Monday Net Post

By TW Contributing Editor, Ed McGrogan

Last Week's Tournaments

Movistar Open (ATP - Clay - Vina del Mar, Chile)

- Singles Final: Fernando Gonzalez def. Juan Monaco (walkover).
- Singles Semifinal: Fernando Gonzalez def. Pablo Cuevas 6-7, 7-6, 6-2.
- Singles Semifinal: Juan Monaco def. Santiago Ventura 6-2, 6-4.

• Singles Bracket

- Doubles Final: Jose Acasuso/Sebastian Prieto def. Maximo Gonzalez/Juan Monaco 6-1, 3-0 (retired).
- Doubles Semifinal: Maximo Gonzalez/Juan Monaco def. Adrian Garcia/Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 6-3, 6-4.
- Doubles Semifinal: Jose Acasuso/Sebastian Prieto def. Nicolas Lapenti/Jamie Murray 6-4, 7-6.

• Doubles Bracket

Fed Cup

World Group - First Round

Russia def. Israel 4-1

Rubber 1: Shahar Peer (ISR) def. Dinara Safina (RUS) 0-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Rubber 2: Maria Sharapova (RUS) def. Tzipi Obziler (ISR) 6-0, 6-4.
Rubber 3: Maria Sharapova (RUS) def. Shahar Peer (ISR) 6-1, 6-1.
Rubber 4: Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) def. Tzipi Obziler (ISR) 6-4, 6-2.
Rubber 5: Dinara Safina/Elena Vesnina (RUS) def. Tzipi Obziler/Shahar Peer (ISR) 6-0, 1-6, 6-4.

USA 1, Germany 1

* Match has not yet been completed due to rain (to be completed on Monday). *

Rubber 1: Sabine Liscki (GER) def. Lindsay Davenport (USA) 6-1, 7-5.
Rubber 2: Ashley Harkleroad (USA) def. Tatjana Malek (GER) 6-1, 6-3.
Rubber 3: Lindsay Davenport (USA) vs. Tatjana Malek (GER)
Rubber 4: Ashley Harkleroad (USA) vs. Sabine Liscki (GER)
Rubber 5: Lindsay Davenport/Lisa Raymond (USA) vs. Julia Goerges/Anna-Lena Groenfeld (GER)

China, P.R. def France 3-2

Rubber 1: Na Li (CHN) def. Alize Cornet (FRA) 6-3, 6-1.
Rubber 2: Shaui Peng (CHN) def. Virginie Razzano (FRA) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Rubber 3: Virginie Razzano (FRA) def. Na Li (CHN) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.
Rubber 4: Nathalie Dechy (FRA) def. Zi Yan (CHN) 6-3, 6-2.
Rubber 5: Zi Yan/Jie Zheng (CHN) def. Nathalie Dechy/Virginie Razzano (FRA) 7-5, 7-6.

Spain def. Italy 3-2.

Rubber 1: Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP) def. Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 7-6, 3-6, 6-2.
Rubber 2: Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) def. Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 6-2, 6-3.
Rubber 3: Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) def. Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 6-4, 6-1.
Rubber 4: Sara Errani (ITA) def. Lourdes Dominguez-Lino (ESP) 5-7, 6-4, 6-0.
Rubber 5: Tathiana Garbin/Sara Errani (ITA) def. Nuria Llagostera Vives/Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 6-4, 6-3.

World Group II - First Round

Ukraine def. Belgium 3-2

Rubber 1: Alona Bondarenko (UKR) def. Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 6-1, 6-2.
Rubber 2: Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) def. Katerina Bondarenko (UKR) 7-6, 6-1.
Rubber 3: Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) def. Alona Bondarenko (UKR) 6-3, 6-4.
Rubber 4: Katerina Bondarenko (UKR) def. Tamaryn Hendler (BEL) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Rubber 5: Alona Bondarenko/Katerina Bondarenko (UKR) def. Caroline Maes/Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 6-2, 6-3.

Japan def. Croatia 4-1

Rubber 1: Akiko Morigami (JPN) def. Nika Ozegovic (CRO) 2-6, 7-5, 6-1.
Rubber 2: Jelena Kostanic Tosic (CRO) def. Aiko Nakamura (JPN) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
Rubber 3: Akiko Morigami (JPN) def. Jelena Kostanic Tosic (CRO) 6-1, 6-2.
Rubber 4: Aiko Nakamura (JPN) def. Nika Ozegovic (CRO) 6-0, 4-6, 6-2.
Rubber 5: Rika Fukiwara/Ayumi Morita (JPN) def. Petra Martic/Ana Vrjlic (CRO) 6-2, 6-3.

