Ivanovic is reason one can look at Muguruza and say she might make a run or she might be Ivanovic. Because that’s the way it is! Slams don’t just happen on their own

That’s an interesting point about drama being an ingredient of a historic rivalry. Certainly Nadal vs. Federer had that in spades, including Fed’s tears.

For a rivalry on the men’s side I can see Sascha Zverev vs. Kyrgios having potential if Nick holds things together enough for them to play against each other often. Both are talented, emotional players and will generate a lot of interest.

I used to think that Raonic vs. Nishikori would be a good rivalry, 2 talented players with different styles, but Kei seems to be spinning his wheels and then there is the lack of drama factor with those 2.

Hartt –

Yes – Fed/Nadal was one had in mind.

Something I’d be interesting in asking players on both sides of the net in this kind of contest:

Do you like playing each other ?

I imagine Simona and Angie might say the same thing: ‘depends who wins’ 🙂

And I don’t suppose anyone would be honest and say, if it were true: ‘ no I can’t stand him/her’.

Hartt –

The best rivalries are those which are almost career long, so slightly different from those players who have good matches against each other.
I’d check, as you suggest, with Nick – he’s got the potential, just needs a rival to step up 🙂

On another topic when we were discussing UK crime writers two I forgot were Andrew Taylor and John Harvey – both variable but good at their best.

I think Sascha and Nick could have a good rivalry if, as I wrote earlier, Nick keeps it together. Sascha is 2 years younger than Nick so they could be playing against one another for many years. Sascha has the talent and the “head and heart” to be a top player and has a solid family behind him. I enjoy the interviews with him and Mischa, how they are so supportive of one another.

Like the idea of asking players if they like playing each other, if only they could be honest! This is a different situation but when Rafa was asked if he would like to play Fed at a certain tourney he said something like, “No, I’m not crazy!”

Will add Andrew Taylor and John Harvey to the ever-expanding list. I generally enjoyed “The Hand of Glass.” It is mainly a psychological thriller and I was anxious to know the solution to the “mystery.”

Poor Andy, I imagine he would much rather get the knighthood after he retired. If I were one of his competitors think I would have some fun calling him “Sir Andy.” We Canadians are a bit bewildered by the whole title thing, along with Americans.

Hartt –

Andy could have turned down the knighthood – people have the choice. (BTW I imagine a lot of the honours stuff will change in the reign of the next monarch.)
Canadians have their own awards, don’t they ? Americans do.

If you liked Hand of Glass then you’ll probably like most of the Butler/Melville books – they are all more or less psychological thrillers.

Andrew – has Novotna ever done any coaching ? I always remember being comforted by the Duchess of Kent after she (Jana) folded against Steffi. The Duchess once worked (anonymously) for a suicide prevention line so she was clearly the right person to present the trophies that day.

Scoop –

My original question about players liking each other was a little different. I was referring to players in long running rivalries because they sometimes seem to bring out the best in each other. Whether they were conscious of that and/or enjoyed the competitiveness.

Hartt –

Yes – they have the same thing in Australia, Order of Australia I think.

You can turn down a decoration privately – no one would know if you don’t tell. So Andy could have done that.
The only honours that really matter in Britain are the Order of Merit and Companion of Honour and sportspeople would never get those.

Current action – I think Simona H and Radwanska have made a good strategic choice kicking off in China rather than Brisbane or Auckland – out of the public eye, good match practice on hardcourts and if an embarrassing loss should happen then no great fuss.

Bouchard out already ?

Catherine, I had never heard of the Order of Merit until I saw a reference to it in the article about the Order of Canada. Just got more info on it and members of the Commonwealth are eligible, so a previous Prime Minister, Jean Chretien, is the lone Canadian. Of the 24 members all but 4 have titles. I was very happy to see that a former director of the British Museum is a member.

