Wimbledon 2010 Predictions: How the Men’s Field Stacks Up

The draws for this year’s Wimbledon aren’t up, but the seedings are out. Wimbledon, as is custom, takes greater liberties with seedings than the other majors. They can justify doing so knowing that grass-court play is a specialty; as much an acquired technique as crisp volleys or a kick serve. So here’s a rundown of the tournament’s top seeds, as well as a few players who could... 

Andre Agassi, Boris Becker and the Rivalry That Could Have Been

If it weren’t for Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Boris Becker could’ve had quite the rivalry. Both men tried to be rivals to Sampras, but rather unsuccessfully. Becker’s game matched up poorly with The Pistol’s, who had all of the German’s strengths plus better movement. The only truly real classic matchup between Becker and Sampras was the 1996 ATP Tour World... 

What Queens & Halle Mean For…

  Lleyton Hewitt: The last time the former No. 1 Australian beat Roger Federer it was 2003, and Hewitt actually had more majors to his credit than the Swiss. To get this win in Halle, one week before the major where Hewitt has the best chance of breaking through again, is fitting. In previous encounters with the Swiss, the Australian’s storied consistency was no advantage, as Federer felt... 

The Lleyton Hewitt Dilemma: Grass May Be the Solution

A good player, or even a great player, can’t avoid facing the game’s best players in the early rounds if he doesn’t improve his ranking. But how can he improve his ranking if he keeps running into the game’s best players in the early rounds? I call it the Hewitt dilemma. For Lleyton Hewitt, a winner of both Wimbledon and US Open titles, and the guy who spent all of 2002 at... 

2010 French Open: What Roland Garros 2010 Means For…

Rafael Nadal There was a sense going into this final that the Majorcan Mauler was vulnerable, based on the premise that he faced a player who had demonstrated the ability to beat him and whose game appeared a good matchup with his. When he denied those four break points in the second game of the second set, retrieving huge forehands that would have won the point against pretty much anyone else,... 

Rafael Nadal, Robin Soderling Set for Heavyweight Fight

In the absence of yet another clash between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the best Roland Garros final we could probably have asked for was this one, as Nadal seeks to overcome the only man to have ever beaten him on French clay. That man, Robin Soderling, has added another high-profile win this year, but on Sunday seeks to become more than just an answer to a trivia question.   Robin Soderling Last... 

French Open Tennis: Contemplating a Roger Federer-Less French Open

A Grand Slam event without Roger Federer in the last weekend could be compared to seeing a movie where the protagonist dies three-quarters of the way in; kind of like seeing Neo killed off before the last act of The Matrix. But I actually think that metaphor sells Federer’s position in the game short; it’s more like the event has lost it’s central plot device, kind of like The Matrix... 

What Are Rafael Nadal’s Chances? Look To the Skies

At the US and Australian Opens, rain prompts an immediate stop in play–followed by the employment of the roof Down Under. Any tennis player dumb enough to play on wet asphalt is asking for a turned ankle, or maybe worse. The grass of Wimbledon isn’t quite as risky in the rain, but you still won’t see players stay on it should the drops start falling; concrete or not, no one enjoys... 

Novak Djokovic Gets Through at French Open Despite Serving Woes

One who hasn’t played tennis competitively can’t really understand what it’s like to double-fault repeatedly. It begins and ends with a lot of thinking. It starts with you knowing that the serve is crucial: Hit it with the right placement, speed and/or spin, and you control the center of the court and keep the other player on the run, thus winning most points. Hit a serve that lacks... 

For Andy Roddick, Paris was Just Practice

Andy Roddick entered last year’s Roland Garros having played only one clay court event, and that was on the fast courts of Madrid. Having gotten married during the clay season to Brooklyn Decker, Roddick arrived in Paris relaxed, fresh, and without terribly high expectations to disappoint. He proceeded to have his most successful RG ever, winning three matches without dropping a set before falling... 

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