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2011-10-09 22:00:08
We tennis fans know what happens in September and early October. The short answer, of course, is “NOT MUCH”. The long answer is that the top players rest, and guys like Florian Mayer and Gilles Muller suddenly develop a habit of showing up in the latter stages of tournaments.
And let’s face it, the exact same thing happens during the South American clay court swing. Fabio Fognini and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez horde rankings points in Buenos Aires while Roger Federer suns himself in Dubai. It’s a win-win for everyone.
These....er.....”quiet times” give the top guys a chance at some rest and relaxation while allowing the other players to earn enough to pay their hotel bills and physio’s salaries. A guy like Daniel Gimeno-Traver, for example, could stroll around the Miami Masters grounds all week, and as long as he didn’t swing his name badge over his head like a lasso while simultaneously smacking his racket bag into peoples’ heads, nobody would even know he’s a player. Earnings other than those made by actually winning matches are light on the ground for the likes of GGL and DGT.
I bring this up, because somebody recently asked me, “why haven’t you blogged in a while?”, to which I replied, “I haven’t had anything to say.” Though now that I think on it, that’s not entirely true. I was sorely tempted to do a piece on the “Nastase-Tiriac Trophy” tournament in Bucharest, which would have gone something like “Juan Ignacio Chela is your top seed. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” I decided against it though, owing to the fact that Tiriac also runs the Madrid tournament, which I actually want to attend at some point. (side note...I have nothing in particular against Chela except that as 24th ranked player in the world, his being top seed is rather...unfortunate for a tournament).
The post-US Open blues happen to me every year. And if you follow tennis with any sort of regularity, you know what I mean. After the fourth of four Grand Slams is completed, the year has a....wrapped up feel to it. Sure, there is still the Asian swing, Bercy and the year-end, but something still feels missing. Like the fall season is a post script on the “regular” season.
Don’t get me wrong, I like the fact that tennis popularity is extending to Asia. Emerging markets are crucial to the continued success of the sport...but doesn’t it raise any concerns when 4 of the top 10 players are, for whatever reason, not participating in a Masters event (Shanghai 2010)?
The case has been made many times that the ATP season is too long...I’ve made it MYSELF on more than a few occasions. I’m not going to do it again today. The ATP has made up its mind, despite player complaints. End of story. But I can’t deny that Metz and Bucharest occurring simultaneously put a definite damper on my creative juices.
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Weeeee that was fun! love me some Marx brothers, although Harpo was getting a bit long in the tooth by then..anyhoo.....
HOW DARE YOU, Sienna suggest that Andy looks like Harpo, even with the out of control haircut I do not see the resemblance.
Although have you ever seen Roger Federer & Quentin Tarantino in the same room at the same time?
Me neither......
Sosueme , 10/13/11 12:55 AM
It's strange, some of the top players are/were bellyaching about the schedule, but have made no attempt at doing anything beyond talking, and they are on the council. However, it's Roddick who's taken the initiative to be proactive. He should be on the council but he's always stated he's not interested coz he's got tons of other stuff to keep him busy with his foundation.
scoretracker , 10/13/11 5:54 AM
@Sienna, 10:11pm, you've got me in stitches laughing. BTW, who is Harpo and who is Chico? ha ha.
scoretracker , 10/13/11 5:56 AM
More to the point - who cares!
Nativenewyorker , 10/13/11 7:18 AM
It's all tennis!!
scoretracker , 10/13/11 7:47 AM
Who's following whom and looking for an interaction here?
scoretracker , 10/13/11 9:09 AM
Cheryl is so right. Look what happened to the level of discourse on TT in the post USO period!
Iit was wall to wall bickering on every thread - nobody seemed very interested in discussing tennis. lol.
ed251137 , 10/13/11 10:36 AM
Sosueme - Roger is WAY better looking than Quentin Tarrantino! Take it back! :D
Ed - well, what was there to discuss? The finer points of Metz? Hardly.
cherylmurray , 10/13/11 2:40 PM
I guess what you really need is for the top 2 players to split the slams and stay within touching distance, then it becomes a race for the year end no.1 and they'd actually make the effort to play.
samprallica , 10/13/11 3:48 PM
Oh Cheryl!
I never knew you had a soft spot for the Maestro..
Okay I'll take it back.
(fingers crossed behind my back)
Sosueme , 10/13/11 5:05 PM
I`ll bet Nadine enjoyed that!
mojo , 10/13/11 11:04 PM
This is what I'll be watching this week :
http://www.wtachampionships.com/page/LatestNews/Read/0,,12910~249 1791,00.html
Those ladies really clean up nicely....except for Stosur who should have worn something with sleeves to cover those manly arms. Oh Carolina!
numero , 10/24/11 7:01 PM
Caroline looks fine, Maria is perhaps the best (but that's a boring thing to say).
Hmm, but Sam Stosur looks like a cross dressing bricklayer with that over developed physique, is that a big bump between her legs I see?!?
I'm sure it's just the light.
Sorry, she looks cool on the court but that's simply gross.
Not a complimentary style.
Overall they look fine, special props to Li Na who has scrubbed particularly well in comparison to her usual.
Sosueme , 10/24/11 9:01 PM
Ferru does fine during the golden swing, and he ended the year @ #5 in some part due to those ranking points (though his AO showing had a lot to do with it as well).
Plus, it seems like it's almost our only chance these days to maybe see him play Juan Carlos Ferrero.
mara002 , 12/5/11 1:51 AM
Hey Cheryl,
What is being posted by margretkremple? Are these legitimate posts?
holdserve , 12/21/11 8:18 PM
no, posts by margaretkremple and every other similar post are spam
RickyDimon , 12/22/11 2:35 PM
Wed 09/05 14:58
Novak Djokovic takes up skating at the Madrid ice rink
Thu 29/03 14:30
Nadal and Spain give French TV a punch in the mouth
Mon 19/03 13:56
And Roger Federer is BACK
Mon 30/01 15:12
Djokovic and Nadal’s Aussie Open final, the best tennis has to offer
Sun 22/01 02:28
Adding insult to injury, Nalbandian fined
Tue 17/01 02:06
Nadal voices displeasure at Federer's inaction
Wed 11/01 14:41
Mardy Fish has gone off the rails
Sat 17/12 20:39
2011, the tennis year in review
Tue 22/11 17:46
Yannick Noah out for some Spanish blood
Thu 03/11 14:40
Nadal bails on Paris Masters again
Sun 09/10 22:00
The post-US Open blues
Sat 10/09 16:52
Wozniacki and Serena battle for bragging rights
Wed 07/09 15:40
Where US Open rain stops, scheduling paranoia begins
Tue 16/08 19:29
US Open scandal brewing
Wed 10/08 17:22
A less Maestro-like Federer gets ignored
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Ok lets go. It is far to timid on Cheryl's blog. Of course last year with the roger striking Stockholm Basel and WTC was a blast. So him being absent is definitely a sore pain to the eye. Tennis needs the Fed so badly. Whocares Djoker is not in Shanghai but Fed... Well he truly is missed in the draw.
On a different note Andy no not Murray Andy Roddick has spoken about the players coming together and try to draw a line in their dispute with ATP/ITF council.
We should all be so glad that he is doing the frontrunning at this point. If we leave it to Harpo and Chico http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYxgjJK7kD0
Well they even look like them.
Sienna , 10/12/11 10:11 PM