Amazement

Superpowers, activate // Pic: Yahoo! Images

Am I late? Yes, I am. A lot? Considerably. But whatever. This post was supposed to be released on Saturday, then postponed to Sunday, but I had a full day, and Monday beat the hell out of me. So, it’s Tuesday. And I hope you’re gon’ like it anyway.

Back to Rome, now a case closed, I could not help my jaw from dropping, as Murray and Djokovic alternated the momentum during the second semifinal. After the first set, it seemed Nole was going to routine his British counterpart, but Murray stepped up, made Corretja proud and said: “Not without a fight”.

It was a great match, regardless of who would leave the court victorious – and, in a certain moment of the match, I could even bet a nickel The Streak would be halted, right there, right then, by the first man to finish runner-up to it.

(I’m also not good with people saying Murray chocked, chickened, shrunk his arm, suffocated, dug his head in a hole, yellow-ed [I don’t know if this works in English, but anyway, I think some Brazilians read my blog and they will understand], etc. It just… happened)

But he didn’t. It may have changed a lot – since I’m not sure whether Murray could pull an upset on Nadal, but as we always say, “If” does not exist. Nole finished him, chalked another victory to his professional record, improved his H2H against Andy, and on to the semifinals.

Then here, I would have written another post, but once again, did not have time. My intentions were to rant about the uberdominance Djokovic and Nadal are imposing to the circuit right now, and how it sucks and is not good for the sport. But I will leave it to another opportunity.

But ohh, Tennis Gods, you love to contradict me and shut me up. Sunday we had an amazing, this all of you who watched know – a savage meeting between Nole’s massive forehand and backhand and an overwhelmed Nadal, featuring some abusive angles, celebrations after service holds and an out-of-this-Earth display of tennis.

The outcome? The Streak lives, bigger and stronger than ever – like a Monster – and now Djokovic controls his own fate. He’s depending only on himself to complete his apotheosis, dethrone Nadal, and proclaim himself King, right on Rafa’s backyard.

But nevertheless, I’m amazed. I’m amazed how greatly Murray played in that semifinal, maybe the best he’s ever played on clay. I’m amazed how Djokovic has some extra gas to burn, and how he looked fresh in the final after looking nearly gone in the semis. I’m amazed how he’s breaking records, and how he’s playing Nadal on clay. I’m amazed how he can take over the number 1 at the French Open – just like Nadal did last year and Federer started doing in 2009. I’m amazed how excited I’m for Roland Garros in ages – even though it’s predictable how it will end.

So, I never thought I’d say this before Nadal’s retirement, but oh well.

“Bring on Roland Garros”.

Not bad

Handshake of the brothers // Pic: Yahoo! Images

Fish, Roddick, Querrey and Isner. The four best ranked Americans in the ATP singles rankings. Good players, indeed. Some expectations, mainly when it comes to US tournaments. But on clay?

YES, THEY CAN!

Fish, Roddick – Team Bromance, or Roddish, Fishney or even Roddilino (Serious, people, Fishdick is just AWFUL). Best friends, two-oh record in doubles finals, Indian Wells champions in 2009. Doubles specialists? They do ok, but far from it. ON CLAY? Ha, you kid me kiddo.

First round, 6/3, 2/6, 19-17 (NINETEEN-SEVENTEEN) over Berdych/Dlouhy. Niiiice. Second match, d. Norman/Moodie, 6/4, 7/6 (9-7). They were the eight seeds. Sweet. Quarterfinals. Bryan Bros, like in a Davis Cup practice. Aaaaand… 4/6, 7/6, 10-4. WOOOOW. Team Lucky Loser ahead – Berlocq (replacing Ferrer) and Nieminen (Monfils). 7/6 (9-7, again), 6/2. HAHAHAHAHAHA.

First clay final of any kind for Roddick since 2005 (Houston). And Fish? Houston 2006 the last time he had decided a title on the dirt. Crazy, noah?

Other half of the draw. Querrey, Isner. Decent clay participations last year (made the first all-American final on clay since the beginning of the 1990s, in Belgrade), but they have developed some kind of allergic to it.

