Vesti i aktuelnosti sa tour-a

[Dejan]

Mislim da će se rivalstvo Noleta i Rafe dalje razvijati otprilike kao i Fedal rivalstvo , znači poneka pobeda Rafe ali sve u svemu mi se čini da Rafa neće imati dugoročnije rešenje za mečeve sa Noletom.

Noletu i Rafi treba još 7 međusobnih mečeva da bi stigli Lendla i Meka

1. Lendl-McEnroe 36
2. Connors-Lendl 35
3. Becker-Edberg 35
4. Agassi-Sampras 34
5. McEnroe-Connors 34
6. Djoković-Nadal 29

[alcesta]

Ako je nešto sigurno, to je da Rafa neće odustati. Ali mislim da iako će sigurno probati da promeni nešto u svojoj igri protiv Novaka ubuduće, ipak će imati najviše šanse u mečevima kada Novak ne bude mogao da održi sadašnji nivo. Desiće se pre ili kasnije da mu ne bude dan u nekom finalu, bez obzira koliko ga Rafa motiviše.
Postoji naravno opasnost da Rafa pogubi konce u svojoj standardnoj igri protiv ostalih tenisera pokušavajući da je prilagodi Novaku, kao što je bio slučaj i sa Novakom jedno vreme, ali nekako ne verujem da bi to predugo trajalo. Mislim da će njih dvojica odigrati još mnogo zanimljivih mečeva, samo da ih povrede mimoiđu, iako mi je teško da zamislim da se može ponoviti intenzitet onog 3. seta. Uostalom ne bi to ni valjalo, neko bi završio u bolnici kad bi takvim tempom igrali.

[Delester]

radujem se svim predstojecim duelima!

[alcesta]

I ja, najviše volim njihova finala da gledam bez obzira na ishod.
Mečevi sa Fedom jesu možda i lepši za oko, stvar ukusa, ali džaba kad ja tu sve živce potrošim i ne mogu ništa da vidim od tenisa koliko se nerviram kad igraju njih dvojica. Prosto isijava ta tenzija, kao da je nešto lično u pitanju, za razliku od mečeva s Rafom koje gledam manje-više opušteno.

[harper lee]

radujem se svim predstojecim duelima!

Word. U tenisu se s razlogom najvise pamte velika rivalstva. Isrkreno se nadam da ce Nadal upornoscu i poboljsanjem igre uputiti novi izazov Novaku i naterati ga da i on bude jos bolji i jos se iskrenije nadam da ih povrede nece ometati da nam pruze jos nekoliko godina vrhunskog tenisa i vrhunskih medjusobnih meceva. Rafa je Novaka ucinio teniserom kakav nikad ne bi bio da nije bilo Spanca. Sad je dosao red na Novaka da to ucini za Rafu. Od toga tenis moze da bude samo jos bolji nego sto je sada.

[Gama]

I autor ovog teksta se slaze sa harperom
Sto se mene tice, ne mora Rafa bas toliko da se trudi da bude bolji

Can we expect Djokovic's level to go down a notch? As it is evident from his nine finals and three slam finals, Nadal will be standing there on the last Sunday, ready to take advantage as soon as his rival should lose a step.

But it would be unfortunate for tennis if Nadal regained his dominance merely by virtue of Djokovic slipping.

It would be more fitting, for instance, if Nadal simply improved upon his own level in order make the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry a more competitive one.
...
...
In this perspective, Djokovic represents a type of rival the 25-year-old Nadal has never had to battle before.

Yet, I still cannot say that Nadal won't find a way.

He always has and it is way too early to say he won't do it again.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/860760-rafael-nadal-the-most-important-reason-why-he-will-bounce-back-in-2012

[Milutinov Tata]

Sad kada krene totalni raspad Nadala sledece sezone .

[Dejan]

Francesco Ricci Bitti re-elected as president of ITF

BANGKOK (AP)—Francesco Ricci Bitti has been re-elected as president of the International Tennis Federation.

The Italian was elected to a fourth four-year term at an ITF meeting on Friday in Bangkok. He will serve until 2015.
Thirteen others were elected or re-elected to the ITF board of directors through 2013. They are Ismail El Shafei of Egypt, Jean Gachassin of France, Lucy Garvin of the United States, Jack Graham of Canada, Chris Kypriotis of Brazil, Suwat Liptapanlop of Thailand, Juan Margets of Spain, Roman Murashkovsky of Russia, Geoff Pollard of Australia, Stuart Smith of Britain, Rene Stammbach of Switzerland, Jon Vegosen of the United States, and Georg von Waldenfels of Germany.

[Dejan]

Enough is enough, Murray and Nadal

It's a phenomenon only a lemming could truly appreciate. With European teeters on the edge of a multi-national economic collapse and nobody in the U.S. able to find a job -- never mind a decently paying, enjoyable one -- some top ATP pros are complaining that they're overworked and underpaid.
It all began with Andy Murray back during those gloomy rain delays during the U.S. Open. He groused about the players having too little say in the decision-making process (in that case, when it was safe and reasonable to resume play). It was a somewhat valid complaint, but soon Murray also declared that should the U.S. Open go to a 15-day event (like the French Open did, with a Sunday start), he wants to see prize money increased "substantially." Note that though the tournament would start earlier, neither Murray nor anyone else would be playing more matches than he already does.

