By Scoop Malinowski
I’m finally with internet access, so I’m just gonna random freeflow this quick essay…
Colombia’s Falla is out on the practice court working with the retired Spanish lefty Francisco Clavet who was working with F-Lo last year.
One of the linespeople told me he was the first Hawkeye Challenge at the Sony Ericsson, Jamea Jackson’s forehand was called out wide, she looked at her dad/coach who advised her to challenge and the first ever Hawkeye Challenge showed his call was right and Jamea’s challenge was wrong, by a hair. Jackson was playing Ashley Harkleroad in that match, for you trivia buffs.
I watched Bernard Tomic play Tim Smyczek last night. If Tomic was hitting at your club and you didn’t know him, you’d probably walk by after a couple of minutes not thinking he was anything special. He has an easy casual way of playing, almost nonchalant, slices, hits some amazingly slow balls, but he has an uncanny ability to win matches. Tomic crushed the American 61 75, saving a set point in the second set with an unreturnable serve. There were some Aussies in the house, doing the old Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi chants from the Rafter era.
One of Tomic’s fans in about the tenth row was this huge hulk bodybuilder dude, wearing a green shirt. Biggest most muscular tennis fan I ever saw.
Ivo Karlovic lost in the singles to Matosevic in the first round but he was practicing doubles with hsi coach and Frank Moser last night, playing some kind of game at the net where they couldn’t smash the ball, Ivo has some amazing hands.
Not far from the site of the tourney there’s a road called George Bush Avenue. Someone told me the Bush family is prominent here and Jeb Bush lives here.
I was told Roddick lost the first set to Petschner on Tuesday night and down 1-3 in the second set, the German had a shoelace malfunction which delayed the match about ten minutes. Curiously, Petzschner’s regular doubles partner Jurgen Melzer also had a shoelace break last week in Memphis, which also caused a delay. Melzer won Memphis. I have watched a lot of tennis matches in the last 20 years and these two shoe lace breaks are the first two I have ever seen. Just a coincidence? Ever hear that old quotation: “There are no coincidences.”
Melzer lost here first round to Smyzcek, 7-5 in the third set.
Everyone is looking forward to the Isner-Tomic showdown tomorrow night. I saw Tomic playing one-one-one basketball with his coach in the player’s lounge area.
The great journalist/author, former ATP Tour Communications manager Sir Richard Evans is at the event. He also lives here in beautiful Delray Beach.
The Bryans will have a rematch with the team that ousted them at the US Open this year, Karlovic and German Frank Moser, who I did a Biofile with last night after practice. Moser, said he once played a match indoors in Kazakhstan which had a rain delay because the roof was inadequate. Moser attended college at VCU.
Scheduled to do a Biofile with Tomic later today…
Stay tuned…
Scoop Malinowski · March 1, 2012 at 10:52 pm
Just watched Dr. Ivo playing horse vs. ATP Communications maestro Greg Sharko. They split games. Greg played high school hoops and was making some nice long range shots. Dr. Ivo was taking shots from outside the boundaries lines – and making them perfect swishes too. But Greg got Dr. Ivo on some close range bank shots.
Andy Roddick is in the players lounge sitting with Larry Stefanki and Mark Knowles. Roddick is wearing Reebok trainer shoes. One table away and just about facing Roddick is his opponent tonight Dennis Istomin.
At the players lounge desk I noticed a sign offering the players they can buy videos of their main court matches, for a price of $30.
Kevin Anderson held off the X-Man Malisse in three sets.
An ATP rep told me Ernests Gulbis was supposed to do a signing and trivia contest game at the Corona Bar but because the center court match went to the third set all the fans were watching the match and just about nobody came to see Gulbis, except for one very devoted female fan who just missed the Latvian and wanted the tournament official to bring him back. Also, did you know Ernests is named after Hemingway?
Steve · March 1, 2012 at 11:09 pm
Interesting stuff!
Scoop Malinowski · March 2, 2012 at 2:54 am
Temieraz Gabashvili and a very tanned Dominik Hrbaty were in attendance watching Roddick’s 64 75 win over Dennis Istomin.
Before the match I got to see Roddick shooting baskets with Doug Spreen his physio and Dr. Ivo. Spreen is a very good player and shooter, once Sharko told me, they were playing a pick-up game at a tournament and Bill McAtee was playing and said he wanted to cover Spreen who proceeded to light up the TV announcer to the point where McAtee was forced to change coverage to a lesser player [smile].
Spreen is a really nice shooter from range with a nice wrist action and soft touch. Roddick has a nice form to his shot but not that sweet aesthetic natural looking touch, it reminded me of his tennis. Not the best looking game or athleticism but at one time, people tend to forget, Roddick was the BEST in the world. THE BEST. He did it and continues to win by sheer force of will, Roddick has a stronger desire than everybody else, if not the talent. He uses emotional adrenaline and passion and pure raw desire to get his results. After Roddick hit a long three point range shot, I commented his range is from out far, not in close, as he was missing most of the medium range jumpers. He responded jokingly and humbly that his range was the same from all over.
Andy Lake the national champion of 30’s and 35’s was here watching with his two kids, and I did a terrific Biofile with him that I’m going to post within a week. Andy’s a super cool guy, and one of the best senior players in the U.S.
Scoop Malinowski · March 2, 2012 at 3:46 am
Wow. Frank Moser and Dr. Ivo upset the Bryans again, 46 64 10-3. Amazing match. Point of the tournament happened late in the second set with Moser in trouble on serve and in a wild point, at one moment, Dr. Ivo was waving his arms from the baseline trying to distract a Bryan on a slow ball at the baseline, never saw any player do that before. Finally, the point ended up with a Bryan trading forehands crosscourt with Moser and Bryan missed wide, with Moser screaming YES! That seemed to be the turning point and Team Ivomoser dominated after.
Hrbaty and Gabashvili were not in the house for this match, they both left after Roddick won.
loreley · March 2, 2012 at 6:17 pm
Great report.
I wonder if the videos for the players are better quality as the stream.
Steve · March 2, 2012 at 7:38 pm
1. What you described Dr. Ivo doing is called hindrance, right? The Bryans could have asked for a point.
Please find a pro tennis player that can be described as “swarthy” and then use that word. Hrbarty seems close.
Scoop Malinowski · March 3, 2012 at 7:55 pm
Darn Steve, I don’t even know what swarthy means, that’s out of my vocabuleague.
You should have seen Dr. Ivo, he was like a windmill doing jumping jacks, that was a huge point too, one of those sudden death points.
BTW, the Tomic Biofile did not go down. The ATP told me Tomic agreed to do it after practice but then the father John Tomic, when it was time to do it, told the ATP guy to go through the agent Gavin Forbes. They really seem to think this kid is the real deal and are very protective of him. Isner trouned him the next day and minutes after the match the father and coach (Mario Ancic’s brother) dragged Tomic to the practice courts in the far rear of the site, apparently to work on some things. Isner just got back to the locker room and 30 seconds later there was Team Tomnic on the way for some practice work. Tomic was trailing the other two, eating a banana still wearing the green Nike shirt that he wore in the loss to Isner. We’re going to try to set up the Biofile through Forbes but I don’t have a good feeling about ever getting it.
Scoop Malinowski · March 3, 2012 at 7:56 pm
BTW what a great match Roddick vs. Anderson, I watched the whole battle, stay tuned for my Match Study of this excellent slugfest.
Steve · March 4, 2012 at 3:40 pm
I will tryout this new Dr.Ivo technique this summer.