Thursday, June 24, 2010

70 - 68...Wat a Match!!!!!

The longest match,epic match...All I can say is wat ever you call, this match can never be forgotten in the history of tennis.

Three days of struggle and Isner put a stop by winning the match at the 138th game in the final set. I was not able to watch the match on second day but watched the end of the match that too because of my friend. I hate this football when it hinders the telecast of these good matches. Yes, Both ESPN and Star Sports were telecasting football. Neo Sports with Asia Cup and so no other go than watching online. My friend gave me a online streaming site to watch the match.

Thank God. Amazing and I m so happy that I didn't miss it. Everyone in the crowd was fresh. I know that the umpire would really have wanted a winner but all I wanted was to watch their game. Mahut was unshakable. He hit the ball really hard and made no mistake till the end. He was in fact more fresh than Isner.

John Isner, the giant is his nickname, but hence forth he can be called Is(ace)ner. Amazing aces. Till today I have always worshiped Andy Roddick as the guru of ace. I can say that this guy has surpassed that guru and reached the pinnacle. He didn't have good volley nor was a good athlete. But was serve dominant through out. Mostly it took him only four serves to complete the game under a minute.

The match summary is as follows:

Match time: 11 hrs 5 mins
5th set alone over 8 hrs (approx)

Aces:
Isner 112
Mahut 103

Double Faults:
Isner 10
Mahut 21

Winners
Isner 246
Mahut 244

Break Points:
Isner 2/14
Mahut 1/3

Long before when I was small I watched the match between Andy Roddick and Younes El Aynaoui, where the match went up to 21-19 and Andy won the match. I was awestruck by the energy Andy had. But today these two were amazing. I even started having doubt if they are human being. I really want to know what they had as lunch.

As long as tennis exist this match will never be forgotten. It is etched in the ground of Lawn Tennis for ever.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Roland Garros 2010

The most upsetting Roland Garros that I have watched with most of the top players exiting in the early rounds in both men's draw and women's draw.

Men's Draw

I waited for this event for I missed it last year. I wanted Roger and Rafa final. But everything became upsetting.First Davydenko and Del Potro were absent because of injury.

The ace master Andy Roddick booked his exit in the round 3 in the hands of an unseeded russian player.

More upsets started in Round 4 when three of the top 10 players, Andy Murray - the Britain's fav, Tsonga - the french man and Veradasco - who scarred nadal in one of the slam semi finals. With few of the top players out of the league there were only two players soderling and djokovic in the way for Roger and Rafa to reach the finals.

The biggest shock of the year came when Roger was stopped by soderling. Roger defeated Soderling last year in the finals to get hands on the french open for the first time. I thought that this time also he would defeat Soderling. But I was wrong. Roger is holding the record of appearing into semis for 23 times.I thought he would enter for another time but Soderling put an end for his progress. I was in shock for a day. Last year Rafa went out and din reach finals and this year Roger. so this makes that for two years these two have not met in the Roland Garros. So have to wait next year and hopefully they get a head-head match.

Another top seed to get exit is the serbian, Djokovic. With Djokovic and Roger out of way Rafa got a easy road to the French Open finals. The highly expected finals came with Soderling and Rafa. The heat was very high coz Soderling defeated Rafa last year to reach the finals. Everybody (rather myself) had big hopes on Soderling to defeat Rafa. But Rafa had a easy final and won in the straight sets. It was not Soderling's day.Everything went out of his way. In fact Rafa had one of the easiest final in Paris for the first time. The final ended in just 2hrs and 18 mins. I felt it to be shortest finals.

So the clay king is back in his throne throwing Roger out of the throne. With that he also became World Number 1 (which I really hate).

Women's Draw

When lot of things were happening in the men's draw most of the tennis fans expected a William sisters finals this year. But lot of surprises happened in the women's slot than in the Men's slot.

My favorite player, the mom who flushed the Meadows, Kim was absent because of foot injury.

The round 1 exit by Rolland Garros runner up Safina was not all surprising for the tennis fans since the Russian was not in form for a long due to injury. In the second round Radwanska booked her exit.