This is a big year for Canada, it is the country’s 150th anniversary, or Sesquicentennial, to use the official term. I know that is young compared to England or even the US, but it is a big deal to us. So my wish for an anniversary present is Milos winning a Slam, preferably Wimbledon! 🙂

As I’ve said, I have mixed feelings about Genie, but I hope she can get back to the top 20. I did not see that match but she said in her press conference she had an extended break to deal with burnout, so has not had a lot of match play over the past few months. But she said she had her normal training block and plans to work in another one.

Shelby Rogers has a “big babe” type of game and can be very tough when she is on, and can then flame out in her next match. As far as Genie goes I think it will be hard to tell until she has played a couple more months. But I don’t expect her to be in Slam contention this season.

I like “find her inner Kerber.” I think hooking up with Hogstedt again was a good move. It is hard to predict what her results will be, so much will come down to her being confident, but finishing the season in the top 20 would be a successful year.

In the meantime, for Canadian tennis Vasek Pospisil starting the season ranked No. 133 was a lot worse! At least he made it through the qualies in Doha.

Further to the conversation about players liking to play against each other, Roger Federer was interviewed on New Year’s Eve. In reply to his toughest opponent of course he said Rafa. About toughest losses he said when he had had match points and referred to finals against Rafa in Rome and Wimby. (Kyrgios must have been in the audience because he also mentioned losing to Nick.) Fed talked about how he appreciated even more how some players, like Rafa, were able to come back after injuries more than once. And that Rafa was a great player and he was glad he was back.

But what I found especially interesting was Fed said that he enjoyed watching Rafa play. (of course if he was watching Rafa it meant he did not have to play against him in that match!) 🙂

Scoop, it had to be super exciting for Fed to beat Sampras but am not sure it would have affected the rest of Fed’s career, he was not expected to win that match.

(Raonic was excited to beat Sampras in an exhibition; Pete was Milos’ idol in a big way and he spent untold hours studying videos of Pete’s matches and of course paid close attention to the serve.) So many of today’s players cite Pete as their idol when they were growing up, I am always surprised when many fans do not give him his due.

It was a brief interview and Fed only mentioned those 3 matches.

Scoop, you are a bad influence! Instead of going grocery shopping I am watching the Sampras vs. Fererer Wimby match. Just saw the first set where Fed won the TB. Also had a look at Fed’s biography to see what he had to say. “I sometimes looked over at the other side of the net, wondering if it were real or just a wonderful dream.” The Times of London wrote: “It was the day when everything changed at Wimbledon.” How right they were. 🙂

One thing we miss observing is how a coach refashions a players game to give them the most opportunities to win matches. Exactly what the guy did with Kerber. If the coach moves Bouchard in this directin of creating chances for her fini dis

Just saw the highlights of Mischa Zverev vs. Alex De Minaur. Watched it mainly for Mischa but was curious about Alex. The crafty vet won quite handily but the 17-year-old showed real promise. These youngsters keep popping out of the woodwork!

Hartt (and others)

I’m truly amazed and impressed with how you can keep your attention on so many players at once and contribute informed comments on all of them 🙂

Three is probably my maximum number which is probably why I seem to write about the same people all the time – it’s not that I’ve no interest in other results, just I feel I’ve always been more or less passing by in my approach because my main job in tennis was as a magazine editor and not a reporter so I don’t have a really wide lens to view the scene. If that follows !

Going back to a comment I made about the WTA event in China and the possibility of hiding embarrassing losses – Radwanska so close to one of those 🙂 and just snuck out of it and Simona still there.

Should say these are just ATP players, to try to cover the WTA as well would be too crazy!

Misha Zverev must have a code” I will defeat anyone within striking distance of my star brother’s age “. He has single handedly beat nearly every up and coming player. Mischa Zverev is the most under rated player on the men’s tour and is the equivalent of the new Stepanek minus the love of Czech women.

Had a quick look at Mischa Zverev’s results in the last part of 2016 and found he had won against 5 youngsters and, stretching the age for “youngster” a bit, did beat Ryan Harrison twice. I guess he played so many qualies last season that he often came up against young players. And, of course, he had some nice wins over mature players like Stan as well.