Category Archives: ATP Tour
Sizeable Hurdles
Auckland, Final (1) Ferrer d. Rochus, 6/3 6/4 It is a criminal offence to discuss Olivier Rochus without mentioning how tall he isn’t – listen to the commentary accompanying any of his matches for clear proof – so I won’t … Continue reading
Acts of Heroism, Acts of Mercy
Chennai, Final (3) Raonic d. (1) Tipsarevic, 6/7 7/6 7/6 Chennai was won by Milos Raonic, who overcame a couple of transient top-tenners in the final two rounds. In neither the semifinal against Nicolas Almagro nor in the final against … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
Bold Predictions
Brisbane, Quarterfinals (1) Murray d. Baghdatis, 6/2 6/2 (8) Tomic d. Istomin, 6/3 7/6 About five years ago, in the grip of that special insanity called adolescence, a fourteen-year-old Bernard Tomic predicted with unabashed solemnity that he would claim the … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
Good Clean Fun
‘Watch Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt take on China’s finest, tonight at the Hopman Cup!’ implored my television, via a promo pregnant with subtext. The subtext read that Hewitt is no longer Australia’s finest, and that China’s finest – Wu Di – … Continue reading
Stern, Assured and Aromatic
Brisbane, First Round (8) Tomic d. Benneteau, 6/2 4/6 7/5 Baghdatis d. Harrison, 7/6 6/4 Mixed results for the scourge of troubled youths in Brisbane. Bernard Tomic showed a stern and rare manliness in overcoming Julien Benneteau in three sets. … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
Ten Maidens
In 2010, five different players captured a maiden title, although history does not record what they did with it after that. Whatever it was, once word got round the locker-room the deed was keenly emulated. In 2011 the number doubled. … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour, By the Numbers
Rise and Fall (Part One)
The immediately striking feature of this year’s ATP top ten is that it bears a suspiciously strong resemblance to last year’s. Expanding the selection, the same holds true for the top fifty, and even the top hundred. Perusing the lists … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour, By the Numbers
The Match of the Year 2011
Here are my top ten matches for the 2011 season, as I saw them. Lists such as this are inevitably skewed towards the top players, for reasons that should be more or less self-evident. First, the top players are at … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour, Davis Cup, Grand Slams, Players
An Irresistible Urge
Ensconced in the window of my preferred cafe, I gaze idly out at the world flowing past, the river we cannot visit twice. According to my opinionated phone, the air out there is 20.4C, and eddying lightly from the north, … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
Astonishing Numbers
World Tour Finals, Final (4) Federer d. (7) Tsonga, 6/3 6/7 6/3 Roger Federer has captured his sixth title at the ATP’s season ending championships, though it is hard to begrudge him that. For the fifth time he has taken … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour