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Sony Open Stars of the day… Farah and Cabal
32 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Bios
Serena once again dominated Maria, after a slow start, for the fifteenth win in a row against her arch rival.
Bill Tilden once said, “I never lose to someone I hate.”
It seems Serena has a bit of that mentality when she plays Maria. There is the sense while watching her focus and quiet intensity that Serena will just never allow herself to lose to Maria. She even scales back her grunting and roaring, as if to tell Maria and the audience that Maria is not even worthy of evoking her A level, even her B game is enough to get the job done.
Whenever Maria seems to be on the verge of threatening Serena, she is quickly subdued. Like late in the second set Serena won seven points in a row to take control of the set. But then she missed three points in a row to give Maria duece. Uh oh, maybe Serena is choking. Maybe Maria is finally going to turn the tide.
Then suddenly, like a cat playing with its mouse, Serena put her opponent in her place with an ace and an unreturnable forehand. Game over. The match was over moments later.
It was yet another bitter defeat for Maria, who looks more like a practice partner for Serena, than an arch rival.
***
Quotes
Serena: “I think she started out strong. I made some unforced errors, and I had a lot of chances to be up first game, and then had some chances to hold serve and chances to break again. So I think I definitely let myself down in the first three games, and then she just started playing better.”
“But when I’m not playing well, or when I’m feeling lower energy, I know I can do better. That’s always a plus. Especially during a match, sometimes I feel like, ‘Okay, well, you can take it up a level.'”
Maria: “Despite my results against her, I still look forward to playing against Serena, because you learn so much from that type of level that she produces. She’s an incredible champion. That’s the reason she’s at the top. She’s accomplished a lot. Her tennis speaks for itself.”
***
The best match of the day was going on at the same time – Sock and Harrison against the Colombians Robert Farah (pictured above) and Juan Sebastian Cabal. This was a heated battle, with a raucous crowd and some verbal hostilities. Sock and Harry won the first set. Trouble started when Sock yelled Yeah after a Colombian double fault. Both sides bickered back and forth at changeovers, even calling each other unprintable names, according to a media witness, until the chair umpire Lahyani had to step down from this chair and restore order. Both teams channeled their anger into high quality tennis.
All four players were playing spectacular tennis, particularly the Colombians who were making just a bit less errors. Perhaps they were inspired by the very vocal and animated support they received from Colombian fans. I was very disappointed with the American support which was barely above silence compared to Colombia. I really believe it made the difference in the match, which was won by Farah and Cabal ten to eight in the match tiebreak.
Harrison and Sock were down for most of it but rallied to tie it late with a marvelous lob winner by Harry. Harry then missed a touch backhand drop shot cross court into the net cord which gave Colombia the match point which they converted, but all I can remember is it took three or four great shots on their part. Harrison and Sock were crushed but they played superbly, they just came up short to an emerging team on a major hot streak.
Cabal and Farah have defeated M Lopez/Granollers, Bopanna/Qureshi and Peya/Soares all in straight sets, and now Harrison/Sock in the semi. Now the Colombians will battle the Bryans, winners over Mahut/Llodra, in the final.
Dolgopolov had a rough day with Berdych, who beat him for the fourth time in four tries. Berdych can beat any player out there with the exception of Nadal and Djokovic.
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Scoop Malinowski · March 27, 2014 at 10:02 pm
The doubles match sounded like it was on Bogota, Colombia for Davis Cup. American fans did not do enough to help Sock and Harrison. I really believe the fans were the difference maker today.
Dan Markowitz · March 28, 2014 at 5:28 am
There are no true rivalries in the women’s game. Azarenka and Serena produced a few good matches, but even that has fallen by the wayside.
Can Nishikori take down Djoko? He’s been on a roll and is turning into more of an Agassi-like player, a shot-maker.
Scoop Malinowski · March 28, 2014 at 8:38 am
Agree Dan, WTA needs a good rivalry to sprout up. Sloane vs. Serena almost became one but Serena hammered her out of the picture too. Kei has a very good chance the way he is playing right now, he might feel unbeatable. Kei icould be on a roll like Pioline in Monte Carlo, Rios in Miami/IW, Jerzy in Paris, Isner in IW…looking forward to see this match. I said five years ago Kei can be top five, today may give us the answer if he can do it.