Pretty soon Rafael Nadal chimed in (again) with the complaint that the season is too long and warned that the players might take "strong action" if the calendar isn't improved. The No. 2 player directed his criticism toward Davis Cup, whereupon ITF promoter of Davis Cup Francesco Ricci Bitti noted that Nadal had a right to be tired because he's played 70 matches this year. But he's played Davis Cup only three times in the past two years.

The next thing you know, Martina Navratilova jumped in to fray to declare her support for Murray: "You cannot maintain that level of intensity and not put your body in a hospital eventually. I don't know why Andy Murray should be criticized for taking charge of his life."

Oh. And just when did this discussion turn into a self-actualization seminar?

The next thing you know, No. 70 Somdev Devvarman, a journeyman player, is generating headlines as well. He thinks the players ought to form a new union and get more of the cash. "We only get 12 percent of the revenue when it is we who generate the revenue."

Try walking into your boss's office and dropping that line sometime.

Somdev, how about trying to create a tournament and raising a lot of money while not knowing whether the guys -- or fans -- will show up?

Ironically, a new union would be a risky undertaking for the top players, if not for Devvarman. For the naked truth is that unless the top-five players are in charge (which kind of undermines the idea of the union, right?), the rank-and-file will push for more job opportunities rather than fewer ones -- and those jobs can't exist if the tournaments weren't able to attract some names that can be converted into ticket sales.

Beyond that, even Murray admits that the ATP demands mandatory participation in tournaments only to the tune of 18-weeks (mainly Grand Slam and Masters Series events). That's it. And though a ranking is computed on the basis of 18 tournaments (as opposed to weeks), nobody is holding a gun to anyone's head to force him to load up on tournaments to beef up his ranking, his endorsement bonuses or marketability. And certainly nobody is forcing guys like Nadal and Murray to participate in remunerative exhibitions -- or to take the huge appearance fees paid by lower-grade (ATP 250) tournaments.

Of the players' willingness to play those events, Murray lamely says: "When we play the Masters Series and the Slams, we're playing against the best players in the world every time. Sometimes it's nice to go to a tournament like [an ATP 250, with its lavish guarantees] when you don't have to kill yourself in every single match."

For gosh sakes, Andy, how much easier do you want it? Or perhaps I should ask, how many different ways do you want it?

One relatively sane voice in this growing debate is that of former Wimbledon champ Michael Stich, who told the BBC the other day: "Perhaps [the players] need to look out for their bodies and pick their tournaments better? . It's not a dream world out there. It's a job and if you take that on you have to deal with the situations you find."

Stich makes a good point (his comments are worth reading in full). None of the guys complaining about the schedule are fulfilling their commitments to the tour, calling it good, and still complaining about the workload.

Lastly, lodging these complaints at this time of economic uncertainty (wait until tournaments start going under -- then we'll see how arduous the calendar is) seems at best tone deaf, especially in a world where nobody's life is being lost or saved because of tennis.

[Dejan]

Six Pick: Predictions for the rest of 2011-By Tom Perrotta

As the tennis season moves to Asia and then indoors, here are six predictions for the months that remain.

Strike the strike
The next time Andy Murray talks about the grueling season and the need for change, he’ll retreat, ever so slightly, from his recent comments about the possibility of a strike. Would tennis players really do it? Doubtful. The gripes of Murray, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are valid, but hardly shared by everyone on the tour. More than 90 percent of the players would like more tournaments—and more chances to make a living. On second thought, maybe the rank and file would support a strike—one limited to the Top 10 players, which would give them a better shot at the later rounds of tournaments. Call it Top 10 Bailout of 2012. And one last point: They don’t need to strike. If the players form a real union, they’ll have incredible bargaining power and won’t need to go that far.

Vacation time?
Novak Djokovic should take the rest of the year off. My guess is he’ll play the World Tour Finals, and maybe one more tournament, if he’s healthy. But why not just call it a year, and a fantastic one at that? He hasn’t had much time off in nearly two years now (that’s what winning the Davis Cup will do to you). He could heal. And then train. And then try to improve a few elements of his game and prepare for 2012. Djokovic doesn’t strike me as the type who needs a lot of matches to play well. His strokes are compact and efficient, and he doesn’t take huge risks. Assuming his confidence remains high—and there’s no reason it shouldn’t—a break might be best thing for him going into next year.

Indoor king
Here’s saying Roger Federer will dominate the indoor season this year and win the World Tour Finals. I don’t think that brutal U.S. Open loss is going to affect him that much, at least, not until he’s at that point in a Grand Slam.

Watch out for…
Maria Sharapova this fall. After a terrible performance at the Open, she should have a strong fall and contend for the season-ending title in Turkey. Sharapova’s best chance to win another Slam? Australia, where she won her last one. The courts suit her, especially when the roof is closed. And why was she so bad in Flushing? A theory: Arthur Ashe Stadium is windy on the calmest of days. That’s not good for a player with a 15-foot-high (and often erratic) ball toss.

