. Gulbis needs to learn how to battle.