Scoop Malinowski · March 28, 2014 at 8:41 am
Something interesting about Serena yesterday, at her pre match hit out on the practice court, a media guy from UK was filming Serena hit for a Chinese network, just light hitting in the morning before the match. So Richard Williams came over and told the guy to stop filming the practice. The guy told Richard he was accredited media, not a fan, and he was permitted to film. But Richard insisted and forced him to stop. Richard also added that Li Na might see the video and he didn’t want that to happen. Another example of Richard’s quirkiness or intimidation.
Harold · March 28, 2014 at 10:03 am
Does Richard Williams now have a young son, he is going to drop on the tennis world in a dozen or so years? His lady friend had a toddler in a lap at a recent match
Dan Markowitz · March 28, 2014 at 12:56 pm
Williams is a new papi, but it might be harder to produce another tennis champion now that’s he 72 years old. Also, Williams had five kids in a previous marriage.
Dan Markowitz · March 28, 2014 at 3:53 pm
Kei’s withdraw from match with Djoko today in the Miami semis is why Nishikori is so frustrating. The guy gets hurt so often. I mean, retiring from a Masters semis with a sore groin. Willis Reed played with a torn muscle in his leg in 1970. Nishikori has to go out there and play with a pulled groin.
Mitch · March 28, 2014 at 4:49 pm
The withdrawal is very disappointing, and strange given that he looked fine throughout the whole Federer match, which followed the grueling Ferrer match, and then had a full day off to recover.
Mitch · March 28, 2014 at 7:17 pm
Nadal gets a walkover too. Wow.
Scoop Malinowski · March 28, 2014 at 10:05 pm
The Nishikori pullout was not a total surprise, he’s had three brutally tough matches and a scribe told me he saw Kei hit yesterday and he looked flat and listless, as if something was not right with him. Peter Bodo asked Kei in the press conference today if he did everything possible to try to get ready, try painkillers, Kei replied with a quick, “I tried everything.” He said, Davis Cup was next on his schedule but wasn’t sure if he would play. I think it’s safe to conclude Kei was still a little fatigued and he knew playing Djokovic was going to be more grueling than the previous three matches. This situation is one time where maybe you wonder if the ATP Tour might justifiably consider legalizing certain performance enhancing supplements for extremely fatigued players to recover. Today was a total wipeout of the ATP. Tennis is just so physically demanding now, maybe matches before SF can be reduced to a third set match tiebreak and slams can be reduced to 2 of 3 before QF. Tennis is just so physically demanding now.
Scoop Malinowski · March 28, 2014 at 10:09 pm
Hingis and Lisicki won today, straight sets over Black Mirza, they are in the finals. Hingis went out to scout Black Mirza for 4-5 games yesterday. They won convincingly 3 and 4 but it could have been more decisive, Hingis / Lisicki missed some opportunites to make it a blowout. Kops Jones and Spears, a team that’s been together forever, lost the first set to Vesnina Makarova after failing to serve it out at 54. The more accomplished Russians should prevail in this one to set up a fascinating final.
Scoop Malinowski · March 28, 2014 at 10:11 pm
Rafa hit today with young Stefan Kozlov, who was stuck in the lot because he lost his credential, for around 90 minutes. Kozlov said Rafa’s shots were far different than anything he ever dealt with in tennis but acquitted himself well enough to be asked by fans on stadium to sign 60 autographs after the hit. Rafa said nice things about Kozlov after. Kozlov has now hit with Murray Fed four times and also Djokovic.
Dan Markowitz · March 29, 2014 at 1:51 am
Wow, this is unprecedented, two players pull out of a Masters semis on the same day. You can’t have a third-set tie-breaker. You might as not even play the match. 2 out of 3 in a slam is doable, but you wonder if they can speed up the courts some and make less defensive tennis the norm instead of these battles of attrition. How come Fed, Murray, Djoko and Nadal or Ferrer never pull out of any of these matches?
Andrew Miller · March 29, 2014 at 12:32 pm
Nishikori and Berdych pulling out is pretty irresponsible. Whatever you want to say about this generation you can say one thing for sure: not up to expectations in terms of either competitiveness or sportsmanship. I couldn’t see Sampras doing this and that’s the bar. Nadal could have pulled out vs. Wawrinka but he didn’t – he’s no Henin!