Czech Republic def. Slovak Republic 3-2

Rubber 1: Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) def. Petra Cetkovsha (CZE) 7-5, 6-3.
Rubber 2: Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) def. Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 7-5, 6-4.
Rubber 3: Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) def. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Rubber 4: Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) def. Petra Cetkovsha (CZE) 6-4, 6-3.
Rubber 5: Nicole Vaidisova/Kevta Peschke (CZE) def. Dominika Cibulkova/Janette Husarova (SVK) 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.

Argentina def. Austria 4-1

Rubber 1: Jorgelina Cravero (ARG) def. Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) 7-6, 6-3.
Rubber 2: Melaine Klaffner (AUT) def. Maria-Emilia Salerni (ARG) 2-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Rubber 3: Maria-Emilia Salerni (ARG) def. Patricia Mayr (AUT) 7-5, 3-6, 6-2.
Rubber 4: Jorgelina Cravero (ARG) def. Melaine Klaffner (AUT) 6-4, 6-4.
Rubber 5: Maria Irigoyen/Betina Jozami (ARG) def. Yvonne Meusburger/Barbara Schwartz (AUT) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.

• Argentina vs. Austria

By the Letter

T...hink that Feliciano Lopez is really just a model or actor masquerading as a tennis player sometimes?  This news will come as no surprise to you then.
E...li Manning and his brother Peyton make plenty of noise (and commercials) here in the U.S., but in Ukraine, two sisters dominate the sports scene.  Alona and Katerina Bondarenko were the only players used in the Ukraine/Belgium World Group II tie, which Ukraine won after the sisters won the decisive doubles rubber.  Ukraine is seeking its first ever World Group appearance; their next tie is in April.
N...ovak Djokovic was greeted by nearly 15,000 fans in Belgrade, Serbia to help celebrate his Australian Open win.  One sign from the event read, "See you here after Roland Garros."
N...ovak again: He's considering working once again with coach Mark Woodforde, who was in Djokovic's corner for parts of 2007.
I...f the United States Davis Cup wins their first round match against Austria this week, and if France defeats Romania, it has been announced that the site of the quarterfinal tie will be at Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
S...houlder injuries, which have been persistent in spite of three surgeries, have forced Joachim Johansson to retire at age 25.  Best known his ability to swat an ace on command, Johansson's career highlight was his upset of Andy Roddick at the 2004 U.S. Open (QF).  The five setter was completed in under three hours due to brutally efficient serving from both man during most of the match.
W...ebcast of the SAP Open (February 18-24) will be available for purchase online.  The live broadcast will include coverage of a Pete Sampras exhibition match against Marat Safin.
O...nce a French Open champion, Gaston Gaudio is far removed from those glory days.  He lost as a wild card in the opening round of Vina del Mar to Santiago Ventura 6-3, 6-0.
R...oland Garros is hoping to eliminate the presence of online gambling companies from its tournament after tournament officials filed a lawsuit against Betfair, Bwin, and Ladbrokes.  French officials claim that "sporting ethic is at risk." 
L...awn Tennis Association, never far from the spotlight in the UK of late, once again made the papers thanks to this logistical gaffe involving Alex Bogdanovic's equipment.
D...efending Fed Cup finalists Italy were upset in the first round this year by Spain.  Francesca Schiavone - instrumental in Italy's run last year - lost both of her singles matches.

McGrogan's Heroes

ATP - Aside from a first-round thrashing by Andy Murray at the 2007 U.S. Open (2-6, 3-6, 0-6), Pablo Cuevas had no other playing experience at an ATP level tournament.  But thanks to some good results in Challenger events last year, the Uruguayan was entered into the Vina del Mar draw, ready to try his hand at the big time once again.

Cuevas' chances for success looked slim.  He was drawn against former clay colossus Guillermo Coria in the opening round, and on top of this, came into the Movistar Open with no play since last November.  In this Futures tournament (Paysandu, Uruguay) Cuevas earned $720 for reaching the semifinals.  This past week, he again reached the semifinals, but the payout was a little different.  He instead pocketed $21,750 for his impressive efforts in Chile.

I haven't seen Cuevas play, in part because he hasn't been in the larger tournaments, but it's mostly because his ranking has been too low.  Pablo jumped over 100 rankings points during 2007, but was still outside of the top 100 - a de facto demarcation line for direct acceptances into smaller International Series events.  He just made the cut for Vina del Mar at 111 (Nicolas Devilder, at No. 115, was the last direct acceptance), so a good showing would go a long way towards future ATP events.

The match against Coria was followed closely by many TW members on the boards earlier this week.  Expectedly, the talk centered on the Argentine.  But now it's time to talk about the other guy.  After all, look at what he did in his next two matches: 7-5, 6-3 over No. 4 seed Fernando Verdasco, and 6-3, 6-3 over No. 7 seed Jose Acasuso.

