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Thursday Sony, Mats on Fed Rafa Rivalry
19 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Articles, Scoop
It’s always interesting to listen to Mats Wilander talk tennis. My desk at the media center is a few seats down from L-Equipe of France and the reporter did an interview with Mats around dinner time about the Federer-Rafa rivalry. Here is just a portion what Mats said (I couldn’t write it all down because I was transcibing my recorder of other interviews):
“I want to see Federer win. Because I know if Federer wins he has to play a great, great match.”
“Nothing will be missed more from tennis than Federer Nadal matches. So far this is the most attractive match that we’ve ever had in the sport – Federer- Nadal. McEnroe-Borg played so few times. When Federer and Nadal stop it’s going to be a sad day.”
The first match I wanted to see today was court 8 Karen Khachenov, the tall teen from Russia who won some ATP matches in Russia late last year, taking on Daniel Gimeno Traver of Spain. The first set was a grueling battle won l0-8 in a tiebreak. KK doesn’t miss. He did not miss a single ball during the warm up and didn’t make a UE until he netted a ball in the third game. But Traver grinded him down 6l 6l after losing the first set. Impressed by the young KK, he reminds me of a morph of Paire/Tsonga/Ancic. Tall rangy, steady, also yells Come on and Hwuuuah. Fun to watch. He’s being coached by Igor Kunitsyn.
Another thing I observed was both KK and Traver blew their noses into their white towels but the difference was KK kept that towel separate at his bag and did not let the ballkids handle it while Traver wasn’t as meticulously concerned about hygiene. Or maybe he was just too focused.
Hewitt started flat losing first set to Robin Haase but upped his intensity in set two with an early break and come on yell. Hewitt ultimately won 64 in the third for his 600th career ATP win. But Rafa looms next for Hewitt.
Ryan Harrison posted an impressive straight set win over Argentine lefty Freddy Delbonis. Robby Koenig tweeted that he liked Harry’s set up shots before making his passing shots. Harry’s new girlfriend is Christina McHale’s older sister Lauren who is working in the media center for IMG. She was not in Harry’s box today with Jay Berger.
Vince Spadea is in the house. He’s working on some kind of video show project, with financing already secured. Vince was roving the grounds dressed in all white tennis duds. Vince also said he hit with Djokovic in Indian Wells. He was talking to fans on camera, I don’t think any knew who he was. He also said he wanted to talk with Monfils who was hitting on the court by us. Not sure how that panned out as there was a huge crowd watching La Monf.
My buddy Nail Khabeyev hit with Vesnina and Baghdatis today. He’s a steady hitting partner for all the pros this tournament. I hit a few with him in Delray, he’s ranked #2 in the USTA Eastern Open singles and recently graduated college. He says he only gets paid fifteen bucks a day in meal allowance. But the experience of hitting with so many professionals is surely priceless.
Paes and Step were eliminated by Butorac/Klassen 36 67 on court 2, the same court where they beat the Bryans a couple of years ago.
Brad Klahn lost again, tough three setter to Garcia Lopez 46 in the third. Steve Johnson also went down to Agut after winning the first set. That guy Agut is a machine.
I spotted former ATP pro Cyril Saulnier and former WTA stars Brenda Schultz McCarthy and Conchita Martinez around the grounds.
Also, I gave a copy of my Facing Federer book to young Dominic Thiem bfore his practice, hope it gives him good inspiration (photo above).
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Dan Markowitz · March 21, 2014 at 5:21 am
Thiem looks a lot like Dimitrov. Watched some Querrey last night and he handled Stakhovsky relatively easily. The USTA crew were watching. It’s like Berger watches everyone and he’s just trying to latch onto a few up and comers or in Sam’s case, a resurgent big hitter.
Querrey has an appealing loose game when he’s on and maybe he’s rounding into his top form. But there’s only one way for Q, he doesn’t suffer defense well. It’s all out big serve and forehand, just not at Izzie’s level.
Harold · March 21, 2014 at 8:51 am
Saw the end of Haase/Hewitt. Haase double faulte the match away while dealing with a heckler. My first thought was, is Scoop the heckler?, pulling a Dan(Safin/Spadea match)
Hartt · March 21, 2014 at 9:48 am
Haase played well in the first set and I thought Hewitt would not get his 600 career win this time. Hewitt upped his game after that, or maybe his shirt (orange, black, white) just blinded Haase. Haase’s double fault at the end was sad way to go.
Abe Froman · March 21, 2014 at 10:58 am
@ Dan…what did you do to heckle marat against vince ??
Andrew Miller · March 21, 2014 at 12:40 pm
Using the “Dan” analysis, Klahn with 3 straight ATP losses isn’t at the level his ranking requires. Might be why he’s taking such a beating by the press (who instead of saying who is this guy? say, “one of only four U.S. players in top 100 proving this is the worst U.S. tennis era of all time”. Doogie’s idea of “true ranking” vs. “actual ranking” is pretty accurate right now – Klahn’s “true ranking” isn’t his actual ranking and we should see a fall pretty soon to take into account the three straight 1st round losses. Surprising that Klahn was able to win his U.S. open matches vs. better players and take a set off Dimitrov in Australia, and now basically that he’s getting into tournaments on his ranking is losing every match!