Interesting what CNNSI Ravi Ubha posted about watching R. Harrison. Pressure must be getting to him if he told his dad to leave his match against Becker: ‘”Get out of here.” Reply: “Shut up.” Later in match Harrison says: “make sure he never comes back.”‘
As for hitting with Nadal or Federer: I’m beginning to believe it’s the kiss of death for a player. You hit with them and then you think “I’ve arrived”. Name me one player in the top 10 who after being Federer, Nadal or Djokovic’s sparring partner is there because of motivation etc. NONE. That’s because Federer and Nadal choose their practice partners based in part on their need (“a rightie” or “a lefty”). Federer hit with Klahn at Wimbledon because he needed a lefty to practice with. Federer got Jesse Levine to practice with him because he needed a lefty to prep for Nadal some years back.
The point is for guys like Kozlov to see this: you got to get to that stature first and then you get the practice players you need to prep you. Seles used to play against tons of Division I NCAA mens players because they hit much bigger than the WTA, so that every match out she came in hitting bigger. Williams players do this too. Same for Sharapova.
Look at how Lendl prepped for his matches – seriously he went so far according to SI as to check the racquets that Connors and Mac were using to figure out what shots they COULDNT hit (the limitations – like a high backhand etc) and then went after those areas during a match.
I don’t see the up and coming players thinking like this – figuring out how to prep for the next match, do they need a righty or lefty to practice with, strategizing where to go etc. This is mean to say but I think a lot of pro players are playing blind out there.
All that said let’s hand it to Dolgo. Two straight tournaments playing huge tennis. He really is on the up and up. I’d say that Chang’s going somewhere with Nishikori but when you pull up lame like that you’re looking a lot like the Djokovic that couldn’t make it through matches and your training starts looking worse than it should be.
And let’s credit Nadal again for showing that if you keep going you can put big tournament losses behind you. He looked like the villain against Wawrinka and now he might finally add a tournament he never won before in a place, Miami, that appreciates him. He’s had some of the biggest victories in his life there – his first win on Federer to start a new era in tennis (even though it took another year for it to really change). It would be unbelievable if after a decade on tour, he’s still doing things he’s never done.
Gotta respect that.
Andrew Miller · March 29, 2014 at 12:39 pm
Dan those guys don’t pull out because they have more pride than Nishikori and Berdych. You cant win big matches at this stage at a huge tournament and then pull out – seriously take five advils or something. Unless they have some serious diagnoses like Venus Williams or someone in their family is ill, you don’t pull out like that.
I think Scoop’s theory is now reality – these guys don’t want to lose to the big dogs after winning big matches. They want to leave tournaments with the idea that “I did great” and the only way to do that is “not winning the tournament but not losing it either” – so their motivation stays up. They don’t want to also “play to lose” – play in a way that guarantees they lose with dignity (like Agassi did vs. Chang in the Australian Open he wrote about in his book – you just play slightly worse – hit some winners and lose close so that you avoid playing someone else). In this instance they didn’t play the matches so they don’t have to make the excuse that the other player was too good etc and they don’t have to suffer the loss.
Stupid. Sorry but as top players you have responsibilities. Unless it really is something serious (you got a phone call from home and the news is devastating, you’re diagnosed yourself with a career threatening illness, someone died, etc) you can’t not face stuff.
I know this is harsh but here goes anyways. No way Nishikori will win a big one like that. And we already know Berydch doesn’t get up for the biggest matches so you can forget that one too.
Andrew Miller · March 29, 2014 at 12:47 pm
Last: Harrison and Sock to replace Bryans for Davis Cup? Bryans aren’t going to play forever and if those guys get better they can challenge for Davis Cup. I actually think they should do it – it will help their volleys and game and will be more along the lines of what Mac did to become the game’s best player, same for Navratilova and Hingis. It’s like you get extra “competitive practice” – less stress than singles but better than non-pressure practice.
So smart move by them. I think they should take the next step and challenge the Bryan boys so that if they don’t make Davis Cup singles they can lock up the doubles. It’s a crazy idea but why not – stop looking at your team-mates as gods and challenge them. In the Sampras era there was always a challenge for the top spot in singles and being #1 in U.S. mattered. Now you got to question the competitiveness of the players: they’ve shown they can do better than other players who gave up the sport (who got to the 100s in the rankings then left) and they’ve shown they’re better than Ram and Odesnik for the most part. They might as well push themselves to do stuff they didn’t think is possible or anyone else.
Beating out one of the world’s best all time doubles teams would be worth writing about.
Mitch · March 29, 2014 at 3:39 pm
For what it’s worth, Nadal pulled out of a Miami SF against Murray a few years ago.
