College has gotten very busy lately and I just don’t have the time to update as much as I used to so I’m gonna try my best to type my posts on my lunchbreak from now on!
Dubai was a real shame for a second year in a row. It’s not that there wasn’t some quality players, there certainly was, but when you don’t see either Federer or Nadal in the lineup, I automatically think its a small tour even that doesn’t get much recognition. In Dubai, however, it definitely isn’t the case. The amount of money Dubai has invested into that tournament is incredible. Under the table appearance fee’s, ridiculously luxurious facilities and an overall glamorous feeling to the whole week are all the order of the day in Dubai and its no wonder it’s one of the favourite stops on the tour.
Djokovic defended his title this week but didn’t look overly impressive. Still, he cements his place as world number 2 and got the job done. It’s good to see Youzhny doing well again his game kinf of slipped the last couple of years and I wondered if he would ever climb back up the rankings.
Biggest surprise of the week has to be Ernest Gulbis not losing a set on the way to the title in Delray Beach. Immensely talented, he just looked like he wasn’t interest the last 18 months. Losing silly matches and putting in awful performances for weeks on end. Hopefully this is the start of something great because he is more than capable of getting inside the top 10 of the rankings.
Other notables
Ferrero was one win away from 3 consecutive titles but it wasn’t to be. Outstanding how well he has done over the years.
Bryans win their 58th careen titles as a team and have over 600 career match wins….says it all really.
Kleybanova and Venus grab some singles titles.
Federer should be good to go in Indian Wells after taking a chest infection back from Ethiopia (presumably)
“The wonderful world of tennis” is a phrase I’ve seen used in the 2005 Australian Open, when I first started watching tennis properly and also the inspiration behind my domain name!
Well its the official start to the grand slam calendar and where better to start it than in Australia! I always thought it was a little strange how soon in the year the AO started, but players don’t really seem to be complaining and most will have played a couple of warm up tournaments prior. Melbourne is always a popular destination on the calendar with all the players as it offers so much more than just tennis. Famous for insane temperatures on court and epic night matches often lasting well into the morning, it should be a fantastic two weeks, filled with great encounters.
Take a look at this video from a charity exhibition some of the players put on to help Haiti earthquake victims. Its really entertaining and a great way to help raise money.
Until then I’m just gonna have to watch highlights and keep an eye on the scores. *sigh*
My posts usually open in a very Federer-esque manner but I think I can make an exception. I know I’ve mentioned it so many times, but Justine has returned to the tour and isn’t exactly struggling to hold a rally on the courts! From beating the experienced Petrova in an exhibition before new years to actually doing it for real on Monday in Brisbane (where Petrova was seeded second, ouch), she really is trying to prove that her return is no joke. I missed that ridiculous one handed backhand of hers ,so long may it last.
Naturally Federer made a winning start to his 2010 season beating the now practically veteran Christoph Rochus in straight sets in Doha. Other easy winners were Nadal and Davydenko.
My picks of the day to watch
Murray v Kohlschreiber (who knows what kind of form Murray could be in)
Berdych v Baghdatis (Whatever happened to him/them? Such a shame)
Sharapova v Zheng (Just because its been ages since I’ve heard her scream!)
Live scores here for those who also can’t watch live
When she decided to retire I was obviously really annoyed like. She was world number one and the heavy favorite to win the French Open. Her retirement was unexpected and I feared the worst that she would never return to the tour. Luckily she changed her mind after some probably well deserved time out of the game.
Next week, Justine will be back and she is quietly confident that she will be better than ever and hopefully achieve the things she hadn’t yet achieved in her previous years on the tour. If she does manage what she hopes, it will be pretty astonishing. It’s hard to bet against her.
“I believe I can be a better player, I believe I can use my
experience more than in the past,” Henin said. “When you are
into it 200 percent you have no time to realize it. You are too
involved all the time and all this time off helped me to realize
everything I achieved.”
She also has a really great new website. Much better than her old one. I’m impressed, check it out at www.justine-henin.be .
My predictions on her return?
Will win at least one grand slam, to include Wimbledon
Will regain the number one ranking
Will do very well against the current top 10, whom she is clearly far more talented and capable than any of them can ever hope to be.
First title?? Saying Australia would be a bit bold…..maybe Sydney
