By Jackie, TW Social Director
[Note: This was composed prior to today's semifinals. You'll understand why this is important in just a bit!]
Hiya, TWibe! June happens to be my favorite month of the year (the start of summer, my birthday, Roland Garros hangover, Wimbledon anticipation - just a few of the reasons!), so I'm in a chipper mood. Hope everyone else is, too.
Thanks for the feedback last week regarding a TW Facebook "fan page"; it sounds like you'd be open to it, so I'll look into getting that started soon. In the meantime, please continue to visit our group, TennisWorld > Real World. Those of you who plan on attending Wimbledon, especially, should stop by and join the "Wimbledon '09 - Who's going?" discussion; hopefully y'all can set up a TW get-together at the AELTC!
Which reminds me ... we all love hearing about TWibers' live tournament experiences, so feel free to send me any photos or reports from your tennis adventures to be published right here in the DC. (A preview for next week, perhaps?) You can reach me at my Tennis.com e-mail or by clicking my name in blue in the Comments.
In keeping with the RG theme from last week, today's post is an homage to the almost-fortnight that was in Paris.
!Clay I prepared the post by first making lists - the typical, like best/worst matches, biggest upsets, etc. - before realizing that doing so hardly captured the essence of this tournament. This RG hasn't been about wins and losses, not at the core. Instead, it's been marked by moments - of disappointment, shock, redemption, ecstasy. And by storylines. Some being born, others reaching a climax. You may not have been a fan of the past two weeks' events, but you won't soon forget 'em.
Here's a sampling of some of the more salient moments and storylines:
~ Though it's been discussed ad nauseum, I'd be remiss in ignoring the upset that shook the tennis world - Robin Soderling defeating Rafael Nadal in the 4th round. Given how dominant Rafa had been at RG (and on clay, in general) over the past few years, the match result was nothing but a complete stunner to all tennis fans, myself included. (I literally did a quadruple-take when I saw the score. Surely, that checkmark wasn't next to Soderling's name, was it?) And yet the reaction was a testament to all of Rafa's record-breaking achievements; we were reminded of how brilliant his run had been, as well as how difficult it is to maintain streaks and records. And we realized that tennis players, no matter how steely, are still human. (One who might have been relieved by the development? Novak Djokovic - whose stunning defeat at the hands of Philipp Kohlschreiber was no longer "the" upset of the tournament.)
~ Of course, we can't forget the other half of the story. Who would've predicted that, of all people, Soderling would hold the giant killer title? Soderling, who barely got a game off of Rafa the last time they had met? Soderling, who had never before advanced past the third round of a Grand Slam? He continued his entirely unexpected RG tear by easily besting Nikolay Davydenko in the quarterfinals. I predicted he'd experience a let-down following his monumental victory, but there he went again, serving up more surprises. His is perhaps the story of the tournament.
~ RG marked Maria Sharapova's return to tennis after an extended layoff, and considering the rustiness and that clay is far from her best surface (we've all heard the "cow on ice" quote), I figured we were in for an early-round loss. Maria proved me wrong - and in rather commanding fashion. She made it all the way to the quarterfinals, with each of her matches going the distance. In particular, her victory over Nadia Petrova (8-6 in the third!) proved to us that her heart and competitive drive are second to none. Welcome back, Masha!
~ We said difficult (and premature!) goodbyes to Fabrice Santoro and Marat Safin, who both appeared for the final time at RG. Ironic that they're in the same sentence, eh? (Marat didn't go quietly, losing a thriller against Frenchman Josselin Ouanna, 10-8 in the fifth. Another memorable moment of the tournament.)
I was sad to bid adieu to Jelena Dokic as a back injury forced her to retire in her match against Elena Dementieva, despite being a set up. Who didn't feel her tears? Undoubtedly of both pain and opportunities lost.
~ In addition to Soderling, we had some other surprising semifinalists in Fernando Gonzalez on the men's side - and to some extent, Juan Martin del Potro, since most had pegged Nole coming through that quarter - and Samantha Stosur and Dominika Cibulkova on the women's. I certainly don't object to having the top four advance to the semis of a Slam; to me, it seems more competitive that way, as if we're seeing what we should be seeing at a Slam, with the cream of the crop battling it out to determine who really is "best." But it's also exciting when some fresh faces get involved in the mix.
Gonzo's been to this stage and beyond before, sure, but surely his result is somewhat unexpected; just as Nole was "supposed" to get through the JMDP quarter, so too was Andy Murray, Gonzo's quarterfinal victim. No complaints here - when you're watching Gonzo at his best, you can't help but think he has no business being outside of the top ten!
!Domi Unlike Gonzo, Sam and Domi had never seen a Slam quarterfinal before, let alone a semifinal. They should be proud of themselves, stepping up when it matters most. I know I am.
~ The women's final between Dinara Safina and Svetlana Kuznetsova seems all too appropriate, as they've have been the players to beat on clay this season. Dina continues to demonstrate that she belongs at the top of the WTA heap, winning the easy way (bageling and breadsticking her way through the first few rounds) and the hard (recovering from a poor first set against the fearless Victoria Azarenka to eventually take the match in three). In dispatching the irrepressible Serena Williams in a back-and-forth war that required staving off a Serena comeback, as well as an ankle roll/clay bath, Kuzzy proved that she's more than just the lovable headcase of the WTA - she's a fighter. And a champion. I'd love to see Kuzzy pick up her second Slam here (and improve her abysmal record in finals!) but it feels like this is Dina's tournament to lose. It's her time.
~ And then there was Roger Federer. The moment Rafa went down, TMF became the man to beat. All eyes on him. But he ain't called TMF for nothing; Fed knows pressure better than anyone. And his unreal streak of twenty (twenty!) consecutive Slam semifinals indicates that he handles such pressure as well as any tennis player - heck, any athlete. After his win in Madrid, I Tweeted "Fed for RG? Can I say that?"; while taking the only Slam that's eluded him was, of course, a possibility, it seemed a remote one. And yet, here we are. The dust settles and who do we see standing at the end? TMF, once again. So yes, I can say it. Heck, I can shout it from the rooftops.
~ What about the French crowd? Their support of a player (or lack thereof) seemed powerful enough to change the entire complexion of a match. They made us alternately laugh (the wave does that to me), cheer along, and shake our heads in bewilderment. Are they just a lively bunch? Or does "rude" better describe them? I'm not sure what to think, really. I'm glad that they're passionate about tennis and their favorites. But there's a fine line between enthusiasm and obnoxiousness - and these folks crossed it on more than one occasion. (And I didn't even witness the worst of it, since most of my favorites are embraced by the French!)
As always, I could go on forever, but now I'd love to hear your RG impressions!
Here are some questions to guide your thoughts: What were your favorite/least favorite matches? What shocked you the most? (Match results, outbursts, outfits, etc. - all fair game.) What will you remember most about this tournament?
Enjoy the finals, guys!