Scoop Malinowski · March 29, 2014 at 8:36 pm
Sock and Harrison are a good team, they have potential together, they were one or two points from beating the Colombians who gave the Bs a scare in the final today. I love that Sock and Harry are playing doubles together and hope they keep doing it, it will only help their singles. Doubles success can ignite singles success – case in point – Federer Stan at the OLY in Athens. Sock and Harry played the Bryans in Delray but got trounced. But they had an excellent run in Miami and are better now than they were a month ago. The Bryans are going to be very hard to knock off their Davis Cup and World Number One perches. Very tough. But Sock and Harrison, by their showings this week, look like possible contenders to do it, if they keep working hard. Their match vs. the Colombians was one of the best matches I’ve seen all year.
Scoop Malinowski · March 29, 2014 at 8:41 pm
Nishikori and Berdych have a big Davis Cup tie in Japan next week, Czech Rep plays at Japan. Nishikori is slated to play, maybe this injury will take him out. Berd I believe is not supposed to play but if he is and doesn’t want to play, this injury can take him out of it. So who knows what’s really going on, you never know in tennis. But Nishikori had to be exhausted after 3 brutal matches and Berdych I am told did look sick as a dog. Injuries and pullouts are just a reality of modern era tennis which is beyond brutal physically and mentally on all players.
Scoop Malinowski · March 29, 2014 at 8:44 pm
Mitch I do remember that Rafa pullout, that’s one of the only ones I can remember during an event.
Andrew Miller · March 29, 2014 at 9:27 pm
Harrison playing doubles is smart – sounds like he can let loose and play the style he’s capable of there, gain confidence for singles. Smart of Sock too. I know DY and JJ have paired for doubles also. Would be nice to see if those two teams can make a go of it – Sock and Harrison have a good thing going. McEnroe, Hingis and Navratilova couldn’t have been crazy to play doubles – and the Williams also played – they won 13 slams (all four of the slams) as well as 3 olympic golds – though Lisa Raymond isn’t far behind in terms of total slams (mixed and women’s) the Williams are the “gold standard”, no pun intended.
Scoop Malinowski · March 29, 2014 at 9:42 pm
Doubles will help their games, agree Andrew, help Harry with his touch around the net, accuracy on returns and rallies, lobs, overheads, Sock – same thing. Also think Gulbis Dolgo and Raonic should do more dubs, it can springboard them up in singles. Doubles success breeds confidence for singles. Stepanek Errani Vinci are just a few examples of that.
Andrew Miller · March 29, 2014 at 10:54 pm
Federer’s 2008 comeback was definitely based on the olympic gold with Wawrinka. No wonder he’s happy for Stan.
Dan Markowitz · March 29, 2014 at 11:00 pm
Be realistic, there isn’t a single Top 10 singles player who plays doubles today. Hingis can play doubles and players like Stepanek and Feliciano Lopez, but the singles game has changed so much that playing doubles today is not a ticket to singles success.
tootsie · March 30, 2014 at 2:14 am
Mitch · “For what it’s worth, Nadal pulled out of a Miami SF against Murray a few years ago.”
What it’s worth? Zilch. Nada. Zip. Rafa pulled out of Miami in 2012 because he had hurt his knee in Indian Wells and he played on an injured knee through the clay season until he couldn’t play anymore and was out for eight months. That was only the second time in his career that he gave anyone a walkover.
Why would you think it’s important to bring up Rafa’s name in that situation? Why not Fed, who has pulled out of tournaments twice in his career as well, the last one in Doha 2012. Or Djokovic who has also pulled out twice, most recently in 2011 Paris. Murray has pulled out three times in his career, most recently in 2012 in Toronto. Hell, Sampras pulled out of tournaments EIGHT times in his career. What a mug.
Here, check out the list for yourself. http://matchstat.com/PlayerInjuries/4
loreley · March 30, 2014 at 2:28 am
Berdych isn’t nominated for Davis Cup against Japan.
http://www.daviscup.com/en/draws-results/tie/details.aspx?tieId=100021084
I agree with Scoop. Nishikori had three very tough matches. It was surprising that he could beat Federer after that 3 hour match against Ferrer.
Berdych isn’t the only one who got ill during Miami. Gulbis got a stomach virus the day before his match against Benneteau. He didn’t withdraw, but some keep saying that he had no business to lose that match. Cilic was ill too. Everyone who got a glimpse of his match against ERV could see it.
Miami is for the most players the fith tournament in a row. Dolgopolov played six straight tournaments. Federer & Djoker played only three. Nadal made even a break between Rio de Janeiro & IW.