Cuevas' Cinderella run came to an end after his semifinal match against the top seed, and eventual champion, Fernando Gonzalez.  But it was not without a fight.  Cuevas took the first set in a tiebreaker, and nearly won the second in the same fashion (he lost 8-6 in the overtime).  Gonzo would go on to finish out the match in three sets, in what was by far his toughest challenge of the tournament.  But while Gonzalez won the match and the tournament, Cuevas got the most out of this event by comparison (he is now ranked No. 88, his highest ever position).

Pablo's unexpected play reminds me of Steve Darcis' out-of-nowhere victory last year in Amersfoort - although that was even more improbable because it was Darcis' first ever ATP event.  What did Darcis do on tour thereafter?  He played in two other ATP tournaments (Sopot - R2, and U.S. Open - R1), but on the Challenger level, Darcis reached two quarterfinals, two semifinals, and won in Helsinki to close out the year.

This year, Darcis is 1-3 in ATP matches.  I'm planning on revisiting this pair later in the year and comparing their results.  Not exactly a case study for Harvard Business School, but worthy to examine nonetheless.

WTA - Calling on her inner Jelena Jankovic, Nicole Vaidisova is playing in any match she can get her hands on.  The 18-year old (each time I type that, I have to double check) Czech played in both Australian Open warm-up tournaments, going 5-2 in her seven matches.  Her tennis in Melbourne was solid - breezing through her opening three rounds - but she was derailed by Serena Williams in the round of 16 in straight sets.

Take a week off to regroup?  Nope - not when the year-long odyssey that is the Fed Cup calls.  Vaidisova led the Czech side against their Slovak neighbors in an important World Group II tie, hosted in Brno, Czech Replublic.  The proximity of the two nations surely created an emotional atmosphere in the Brno Exhibition Centre, and Vaidisova fed off of it, winning all three of the rubbers she played in.  "The people in the arena were super. I had a strong feeling that I am playing at home. I didn’t think that I am a team player but the crowd helped me," said Vaidisova after the match.

I'll get to that "team player" comment in a second - but first, the solo act.  Vaidisova opened her 2008 Fed Cup campaign with a critical win against Magdalena Rybarikova, 7-5, 6-4; important because Nicole's teammate Petra Cetkovska lost her first match.  Keeping the score level at one heading into day two was imperative, and since Vaidisova's match was the second of the day, the momentum turned to the Czech Republic's side as well.

The momentum stayed with the Czechs into the next day, as Nicole upped her record in the tie to 2-0 after beating Nicole Cibulkova in three sets (3-6, 6-3, 6-1).  But Vaidisova's work was not done yet, as she would soon be summoned for the deciding doubles rubber.  Thankfully, she had the help of WTA doubles specialist Kveta Peschke by her side.

In a match that featured two lopsided sets and one close one (6-1, 2-6, 6-4), the Czech team emerged victorious in the end, thanks to the good team play of Vaidisova and Peschke.  Their work kept the entire Fed Cup team of the Czechs afloat, in hopes of returning to the World Group next year.  But the lion's share of the credit undoubtedly goes to Vaidisova, who was the only Fed Cup player on the weekend to win three points for her country.  It's her best result of the year, by far.

Tennis Theatre

This video is for all you sullen Federer fans out there.  It's really good quality too, and don't worry - the advertisement fades away eventually.

One question I have, when looking back on this - does Roger still win this match if his forehand  on the the first set point saved does not catch the line?  Djokovic could have won the second set as well, as you surely recall.

Next Week's Tournaments

Davis Cup

• Russia vs. Serbia
• Czech Republic vs. Belgium
• Argentina vs. Great Britain
• Israel vs. Sweden
• Germany vs. Korea Rep.
• Peru vs. Spain
• Romania vs. France
• Austria vs. USA

• Website

Television Schedule (EST)

Friday, 5:00 am: Russia vs. Serbia (Tennis Channel, Live)
Friday, 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm: Austria vs. USA (Versus, Tape)
Friday, 8:00 pm: Austria vs. USA (Tennis Channel, Tape)
Saturday, 6:00 am: Russia vs. Serbia (Tennis Channel, Live)
Saturday, 12:00 pm- 3:00 pm: Austria vs. USA (Versus, Tape)
Saturday, 8:00 pm: Austria vs. USA (Tennis Channel, Tape)
Sunday, 5:00 am: Russia vs. Serbia (Tennis Channel, Live)
Sunday, 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Austria vs. USA (Versus, Tape)
Sunday, 8:00 pm: Austria vs. USA (Tennis Channel, Tape)

Open Gaz de France (WTA - Indoor Hard - Paris, France)

• Singles & Doubles Bracket
• Website

Pattaya Women's Open (WTA - Outdoor Hard - Pattaya, Thailand)

• Singles & Doubles Bracket
• Website

Beyond the Bracket

As you've probably heard countless times by now, the New York Giants became one of the few teams to win the Super Bowl despite losing the first two games of their season.  In these two games against the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers (who coincidentally, the Giants would defeat in the playoffs), the Giants surrendered a staggering 80 points in total to their opposition.

