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01/25/2012
01/22/2012
Del Potro a huge roadblock for Federer
Men’s tennis's so-called 'Big Four' have dominated Grand Slam play over the last two years, but they may be about to be rejoined by a man who could make it a fearsome Big Five, Juan Martin Del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion.
On Sunday at the Australian Open, the towering Argentine took a clinical 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 victory over the talented German, Philipp Kohlschreiber. The calm Del Potro stuck with his plan of playing deep, consistent and sometimes lethal tennis, knocking off 31 winners and committing only 12 unforced errors. He served only six aces in the match, but has served 40 aces in the tournament, more than anyone else left in the draw.
“The match today was difficult basically in the beginning because was really hot, and Philipp play difficult tennis for me,” he said. “He make very good backhands down the line and playing the slices and serves and volleys. It's not easy for my game, but I was really focused trying to take all my break points, and then I close the first set with my serve; then take a little advantage in the second, and then my game start to feel more aggressive and confidence.”
It is difficult for a former Grand Slam tournament champion, who knocked the socks off of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in New York, to advance quietly through the draw, but not that many analysts are talking about “DelPo” who is on the verge of rediscovering his 2009 form, which by the way, is Grand Slam winning form on hard courts.
Del Potro appeared to be on the verge of making a strong run at the top spot after his sterling US Open run, but in 2010 he had to undergo right wrist surgery and he barely competed that season.
In 2011, the native of Tandil had a very respectable year by anyone’s standard considering that wrist injuries can be career killers. He won titles in Delray Beach and Estoril and reached the final in Vienna, but his Grand Slam and Masters Series results were so-so and he went 3-10 against top 10 opponents.
But at the end of the year in the Davis Cup final, he began to show consistent flashes of great play when he gave David Ferrer and Rafa Nadal all they could handle in marathon losses on clay. It’s clear by his performance this week when he’s only dropped one of 13 sets that he didn’t get down on himself
“ I was really close against Ferrer and Rafa,” he said. But they play much better than me on this surface. That's was a learn moment to my future, and I take a good things for my game for the season. I don't know if I can beat them in the future or on this tournament or the next one, but if I'm still working on this way, maybe I get it closer soon.”
What’s remarkable about Del Potro’s 2009 is that in Melbourne, Federer destroyed him 6-3, 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals, his worse loss in a major. Five months later he nearly upset the Swiss in the semifinals of Roland Garros in a classic five setter, and then he toppled him in New York three months beyond that. His rise and mental recovery after leaving Australia were swift.
The two will reprise their rivalry in the 212 Australian quarterfinals on Tuesday. Given that the Swiss has not lost a match since he fell to Novak Djokovic at the US Open, it will be a stiff test for Del Potro. Last summer in Cincinnati, the two met for the first time since the Argentine shocked him, and Federer scored a straight set win.
But if the 11th seed Del Potro can get his massive serve and forehand cranking, an upset could certainly occur.
:”It's going to be another good moment for play. Roger is the best tennis player of the history, and of course he's the favourite,” Del Potro said. “I remember three years ago I play on quarters against him and I only win three games. So if this time is something different and I win more games is going to be okay for me.”
Tomic bandwagon hits speedbump
The Bernard Tomic bandwagon has hit a speedbump. At least that’s the way the world will view his straight sets mauling at the hands of Roger Federer, a lesson in perspective from the multi-Grand Slam tournament champion.
Tomic was outclassed, outplayed and out-everything-ed by Federer under the night lights on Rod Laver Arena, prevented from playing his own game, prevented from doing anything other than set up the ball for Federer to put away.
But Australia’s newest national hero, his very first Australian Open fourth round under his belt, is not so worried. He sees the loss as educational and experiential, and, although he would have dearly loved to win, because who wouldn’t, it was simply another step along his yellow brick road to the top of the game.
“It's very good experience to play a player like that,” Tomic said afterwards. “I don't think there will ever be as good of a player as him. I think you can only learn what he does and take in what you learned.”
The age gap between these two players, after all, is an entire 11 years, pretty much precisely, given that Federer is an August baby and Tomic an October one. They are from different eras, not just generations. And so all Tomic can do is learn from his matches against Federer. Because they won’t be the ones that define his career.
“For me, it's a great pleasure and honour to play him,” Tomic said. “I think you learn a lot over the period when you play these top guys, top three or four guys. Last time I learned a lot of things when I played him, and this time I learned even more. You can just only get better if you lose against him.”