Dan Markowitz · March 30, 2014 at 6:45 am
The difference is Tootsie, it’s obvious to see if you look at the drop-outs, that Nadal defaulted in a Masters semis. I don’t know why he defaulted, bad knee, ok I’ll buy that, but never has Federer or Murray defaulted in a big event semis. NOt saying it can’t happen, it’s just rare.
Andrew Miller · March 30, 2014 at 2:46 pm
I find the pull-outs obnoxiou – Henin’s was in the Australian vs. Mauresmo, so is Kei’s and so is Berydch’s, and so are the WTA pull-outs if they aren’t based on significant injuries.
Yeah this is a black and white view. I guess it’s better to pull-out of a match before it begins than to play it and pull-out during it like Tomic did.
Dan and doubles: I didnt say players should dedicate themselves to doubles – I said it’s a good way to get better and then apply what you learn to singles, whether the skill or the confidence. Fish certainly did and he’s been the best U.S. player since Roddick’s departure – Fish was a great doubles player. And what’s so bad about having Harrison and Sock try to get the Davis Cup spot from an aging Bryans’ team? The Bryans have been the default Davis Cup option for so long that if you think life without Roddick on the team is bad, just wait until Davis Cup without the Bryans. Harrison and Sock are smart in making themselves a legitimate team – if either of their games catch on and they are also credible in doubles, they will get the Davis Cup nod and will be prepared to pull out tough matches.
Sorry but I think you do get confidence from doubles if you’re an excellent ATP player who needs a new way of breaking through. U.S. players in general don’t have world class volleys and doubles exposes the players to way more short game and volleys and angles than they get in singles so they’ll see the court differently. Players can get stuck in routines that don’t force them to learn new tactics and strategies. If you arent used to doubles and suddenly you are playing more of it and you get the support from your team-mate and more exposure to players you might play in singles (most singles players arent Federer or Nadal or Djokovic so they can also get more money playing doubles) then you will get better.
To me it makes a lot of sense, it’s been a long time since a U.S. player used a decent strategy out there and this includes Roddick and Blake, Isner and Querrey. I think it matters that Federer and Wawrinka have an olympic doubles medal AND that the Williams sisters have tons of slams and gold medals in doubles. Henin doesnt but does anyone in their right mind really believe Henin was a better player than the Williams?
No way – they will always go down as better than Hingis because frankly they won way more – more titles, more slams, more of everything. Same for Capriati, Sabatini, Pierce, Martinez etc – the Williams have way more versatility, quickness, options, court knowledge. You got to believe some of this comes from doubles.
Andrew Miller · March 30, 2014 at 2:56 pm
Fish is retired, right? I feel like we’re living the Capriati “is she retired or playing” drama again. I think if he’s retired he should say so and call it a career at the US Open. Fish’s “non retirement retirement” is probably the strangest exit from U.S. pro tennis in the last three decades. I know he’s had a big year with now being a dad and congratulations on that, but at some point you have to face your sport with integrity so that you can get a proper goodbye.
Spadea was right about Blake and Fish and merit. I think the U.S. didnt appreciate Spadea enough – he never did what Fish did in turning his back so thoroughly on the sport, and I think unlike Blake Spadea retired when he knew he wasn’t in it 100%. Given how Spadea knows the game I think he’d also make a better analyst for matches. Michael Joyce is an excellent analyst but for whatever reasons the sport will probably try to get Blake and Fish, who are buddies with Gimelstob, rather than tap someone who probably can analyze the sport better like Spadea.
Dan Markowitz · March 30, 2014 at 4:35 pm
Djokovic showed today why he has the top player in the game. He ran through Nadal and made him look a step slow and his game plan of running around the backhand faulty. It’s hard if not impossible to beat Nadal on the clay, but as long as Becker stays away, I think Djoko has a good chance.
Andrew Miller · March 30, 2014 at 7:37 pm
Djokovic was unstoppable. He even used a modified “spin it up” forehand in set 1 to impart some extra spin like Nadal does and give Nadal a taste of his own shot.
Yeah what can I say, you can’t write off Djokovic at all, he’s clearly the “true” #1 right now.
Scoop Malinowski · March 30, 2014 at 11:46 pm
Lor I saw Cilic lose to ERV and he threw his racquet twice after the MP which was aided by a blown call and correction on a Cilic shot that hit the line and ERV got a do over. Cilic then missed long and it was over. He looked fine to me, not ill. He was angry about the bad call and correction. He wanted that TB and to play a third set. Again, Cilic looked perfectly healthy from my courtside seat.