Tag Archives: Llodra
Lavish Set Dressing
Rome Masters, Second Round Of the nine Masters Series events that liberally pepper each tennis season, Rome’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia is my favourite. I was recently asked to explain this preference, and came up with, in no particular order: the … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
The Nowhere Men
Buenos Aires, Semifinals (2) Almagro d. (6) Wawrinka, 6/4 3/6 7/5 A good day of tennis will sometimes come at you from nowhere. When it occurs on the final Saturday of a slow week boasting nothing more glamorous than a … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
Grass-Bound
French Open, Day Two Berrer d. Raonic, 6/4 4/6 6/3 6/4 Darcis d. Llodra, 6/7 6/3 6/3 6/3 As a journeyman drawing a seed first up, you’d rather face Milos Raonic than Novak Djokovic, probably anywhere, but especially on clay … Continue reading
Filed under Grand Slams
The Sin of Pride
US Men’s Clay Court Championship, Final Sweeting d. Nishikori, 6/4 7/6 Ryan Sweeting is a generally unappealing piece of work, and perhaps the most ironically named tennis player since the diminutive Sebastien Grosjean bestrode the court. At least, on his … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
Damp Squibs
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, First Round I am quite taken by the stadium court at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Notwithstanding the fact that it is hemmed in by city, neatly wedged between the airport and a golf course, it … Continue reading
Filed under ATP Tour
Shatter’d & sunder’d
As cavalry engagements are reckoned, the Charge of the Light Brigade is pretty celebrated, though if you only know a little of military history you might imagine the outing was a successful one. After all, Tennyson’s poem isn’t called the … Continue reading
Filed under Davis Cup
The Charge of the French Brigade
‘Flash’d all their sabres bare, Flash’d as they turned in air Sabring the gunners there, Charging an army while All the world wonder’d . . .’ It occurs to me, apropos of Guy Forget’s seemingly baffling decision to play Gilles … Continue reading
Filed under Davis Cup
The Professional
Roddick d. Gulbis, 6/3 7/6 After some weeks devoid of almost any discernible suspense, the eight qualifiers for the World Tour Finals have been decided. In the end it all came in a flurry, and panned out exactly as expected. … Continue reading