Let there be no doubt that all Tomic wants to do is get better. He is not the player to be content with a fair-to-middling career in the top 20. He has his sights set on the top four, top three, top two, even top one.
“The top four guys have something special,” Tomic said. “That's why they've all won slams, and that's why Murray plays so consistent. I think the rest, they are all beatable for me at my level.”
Confident, even arrogant, for a 19-year-old to say, you might think. But Tomic has proven his worth already in the past 12 months. A year ago, he lost a third round here in Melbourne. In 2012, he lost a fourth round. But he also reached a Wimbledon quarter-final along the way, and with it, a place in the top 40.
All analysts talk about is how progression in the men’s game is ageing. Players are breaking through far older than they used to. But not Tomic.
“Having played all the top four guys now and Roger twice, I think there is a lot for me in the future,” Tomic said. “I'm always going to get better and better. Looking back a year I was not as good as now. Looking back to next year, I'll probably be
even better. That's a scary part for me because I know I can improve a lot.”
He’s done the numbers, too.
“I'm just happy I don't have to defend any points for six months,” Tomic said. “I can play tournaments and play relaxed and know I'm just going to go up. Every match I win I go up.
“So it's a great feeling knowing till Wimbledon I have no points. I'm, 50, 60 points away being seeded at Grand Slams. That's a great thing, I think. You can be seeded at the Grand Slam like the French and Wimbledon, and becomes a bit easier then for rounds to get through and not play the big names.”
So although it may have been a schooling at the hands of the master, there is a lot more to come from Bernard Tomic. He’d be the first to tell you so.
01/20/2012
Tomic prepares to dethrone an idol
When Bernard Tomic takes on Roger Federer on Sunday he won't just be taking on a former world No.1 and winner of 70 career titles, he will be staring down the spectre of his boyhood hero, the man he continues to dub his “favourite player”.
Tomic grew up watching Federer play and, while he says he was more into Pokemon cards than plotting his own tennis ascendency at the age of 12, he had enough of an appreciation of the sport to turn on the TV when the Swiss Maestro took to the courts.
“I've watched his matches since he won that first Wimbledon,” said Tomic. “With so many of the Grand Slams, I always tuned in to watch the finals when he plays Rafa or Novak. To me, I don't enjoy watching tennis, but when Roger plays on TV, it's a pleasure to watch.”
Rapidly evolving into a seasoned tennis professional himself, Tomic says he has little patience for watch other players battling it out on court these days, but he makes an exception for Fed. “For us players, we're always in the locker room, looking at tennis. You're always looking at tennis, so it becomes a little bit boring,” says Tomic. “For a player like (Federer), when he plays, I'm going to sit and watch the whole match if I can.”
In the every-man-for-himself world of professional tennis, where ego is king, fighting talk is the native language and fan-dom lends as much credibility as carrying a styrofoam drink flask onto court, this is a big admission from the 19-year-old. “I looked up to him a lot. He was like my idol,” said Tomic, joking that the former world No.1's 16 Grand Slam titles dominate his thoughts when asked to pick a 'favourite' Federer match. “It's a scary number. What he's achieved is unbelievable. I think nobody in tennis will ever achieve that.”
Tomic's first showing against the man many dub the Greatest Of All Time - at Australia's Davis Cup tie against Switzerland in Sydney in September 2011- was nothing short of impressive, the Aussie taking a set off the six-time Wimbledon champion on the grass courts at the Royal Sydney Golf Club. And the world No.38 says he comes into this match armed with insider knowledge on his accomplished opponent.
“He gave me a few tips, which is good now because I play him, so thanks, Roger,” said Tomic cheekily of his post-match encounter with Federer at that tie. “He said I was good and can improve. I play a different game.
“It's good to get advice like that from someone like that when he beat me. I get the chance to play him now again, which is really good for me.”
And, while joking that he'll “pray to God” that Federer gets “sick or something” ahead of their match, hearteningly Tomic refuses to be over-awed by the task that faces him in the fourth round of his home Grand Slam.
“Now having played him before, I think I have an intense sense of what he can do and where he can hurt me, where he can't,” said Tomic. “I've got to go out there feeling good and have a go and try to win.
“Playing Roger, is an experience that I'll always remember. I just have to go out there and focus, and I think I can have a good tennis match and who knows? Maybe win.”
Bernard Tomic at centre court Rod Laver Arena for The Australian Open 2012
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