You've probably also heard or known that the New England Patriots put up jaw-dropping statistics this year, to the delight of Tom Brady fantasy owners across the land.  The Patriots didn't score less than 34 points until Week 9 (vs. Indianapolis), and expectedly, won all of those games, plus many more.  But ultimately, they did not prevail as champions.

Only in a sport where there is one, undisputed, "winner" could an 18-1 season be looked upon as a failure, but such is the cruel world of the NFL.  In tennis, different lenses are used to assess seasons, and so, we don't decry Roger Federer's 2005 season as a failure, even though he didn't win three Grand Slams like he did in 2004, 2006, and 2007.

But when I was watching the Super Bowl unfold, and looking back on how the Giants and the Patriots started off their seasons, I got thinking about how that twist of fate could work itself in the world of tennis.  This year, most people are talking up Maria Sharapova, Novak Djokovic, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga like there's no tomorrow.  On the flip side, a lot of folks are down on Roger Federer, the Williams sisters, and Andy Roddick.

If this NFL season (which was one of the best I can ever remember watching) taught me anything, it's that things can change very quickly in professional sports.  That held true for many of the Giants and Patriots players.  In the spirit of forecasting, here's who I think their counterparts are in the ATP and WTA:

Tom Brady: Rafael Nadal, Jelena Jankovic

• Attributes: Plays incredible throughout the year, but does not win the big one.

• Each consecutive Wimbledon that Roger Federer wins is an amazing feat, but I think that each consecutive French Open that Nadal wins is even more impressive.  I think the physical toll, pressure, and emergence of other players will catch up to Rafa this year - one in which he'll go major-less.  Jankovic always dazzles at non-Slam events, but does not have the requisite weapons to win seven straight when it counts.

Randy Moss: James Blake, Ashley Harkleroad

• Attributes: Career reborn after a change of scenery.

• Both of these choices pertain to Cup competitions.  Blake won one of the matches of his career in last year's Davis Cup final, and also shed the "can't win in five sets" label.  Harkleroad emerges from American obscurity by playing in the Fed Cup this year.  The experiences will serve them both well.

Wes Welker: Juan Monaco, Nicole Vaidisova

• Attributes: Little-known player that turned out to be the most constant presence in the end.

• Forget Monaco's week in Vina del Mar for a minute (he retired in the doubles final, and conceded the singles final) - he's an extremely solid player on all surfaces.  And while Vaidisova is well-known in tennis circles, she is still largely unknown on the mainstream level.  Expect the maturation process - and winning - to continue.

Laurence Maroney: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Nadia Petrova

• Attributes: Has a few shining moments throughout the year, but is largely forgotten about.

• Tsonga will forever have his run to the Australian Open finals attached to him, which is a blessing and a curse.  Constant reminders about it are never far behind.  I'm still not sold on him as "a new star", as many have already proclaimed.  As for Petrova, her motivation seems to constantly be in question, but she'll continue to win titles.

Eli Manning: Andy Murray, Ana Ivanovic

• Attributes: Captains an improbable run after playing average most of the year.

• To pull off what Manning did, this "improbable run" will, appropriately, take place in New York at the U.S. Open.  Each of these players are somewhat "due", in my opinion, for their breakthrough.  But fans of theirs be forewarned: if the breakthrough doesn't come soon, it will only get harder to emerge.

Plaxico Burress: David Ferrer, Tatiana Golovin

• Attributes: After a few solid years, emerges as a legitimate threat.

• Ferrer has been knocking at the door for all of 2007 with unbelievably consistent play.  Watch for him at Roland Garros.  Golovin likewise ended the year strong, and has the potential to enter the top 10.

Amani Toomer: Carlos Moya, Patty Schnyder

• Attributes: Veteran stalwart whose effectiveness does not decline.

• It seems that many players from Moya's class have already called it quits, or are just hanging on by a thread.  The muscle man from Mallorca continues to defy the odds.  Schnyder's loss to Maria Sharapova at last year's French Open probably still stings, but her southpaw strokes should continue to torment many players far younger than her.

Brandon Jacobs: Roger Federer, Justine Henin

• Attributes: Calms fears about many questions.

• (Re: Jacobs - this is in regards to the Giants running game, after the retirement of Tiki Barber.)  Both of these French-speaking titans of the game ran away with the 2007 season.  Both were shown to be mortal in Melbourne.  But neither will let one loss derail another impressive season on their resume.

If...

You would like to add to the above list with other players, I'd love to see what you come up with.