Monday Net Post
Last Week's Tournaments
McGrogan's Heroes
Spin was in this past week, as Andy Murray and Jelena Jankovic, masters of high-arcing groundstrokes, earned weighty titles in Montreal and Cincinnati, respectively. To top such loaded fields with spin instead of strength, these two champs needed to scamper along the baseline to whatever was fired at them, ad nauseam. Retrieve enough bombs from artillery like Juan Martin del Potro, Dinara Safina, and Elena Dementieva, and you might survive. But Murray and Jankovic did more than just survive, they thrived, and both ended up closing out their tournaments in commanding fashion.
Murray had a fairly simple time in Montreal until the final, where he faced one of the tour's hottest players, del Potro. As I watched the final, which ended 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-1, I started to draw comparisons between this match and one that features two more accomplished men, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. While Roger and Rafa's history, excitement, and execution were not replicated, their styles were evident, at least from my perspective. Maybe Murray and del Potro were simply showing off what they've learned from these two tennis icons.
Murray represents a toned-down version of Nadal, neutralizing the strikes of del Potro and unleashing offense of his own on occasion. As for del Potro, he reminds me even more of Federer than Murray does of Nadal. The serve: it bailed del Potro out of all kinds of trouble this week, especially against Andy Roddick in the semis, and it did so during the pressure points. The volley: underrated; the tall man from Tandil has surprisingly fine touch at net. The forehand: a swing that needs to connect perfectly (it's a big, whipping swat, like Federer's) to have results. But when it does, it's often a point-ender, stopping most opponents in their tracks. These are all traits of the 15-time Grand Slam champion.
Of course, Murray and del Potro brought their own unique elements to the act as well -- most notably an insatiable hunger to win, even at the Masters level. Roger and Rafa's bundles of Masters shields can barely be contained on the placards that bear their names near their seats. Murray and del Potro have a ways to go. But it was a joy to watch both of these men play at such a high level this week. It seems odd to say that there can be so much depth in just the men's Top 10, but it's true on the ATP tour.
Unfortunately, no such depth exists on the WTA side of things. Sure, the big non-majors have been shared by a number of different ladies (Venus Williams in Dubai, Vera Zvonareva in Indian Wells, Victoria Azarenka in Key Biscayne, Safina in Rome and Madrid) but that strikes me more as a lottery -- who will get hot this week -- than a signal of relatively equal abilities. This week, Jankovic drew the winning number.
This is nothing against Jankovic, who clearly earned her title, beating Azarenka, Dementieva and Safina, among others. But so many big names faltered around her in mystifying manners that it warrants mention. Venus and Serena Williams both lost in straight sets in the third round. Zvonareva also fizzled in round three. Svetlana Kuznetsova, champion of Roland Garros and No. 6 in the world, lost to a player who hadn't played a professional match in over two years. And Safina crumbled in yet another final, this after winning her semifinal match against No. 14 Flavia Pennetta 6-2, 6-0.
If we're talking about strange losses, I'd be remiss to not mention Federer's incredible collapse from 5-1 up in the third set against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Montreal. But a high seed doesn't wilt like clockwork on the men's tour. In Montreal (ATP), all of the top eight seeds advanced to the quarterfinals; just four did in Cincinnati (WTA). The season may have changed, but the story hasn't.
This Week's Tournaments
(TV Schedule)
Western & Southern Financial Group Masters (ATP - Hard - Cincinnati, United States)
Singles Bracket
Doubles Bracket