But friendship never ends and works perfectly when you are in perfect syntony. And did I mention they were the defending runner-ups? Well, I said it now. Jamie Murray and Stan The Man were no match for them. Bhupati and Paes? Pfff AMATEURS. Go back to your club in Chennai. Kubot and Marach, the 6^th seed? Isner alone could beat them. Furrealz. In the semis? Fognini and Bolelli. Querrey could beat them. Alone and only with one hand.

In the finals, pa-pa-pa-pam… Roddick and Fish vs. Querrey and Isner – gently nicknamed Quisner. Second consecutive all-American doubles final in Rome, the third ever (Flasch/Witsken def. Kinnear/Salumaa in Miami/92).

Not bad for a declining tennis nation. Not bad for a country whose players are a denial on clay.

Not bad AT ALL.

No Superstitions

Friday. Last day of the week, the start of the weekend, night lights, party, FUN FUN FUN. Oh, but the calendar is telling me today is the 13^th day of the month. So what? I don’t think any of you believe Friday the 13^th is a bad omen or something. But if somehow you do, Rome quarterfinals have three strong reasons to convince you to stop believing that breaking a mirror will give you seven years of bad luck.

First – Rafael Nadal defeats Marin Cilic, 6/1, 6/3

 

"I'm still the number one haaaaaaaaa" / Pic: Yahoo! Images

There are no black cats enough in the world to jinx Rafa. And I’m pretty serious. Rafa, who was allegedly feverish and kind of ill the whole week, took care of Marin in 1h25. He didn’t face a single break point the entire match, and now Cilic can’t be cocky about being one of the few players to have a non-negative record against Nadal – Rafa now leads 2-1. In the semifinals, the five-time champion plays Richard Gasquet, whom he leads 8-0. Gasquet has captured some momentum in Italy, but is it enough to beat Rafa?

Rhetorical question.

Second – Andy Murray breadstick(ed), breadstick(s) and breadstick(s) Florian Mayer, 1/6, 6/1, 6/1

 

"Not that it's a superstition or something like, but I am definitely NOT GOING to cut my hair now I'm winning" // Pic: Yahoo!

Say what you will. “Murray plays like crap on clay”; “Florian Mayer is now top-20 material (!)”; “Andy is still slumping”. But it doesn’t change a thing. Even though Florian is having the best year of his career (Surprisingly, he’s already a 27-yo veteran), Murray was the favorite, simply because he is Andy Murray.

The first set may have felt like walking under a ladder. But, as you know, Murray has the luck of Scottish, so fool superstitions can’t touch him. Nor could Florian – Murray faced only two BPs in the next two sets, returned the first’s scoreline in double and sealed his way to the semifinals – he is the first Briton to reach the final four in Rome. 2011 is also his first season ever with multiple clay semifinals, though he still needs to reach his first final.

Last and least – Novak Djokovic (Mars) def. Robin Soderling (SWE) – six-three, six-nothing

 

I know what you're thinking. Yes, they DO have weaknesses. Try water next time. // Pic: Yahoo! Images

It’s done. Nole spilt salt on R-Sod’s wounds. Earth’s last hope even had a positive start, breaking his opponent in the opening game from love. But he couldn’t keep the advantage, and when Novak got back on serve, we knew the biggest chance to kill that monster had been lost. Robin even kept toe-to-toe with him, but after six games he desperately hail-maried (Did I successfully translate Hail-Mary into a verb?) and gambled his last stamina to try a break, but meh, he failed.

Djokovic then used his inhuman, never-ending resources. He then left the court and went for a walk. In a park. Soderling tried to cool things down, went to the locker room, maybe even had an illegal coaching session with someone. But it didn’t even tickle The Alien On The Other Side Of The Net (TAOTOSOTN). Djokovic finally dished his second bagel of Rome, and repeated his opener’s scoreline, in the quarterfinals, against a top-5.

Unreal.

Oh yeah, that was also the ultimate proof of alien supremacy. There is nothing we can do now. Expect them to be marching over in our main cities some time real soon.