Former wimbledon champion, Sharapova was in good form and most of the fans wanted the russian back in her saddle, but she was stopped by the former French Open champion, Justine Henin who has returned from her retirement in the round 3. Last Year champion Kuznetsova also exited in the round 3. The Chinese favorite who reached semis of this years Australian Open exited in the round 3.

When all these thing were happening there was a silent player who was making a good progress after a long time.She was none other than Jelena Jankovic. She was in a good form and I really expected her to reach the finals.

The greatest upset in the women's draw came in the 4th round when the second seeded Venus Williams was stopped by Nadia Petrova. Since Venus has exited early in few slams most of the tennis fans was not in for a shock. The come back of Henin was stopped by Stosur. Stosur had a tough battle with Henin and placed seat in the quarters.

When world number one in men, Roger exited in Quarters, World Number 1 in Women, Serena also followed suit. She was defeated by Stosur. The tennis world was in shock for both the number one was out and most of the top players were out. With her Wozniacki was also sent out packing by Schiavone

With all the hurdle removed from her way at the early stage itself, Jankovic was able to see the road to finals but she was stunned by the indomitable Stosur. Amazingly Stosur seized a place in the finals winning in straight sets.

On the other hand Dementieva was progressing silently. With top players out of the league Schiavone made into semi finals. She even stopped the top seed russian Dementieva.

Stosur was in a good form defeating the three top players includes Serena,Jankovic and Henin where as Schiavone also defeated three top players includes Wozniacki, Dementieva and Li.

Both the players were in good form and a bit of luck worked for them to reach the finals. I felt that Stosur had a upper hand of the two. But a new champion came at the end of the day with a straight set win.

Schiavone lifted her first slam title in the clay court and became the first player to hold a slam title for her country.

What a slam?? With top players exiting in early rounds, more injuries and new champion and it was worth actually watching.

I hope the Wimbledon has a good result and I expect a Roger and Rafa match for it has been long that had happened in the slam. Lets hope that Davydenko and Kim returns to provide a good competition in Wimbledon.

Catch you all in Wimbledon 2010.

Records and Facts

This post is dedicated to all tennis fans who are crazy like me who can never forget the records created by these legends. Whenever people talk about records in tennis it is always stuck to Men. One game where women has created more records than men in both all time and open era. This clearly shows that women are better in the court than men and many women players have had long career time than men.

As requested by one of my friends here comes some of the record details, Facts and Trivia in both Men and Women grand slams both in all time and open era. I have not covered everything. For more details please refer my source.

Source : www.wikipedia.org

RECORDS:

List of top five players who holds the most grand slams in combined (Singles,Doubles and Mixed Doubles) titles:



List of top five players who holds the most grand slams in singles during all time.



List of top five players who holds the most grand slams in singles during open era.



List of top five players who holds the most grand slams in doubles.



FACTS:

Men:

Guillermo Vilas - The only player to win ATP Tour singles titles in five different continents in the same year: 5 (Europe, South America, North America, Africa, and Asia) in 1977.

Lleyton Hewitt - Youngest male player to be the World No. 1 at 20 years and 8 months old (2001).

Michael Chang - Youngest man ever to win a Grand Slam singles title, winning the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17 years and 3 months. It was the only grand slam tournament he would ever win.

Ken Rosewall - Oldest man ever to win a Grand Slam singles title, winning the Australian Open in 1972 at the age of 37 years and 2 months.

Roy Emerson

He is the only male player to have won singles and doubles titles at all four Grand Slam tournaments.
Roy Emerson and Rod Laver are the only male players to win each Grand Slam title at least twice in their career.
He is the only male player to have won singles and doubles titles at all four Grand Slam tournaments.

Rod Laver

He is the only tennis player to have twice won all four Grand Slam singles titles in the same year — first as an amateur in 1962 and second as a professional in 1969.
He is the only male player during the open era to have won a calendar year Grand Slam.

Björn Borg

Shares with Roger Federer the record for most consecutive singles match winning streak at Wimbledon: 41.
Shares with Roger Federer the record for most consecutive times reaching French Open and Wimbledon finals: 4.
Shares with Roger Federer the record for most consecutive Wimbledon singles titles: 5.
Shares with Rafael Nadal the record for most consecutive French Open singles titles: 4.
Shares with Pete Sampras and Roger Federer the record for most consecutive years winning at least one Grand Slam title: 8.
Shares with Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Ivan Lendl the record for most consecutive French Open singles finals in Open Era: 4.


