Around the World in 1000 Words
** ****Welcome to the Cliff Notes version of this week's news post; like most of you, I've got to see if Roger Federer can get by Robin Soderling in a little while, to earn a place opposite Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Masters. Wouldn't miss this one for the world; it's an enormous if not necessarily critical test for Federer, not least because the troublesome Soderling, who's accumulated a reputation for a bankable threat against even the top players, hasn't been playing all that well and has struggled this year with injuries. Winning this match will go a long way to getting Soderling back on track; Federer can use this win simply because it's a good litmus test for his game and confidence.
So let's stop wasting time. . .
The Second Strike
It's been a pretty good week for news that goes beyond the usual who-beat-who, although the least likely story of all must be Julia Goerges win in Madrid over Caroline Wozniacki. A lightning strike isn't quite enough to stop the presses; but when lightning strikes the same place twice, now that's "man bites dog"-quality news. So Goerges has beaten the world no. 1 twice now in less than a week. We're not talking Novak Djokovic (no. 3 but undefeated in 2011) taking down no. 1 Rafael Nadal in two consecutive finals here; Goerges started this year ranked no. 81. Going into Stuttgart almost two weeks ago, she was no. 32. The unexpected win there bumped her to no. 27 and now she'll probably crack the top 25 in the next rankings.
Having seen very little WTA tennis this week, I'm obliged to ask, Just how did this happen? Did Goerges hit upon some devilishly clever or wise strategy that enables her to neutralize Wozniacki's game? I found this admission by Georges to be of interest: "I hit some high balls to her backhand to get her out of her rhythm on that side, then I went for my shots."
Note that this is a distinctly two-part approach - the high balls to more or less neutralize the rally (because that's what happens when you slow things down) followed by the big, bold shot. What this does, I assume, is keep Wozniacki from dictating the nature and tone of a rally, and it prevents her from maneuvering her way to the point where she can force an error or hit a winner. Call it setting yourself up for success - and following through on the opportunity.
Every once in a while, you get a nugget that seems so obvious that you want to smack yourself on the forehead and go*, Duh!* It's too early to tell if this is one of those chestnuts (but I'm sure hoping the Roland Garros draw finds Wozniacki and Goerges in the same quarter), but it's always a good idea to reaffirm the value of the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) school of thought.
What are you on, Brazilian time?
Brazilians in general are known as a friendly, laid-back group of people, so it's no surprise that ATP no. 36 Thomaz Bellucci, who's got a huge game, has been relatively slow in fulfilling what many (including me) see has an enormous amount of potential. But after a few false starts, he's making a breakthrough this week in Madrid. Just how loud and resonant a statement he makes remains to be seen, but his back-to-back wins over no. 5 Andy Murray (a blow-out) and no. 7 Tomas Berdych (a comfortable straight-setter) were noteworthy just as much for their comprehensive nature as the rankings differential in play.
In the semis, Bellucci will probably get either the no. 5 seed David Ferrer or no. 2 Novak Djokovic. If Bellucci can sustain his form in the next match, I'd love to see him tangle with Djokovic. Both men are a pleasure to watch and a battle between them would probably be a spectacular shoot-out - which I have to believe is kind of match-up Bellucci, with his creative/aggressive game, would prefer.
Gustavo Kuerten, the role model and albatross for all the Brazlian players who have followed, was just 20 when he won the first of his three French Open titles. Bellucci is 23. It's about time he made his move.
Novak's Streak: the Nadal Factor
Djokovic extended his undefeated streak in 2011 to 29 matches the other day, equaling the effort made by Ivan Lendl 25 years ago. But the record-holder is John McEnroe, who embarked on his greatest year, 1984, with 42 straight wins. The streak was halted by Lendl in the French Open final, which McEnroe led by two sets to none and two sets to one and 4-2 in the fourth. Lendl's comeback provided McEnroe with the most painful moment - by far - in his career.
Djokovic is certainly more of a red-clay expert than was McEnroe, but as good as Lendl was on clay, he was no Nadal. Lendl's forehand was very heavy, but so was his footwork. Lendl did play four finals in a row at Roland Garros (starting in 1984), and he won three of them. He was good enough to stop McEnroe in that historic '84 final, and I can see something like that befalling Djokovic, should he find a way to get to the French Open without playing Nadal in Madrid or Rome.
Blind Leading the Blind?
Svetlana Kuznetsova has broken off with her coach, Spaniard Carlos Cuadrado. He lasted all of four months, during which his protege's ranking improved from no. 27 to 13, but apparently that wasn't an adequate return on her investment. Or other factors, perhaps personal ones, came into play. I don't know and haven't heard anything about that.
Is it me, or is Kuznetsova's coaching situation in a perpetual state of flux? Don't I remember reading near the end of last year that she was trying to convince Amelie Mauersmo to sign on as her coach? I just can't imagine how such a pairing might have worked out, given how recently Mauresmo was still a regular tour player, and how compliant and deferential a coach must be.
More than that, the very idea of hiring Mauresmo suggested that Kuznetsova was looking less for a coach than a companion, or at least some sort of affirmation. That added to my feeling that Kuznetsova's biggest problems are not technical or fitness-related, but mental and emotional. It often seems to me that she just doesn't enjoy the WTA style of life, but perhaps doesn't know what - if anything - might suit her better. She may be the most complicated woman on the tour, as her remarkably erratic results suggest.
That's it for today, folks. Enjoy the tennis - and your weekend.