DA STATS

 

Nadal plays Gasquet, 2^nd on Centrale tomorrow, not before 2 p.m., seeking his 5^th Masters final of the year. He leads the H2H, 8-0.

Murray will try to be the first man to beat Djokovic since November, not before 8 p.m., also on Centrale. Djokovic leads the H2H, 5-3, and in case you have already forgotten, they played this year in the Australian Open final. Was a monster performance by Nole, who wasn’t threatened the whole match.

 

Streaks. And their executioners

I know, I know, the earthquake was predicted to hit Rome yesterday (11/05), but if I were you I would start worrying like, now.

Hands shaked. This time, for a different winner // Yahoo! Images

Why? Well, because Richard Gasquet rallied from a one set, one break deficit to win a dogfight in two tie-breaks. That, by itself, is already a great deed, given the circumstances. But COME ON, he beat Federer. Yes, Federer, who, since losing their first meeting barely over six years ago, never lost to him again – including two Masters finals on which Roger spoiled young Richie’s dreams.

Picturing it: this win not only gave Gasquet his first win against Federer after eight consecutive losses, but also spoiled Federer’s 19 consecutive quarterfinals (PS: Some people say it’s 20, but I don’t consider the World Tour Finals, since there are no QFs) – last time he had missed the final 8 was… in Rome, after dropping his opener to Ernests Gulbis. Gasquet now survives another round and plays Berdych for a semifinal spot.

That’s two streaks broken. By Gasquet. Against Federer. Not enough to bring the Coliseum to the ground, but should be enough to make you wonder if this is the real world.

And talking about real world and Coliseum, I could clearly picture Soderling – a.k.a. King Sod – and Nicolás Almagro – a.k.a. Top-10 – as two gladiators, battling on whatever the Coliseum floor is made of (but it looks like clay), trying to behead each other. I rejoiced. Of course, that’s because Soderling won – and he played some heck of awesome points too.

Show him who's the real fucking deal // Pic: Yahoo! Images

They fiercely battled through three sets, all decided by a single break, and it was always clear they are not BFFs – thank God of Tennis for that; I could even put an add-on here, but would extend the post, so game on – Soderling’s reaction after the match point says it all. It says, “In your face, Top-10!”. We love you, Robin.

Elsewhere, Nole won. Of course, what else? But he already shows signs he’s ready. Ready to lose. Just like in his match against Bellucci, Nole had a slow start and looked edgy, even having relatively long monologues with his box, even so managing to find some extra oil to burn, some extra cash to spend, or whatever is the expression, from the 9^th game of the 1^st set on.

Nole says: "I can breakdance and bagel you AT THE SAME TIME" // Yahoo! Images

He ended up claiming his win number vierunddreizig (go translate) of the season. 6/4, 6/1. Kudos to Wawrinka for fighting hard and avoiding the bagel. Nole is also in the quarterfinals.

And what does Fate have in store for us? Soderling – a.k.a. King Sod, far from being one of the most loved, charismatic players on tour, known for his prick-ish behavior – and Djokovic – a.k.a. Nole, the opposite. Nole’s triumph: 34 consecutive wins; confidence. Soderling’s triumph: the best part of the post. Even deserves its own paragraph.

Robin Soderling is the first – and, as of today, remains the only – man, woman or mutant to have sent Nadal home at Roland Garros. This I don’t have to remind you. Soderling also ended Federer’s streak of consecutive Grand Slam semifinals. All of these astonishing achievements came on the same clay, but clay is clay (and contrariwise – just started loving this word). So, R-Sod checks his little Evil black book, and already see crosses beside Nadal and Federer names.

I bet my ass he is doing pen tricks right now, looking with glee at Nole’s name. Because that would be a hat-trick. And the job would be complete (Andy Moo has never put up such a streak).

Oh the details? Djokovic and King Sod will wrestle tomorrow under all the spotlights – and the Killing Moon (if you have to Google it, shame on you) of Rome – on the Italian Tennis Coliseum – alias: Centrale. Djokovic leads the H2H, 5-1, but Robin won the last, back in the ’09 Masters Cup.

All I can think is: Instant classic. And, after that, FIGHT!