Pete Sampras


Shares with Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer the record for the most US Open singles titles in the open era: 5.
Shares with Björn Borg and Roger Federer the record for the most consecutive years winning at least one Grand Slam singles title: 8.
Shares with Ivan Lendl the record for the most singles finals reached at one Grand Slam tournament (US Open): 8.
Shares with Ivan Lendl the record for the most consecutive years appearing in at least one Grand Slam singles final: 11.
Shares with Ivan Lendl the record for the most Tennis Masters Cup singles titles: 5.


Andre Agassi


Only male player to have won all Grand Slam titles, Davis Cup title, Olympic singles gold medal and Tennis Masters Cup (singles) title.
Shares with Jimmy Connors the record of most years finishing in the top ten: 16.
Shares the record of most Australian Open singles titles in Open era with Roger Federer: 4.
The first player to complete the career grand slam on three different surfaces.


Roger Federer


Federer has won 16 Grand Slam singles titles, more than any other male player.
Federer and Nadal are the only male players to hold (or have held) three Grand Slam singles titles on three different surfaces at the same time.
Shares with Björn Borg and Pete Sampras the record for the most consecutive years winning at least one Grand Slam singles title: 8.
He and Andre Agassi have won all four Grand Slam singles tournaments on three different surfaces.


Women:


Martina Hingis - In 1998 at the Australian Open, Hingis became the youngest player to successfully defend a Grand Slam singles title in the open era (17 years old).

Matina Hingis - In 1999 at the Australian Open, Hingis became the only player in history to win the same Grand Slam tournament in singles and doubles three consecutive years with three different doubles partners.

Lindsay Davenport - In 2005, Davenport became the first female player to have won 50 singles matches at the Australian Open.

Margaret Court

In 1970, she became the first woman during the open era and the second woman in history to win all four Grand Slam singles titles in the same calendar year.
Court won 24 Grand Slam singles titles, a feat no other player has achieved.
She also had a successful doubles career, winning 24 women's and 19 mixed doubles titles, taking Court's overall Grand Slam titles to a record 62.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame states, "For sheer strength of performance and accomplishment there has never been a tennis player to match (her).”

Chris Evert

She won 18 Grand Slam singles championships, including a record seven championships at the French Open and a record six championships at the U.S. Open.
Evert's career win–loss record in singles matches of 1,309–146 (.900) is the best of any professional player in tennis history.
Evert never lost in the first or second rounds of a Grand Slam singles tournament.

Martina Navrátilová

She and King each won 20 Wimbledon titles, an all-time record.
She holds the open era record for most singles titles (167) and doubles titles (177).

Steffi Graff

In 1988, Graf became the first and only tennis player (male or female) to achieve the Calendar Year Golden Slam by winning all four Grand Slam singles titles and the Olympic gold medal in the same calendar year.
Won more singles titles at Wimbledon and the French Open (13) than any other player (man or woman).
Only player to have four times won three of the four Grand Slam singles titles in a calendar year (1989, 1993, 1995, 1996).
Only player to have won every Grand Slam singles title twice in two decades (1980s and 1990s).
Only player in history, man or woman, to have defended all the 4 Grand Slam singles title at least once.

Monica Seles

By winning the 1990 French Open, became the youngest woman ever to win the tournament.
Monica Seles is the only player to win the first 6 grand slams final she entered without a loss.
Seles is the only teen to hold 8 grand slams titles before turning 20.

Venus Williams

In 1997, Williams became the first unseeded singles finalist at the US Open.
Venus WIlliamsHolds fastest serve recorded by a woman in all four Grand Slam tournaments:

* Australian Open: 125 mph in 2003 quarterfinal against Daniela Hantuchová.
* French Open: 128 mph in 2007 second round against Ashley Harkleroad, and again in 2010 against Dominika Cibulková.
* Wimbledon: 129 mph in 2008 final against Serena Williams.
* US Open: 129 mph in 2007 first round against Kira Nagy.

The only female tennis player to have won three career gold medals at the Olympic Games.