Davis Cup cure
Will the Davis Cup inspire the best player of 2012, as it did in 2011? Rafael Nadal should hope so, because he’s going to lead Spain to the title over Argentina. Juan Martin del Potro could use Davis Cup the boost, too, but I don’t see Argentina winning on the road on clay.

Another post-Slam malaise?
Will Samantha Stosur follow in the footsteps of Li Na and Petra Kvitova and play horrendous tennis the next few months? I’ll say three’s a charm for our latest first-time Slam winner. Stosur has been close to the top for too long to plumme

[ivana23]

@TennisConnected
Tennis Connected
So Djokovic, Federer and Soderling are out of Shanghai Masters. That means your top 4 seeds as of now are: Nadal, Murray, Ferrer and Fish.

.................................................

[Gama]

INJURIES FORCE BERDYCH AND YOUZHNY TO WITHDRAW FROM MALAYSIAN OPEN, KUALA LUMPUR

Berdych: “I am really sorry I cannot make it to Kuala Lumpur this year. I have had some good results there before and I really like the city and the people,” he said. “I was always made to feel very welcome with the warm hospitality. The stadium is really nice to play in and the court surface is great for my game.

“I was really looking forward to being there again but my shoulder is still troubling me. I was able to play one singles in Davis Cup but it has flared up again and I need to rest it a few more days. I hope I can try and come back next year.”

Youzhny: “I have to take care about my back and that means I have to have some special treatment in Moscow,” Youzhny said. “It is because of that I cannot make the trip to Kuala Lumpur. This is a tournament I like very much and last year was very successful for me. I want to say thank you for the invitation to come there and to wish all the fans of the tennis a good time.”

Svi povredjeni...

berdych-and-youzhny-withdraw-from-malaysian-open

[Dejan]

After putting on 'couch potato' weight in retirement, Pete Sampras is fit again and playing competitively

Life at 40 isn't bad for Pete Sampras, not if his first month of dipping his toes in those waters is any indication. That much should be obvious to South Florida fans who turn out to watch him on the Champions Series tour Thursday night, even before his first serve.

Sampras is lighter, leaner and, some say, younger-looking than a few years ago, when he had put on 15 to 20 pounds over his playing weight of 170.

"When you retire, you sort of decompress," said Sampras, who figured he earned his license to chill with a 15-year tour schedule ending in 2002. "You don't want to work out or hit any balls, so I just completely went cold turkey, became a 'golf potato' and a couch potato. And all of a sudden, I saw pictures of me."

That got him back in the gym, balancing sweating and golfing with family time while enabling him to play 15 to 20 matches per year, which, he jokes, "shows my kids that I do work a little bit."

Although Sampras was famously chided by Andre Agassi for taking these appearances too seriously, he'll take the court for a one-set match against Michael Chang at the BankAtlantic Center hoping to entertain while offering glimpses of the player who won 14 Grand Slam events.

"I think we all have a little pride in still playing well," Sampras said. "I don't want to be an old, retired guy that's sort of lost my way."

Fans can only wonder how things might be had Sampras come along a bit later. Imagine the epic levels the men's game would reach if he were in today's mix with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and new U.S. Open champion Novak Djokovic, who is 64-3 in 2011.

"At least in my lifetime, the best ever," Sampras called Djokovic's year. He also labeled it "one of the best achievements in all of sports."

Djokovic's mental approach has been the key, Sampras said.

"I always thought Novak was a bit temperamental and would go through these lapses that would prevent him from winning majors," Sampras said. "And now you look - he lost the first two sets against Roger and boom! He recovered within a couple of minutes. He's got a short memory now. He's progressed into this great champion."

A champion with pull. As the U.S. Open concluded, the top men's players voiced concerns about the rain and scheduling, particularly having to play the semifinals and final on consecutive days, which was a Sampras peeve years ago. There's buzz about forming a players' union.

Sampras said if the Big Three men draw a line about anything huge or tiny - "If they want more oranges in the locker room" - they'll get their way.

"Quite honestly, the U.S. Open has it coming," Sampras said. "The handwriting's on the wall."

Noteworthy: Jimmy Connors will face Jim Courier in the evening's second match, with the winners meeting in an eight-game pro-set final to conclude the event. Tickets for the card, which begins at 7:30 p.m., range from $38.75 to $270.75 and are available through Ticketmaster. ... John McEnroe was supposed to play Sampras but withdrew because of a hamstring injury.

[georgina]

@TennisConnected
Tennis Connected
So Djokovic, Federer and Soderling are out of Shanghai Masters. That means your top 4 seeds as of now are: Nadal, Murray, Ferrer and Fish.

.................................................

hm, nadal i marej glavni strajkaci, a igraju

[Gama]

Ma oni to georgina idu u Sangaj vise zbog 'sastanka'
Edit: A Endi igra od ponedeljka i Bangkok