Johnson’s loss is 2nd straight 1st round loss after his Delray breakout. Too bad again.
I think Harrison, DY, Sock did what they had to do – 2nd round will be much harder.
I am surprised with Vesely and Thiem’s success. Their games and preparation must be excellent, and they are coming along very well by always winning their first round matches.
Harold · March 21, 2014 at 12:54 pm
Vesely is not athletic enough to make a push into the top 20. He has a nice game, but movement will catch up. He is almost “gimpy”. Saw him lose to Kudla at US Open qualies up close. Big guy, was not impressed.
Harold · March 21, 2014 at 1:35 pm
Thiem has a much higher upside
Dan Markowitz · March 21, 2014 at 3:11 pm
Firstly, for Harry, playing Becker is not much harder if at all than Delbonis.
Secondly, Kudla beat Vesely in the first round of the Open last year, but not before Vesely took a set and almost rallied. I’d look to McKenzie McDonald, who was named College Player of the week recently, for success rather than Kudla or Klahn or maybe even Johnson. This kid is small, but he’s got a lot of game.
The Safin heckle situation occurred in 2008 when Vince was in his last full year on tour and 34. He played Safin in the first round of the Open and I waited on line to buy a ticket and just when I got to the front of the line, Vince Spadea Sr. walked by and said, “Dan, here’s a ticket for Vince’s box.”
So I’m sitting up there with his then-coach, Davide Sanguinetti and a few other people, and Vince wins the first set in Arthur Ashe. Then Safin takes the next two, but Vince recovers and takes set No. 4. It’s a fifth set in AA against the 28-year-old Safin, who Vince had beaten in Key Biscayne in there only other meeting. It was good tennis, long rallies and Vince was fighting with his last gasp. He was in pretty bad physical shape by then, but even Johnny Mac on tv, said Spadea was smart, he really knew how to play and position himself on court.
After every point, which I did more with equal vociferousness in Delray earlier that year, I believe, when Vince came back from the dead to beat Gremelmyre, I yelled and ranted at Safin. And after the match in the press conference, Marat said something to the effect of: “There was someone in Spadea’s box who was really annoying.”
Safin won 6-4 in the 5th.
Doogie · March 21, 2014 at 6:58 pm
@Harold
That is my concern too about Vesely. He moves slow around the court but I really hope he can improve it. He is still very young.
But spot on Harold!
Scoop Malinowski · March 21, 2014 at 10:31 pm
Not me Harold, maybe it was that loudmouth Kazakhstan guy warming up his larynx for later pestering Serena. Did you hear about that guy that they pulled at 66 in the tiebreak, Miami Dade police came and dragged him out for repeatedly yelling Kazakhstan all set long.
Scoop Malinowski · March 21, 2014 at 10:33 pm
Hartt Hewitt changed the shirt and also his crew changed their seats after the first set. Hewitt had some cool dude on today in practice. Pastel green shorts with stripe and a blue shirt with white short sleeves. Hewitt ready for Rafa. I asked Rafa for his Hewitt memories in the press conference and he gave some nice words of respect for Hewitt.
Scoop Malinowski · March 21, 2014 at 10:34 pm
Vesely lost today to F Lopez in straight sets. F Lo in fine form at the moment.
Dan Markowitz · March 21, 2014 at 10:46 pm
Wow, surprised to see Gulbis ended up dropping third set and match to Benneteau. The Latvian was up 3-0 in the third, but he couldn’t hold on. And how about Bag-man beating Kohly after he looked lost to the dead after dropping first set 6-0 to Giraldo.
Scoop Malinowski · March 21, 2014 at 11:03 pm
BAG IS BACK Dan I saw the grand finale. Bag didn’t kiss the court this time like he did after beating Giraldo though. But these wins have been huge for his confidence which was in shambles. Hope he can get back up to top 20. He does not belong outside the top hundred as he is now.
Hartt · March 22, 2014 at 8:28 am
Scoop, I liked Hewitt’s shirt in the first set. (Not so much the one he changed into, although there are many worse ones out there.) The first one was colourful without being over-the-top. Your Remembering Hewitt project sounds like a lot of fun.
Scoop Malinowski · March 23, 2014 at 12:23 am
Hartt I guess I like anything Hewitt wears, even if it’s as flashy and flamboyant as Liberace colorwise. Hewitt has earned the right to wear what he wants. It’s just a lil bit surprising he’s going the Neon Deion route, he seemed more conservative.
Abe Froman · March 24, 2014 at 9:33 am
nice heckling Dan….surprised that safin didnt implode that day against spadea in the 5th….good try though LOL
Harry · April 2, 2014 at 8:13 pm
Harry’s “new” girlfriend? They’ve been dating for almost a year! They were definitely already together at the Citi Open in 2013 (& that was not their first date if you know what I mean).
Scoop Malinowski · April 3, 2014 at 8:33 am
Thanks for the clarification Harry 🙂