Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Thu, 18 Sep 2008 23:08:32 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Tom Perrotta :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/authors/Tom+Perrotta istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/womens-draw-is-sorely-unbalanced/84421/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST As United States Tennis Association officials huddled yesterday to correct a minor mistake made during the random selection of the men's draw, Katrina Adams, a Tennis Channel commentator who co-hosted the selection ceremony with former world no. 1 Jim Courier, asked, "Could we redo the seeds for the women, too?" No doubt that USTA officials, CBS television executives, and most fans would like to grant Adams her wish. Of the five women who have the best chance to win this tournament — Venus and... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/even-in-their-10th-us-open-the-sisters-are-ones/84424/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST We had it all wrong. The Williams sisters, everyone thought, weren't much interested in tennis. The game was too easy, they were too far ahead of everyone else, they had better things to do. They would retire young, pack up their rackets, and spend the rest of their days designing dresses and making movies as they lived off their many millions in endorsements. "They gave a lot to the game," we all expected to say, "but they could have given it more." What sadder story is there in sports than... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/away-from-failures-federer-looks-at-ease/83806/ Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The Olympic tennis tournament in Beijing has hurt the summer hardcourt series in America; forced most of the world's best players to fly thousands of miles more than they would normally fly at this time of the year, and done little (at least in America) to build momentum leading up to the U.S. Open, since very little of the Olympic tournament can be found on television. But Roger Federer couldn't be happier. Federer, playing his last tournament for at least a few months as the no. 1 seed... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/spain-on-clay-spells-doom-for-the-us/86216/ Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST At full strength, the American Davis Cup squad would have little chance of beating the Spanish team in this weekend's semifinals. The Americans, who are defending champions, have the talent to win, as they proved last year when they defeated Spain on their way to their first title since 1995. But that was on a hard court. On clay in Madrid, Spain effectively begins the contest with a 2-0 lead, unless Rafael Nadal injures himself or consumes a large helping of spoiled food. Nadal lost four games... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/toward-unsurpassed-greatness/85462/ Tue, 9 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Roger Federer moved a step closer to unsurpassed greatness yesterday by winning his fifth consecutive U.S. Open title and 13th major title overall, one fewer than Pete Sampras. In the first Monday final at the National Tennis Center in Flushing since 1987, Federer defeated Andy Murray 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 with a display of precision, power, and gracefulness that put an end to any doubts about his future. Federer no longer holds the no. 1 ranking, no longer calls himself Wimbledon champion, no longer... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/murray-battles-his-way-past-no-1-and-into-final/85338/ Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST The stadium was larger, the weather sunny, dry, and windy rather than dark and humid, the crowd louder and partisan, the opponent desperate and determined rather than sluggish and slow. None of it mattered to Andy Murray, who will play in his first major final today against Roger Federer after a fabulous performance yesterday against world no. 1 Rafael Nadal, 6-2, 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-4. These two faces of tennis's future returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium late yesterday afternoon to complete a... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/with-crowd-behind-him-federer-goes-for-fifth-open/85260/ Fri, 5 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST For nearly two weeks at the U.S. Open, Roger Federer has been the people's choice, the man on whom no one would dare wish misfortune. When the tournament welcomed past champions to Arthur Ashe Stadium to celebrate 40 years of Open tennis, Federer — not Andy Roddick, not John McEnroe, not Venus or Serena Williams — received the loudest, and longest, ovation. When Igor Andreev, an underdog if there ever was one, pushed Federer to five sets this week, the crowd enjoyed the show yet wanted no part... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/roddick-suddenly-has-realistic-path-toward-final/85174/ Thu, 4 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Need proof that it doesn't take long to reverse one's fortunes in tennis? Look at Andy Roddick and Gilles Muller. Last month, Roddick played dreadfully at two small tournaments packed with second-tier players because the best men in the game were busy battling for Olympic gold. An injury to his shoulder had limited his time on the practice courts and his confidence was low. Who would have expected that Roddick would have a realistic chance at the U.S. Open semifinals and even the final? At... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/once-considered-second-best-venus-can-now-eclipse/85083/ Wed, 3 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Before Venus and Serena Williams were tennis icons, before they had won a total of 15 major singles titles and collected tens of millions of dollars in prize money and endorsements, Richard Williams, their father, predicted that both sisters would be great, but that Serena, the younger sister, would be the better of the two. It turns out that Mr. Williams might have made the wrong call. This evening, Venus and Serena will face each other for the 17th time. Sadly, their meeting comes in the... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/at-a-open-full-of-young-talent-fish-survives/84981/ Tue, 2 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST This has been the U.S. Open of young men, a display of talented, powerful, and mostly towering teenagers. There's 19-year-old Juan Martin Del Potro, the 6-foot-5-inch Argentine who flattens tennis balls with his forehand. There's 19-year-old Marin Cilic, the 6-foot-5-inch Croat who gave Novak Djokovic all he could handle Sunday evening. There's Gael Monfils, the 6-foot-4-inch Frenchman, age 22, whose long limbs, lightning quickness, and acrobatic moves have never been seen before on a tennis... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/five-things-to-watch-for-this-weekend/84895/ Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST As the first weekend of the U.S. Open begins, Roger Federer fights on, Venus and Serena Williams move closer to a quarterfinal meeting, Andy Roddick takes on one of the most talented youngsters in the sport, and history has been made: the no. 1 women's seed, Ana Ivanovic, lost earlier than any other no. 1 seed in the Open Era. Here are five things to look for at the tournament this Labor Day weekend. A goodbye? Lindsay Davenport, the 32-year-old American tennis icon, might play her last U.S... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/two-stars-of-melbourne-look-to-shine-in-queens/84810/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST They were the talk of tennis a mere seven months ago: two flamboyant, up-and-coming stars of the game. One, Novak Djokovic, had dreamed of being no. 1 in the world since tennis courts were built near his home in the mountains of Serbia. The other, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a 200-pound specimen and master of the drop volley, had overcome several injuries and begun to fulfill the promise he showed as junior. When they met in the Australian Open final, they lit up the Melbourne evening with splendid... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/in-flushing-womens-no-1-spot-is-there-for/84716/ Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST An hour before Monday evening's celebration to honor the 40th anniversary of the Open Era in tennis, Maria Sharapova stood outside the player's lounge behind Arthur Ashe Stadium and received a warm welcome from Arlen Kantarian, the CEO of professional tennis for the United States Tennis Association. Sharapova greeted Kantarian, turned to her agent, and joked, "He's giving me a wild card into the draw. I'm going to play." If only she could. Because of two small tears in her rotator cuff... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/federers-next-act-will-define-him/84620/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Everyone has a theory about Roger Federer. He doesn't volley enough. He needs to run around his backhand more often. He's lost his confidence. He's tired. He still hasn't recovered from mononucleosis. He needs to spend more time with his part-time coach, Jose Higueras. He should take the rest of the year off (after the U.S. Open) and practice. He needs a sports psychiatrist. The latest theory is that Federer has spent too much time of late worrying about his image rather than his strokes. He... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/best-laid-plans-of-andy-roddick-have-gone-awry/84542/ Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Steadiness, every bit as much as a booming serve, has been the trademark of Andy Roddick's career. Since 2001, his second year as a professional, he has reached at least one quarterfinal of a Grand Slam each season. He has ended the year inside the top 10 every season since 2002, including a finish at no. 1 in 2003 — the year he won his only major title, at the U.S. Open. Though Roddick hasn't won a major title since, it's only because a modest talent by the name of Roger Federer — he of the 12... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/new-york/for-a-brooklyn-teenager-a-first-us-open-finally/84444/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST When Gail Brodsky didn't receive a wild card into the U.S. Open last year, her father, Eduard, said, she was so disappointed that she cried for two weeks. This year, all is forgotten. Earlier this month, Ms. Brodsky, a 17-year-old who grew up in an apartment building across the street from Coney Island Hospital on Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn, won the 18-and-under national tournament in Berkeley, Calif., a victory that guaranteed her a first-round match at this year's U.S. Open, which begins... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/rafael-nadal-the-humble-champion-eyes-first-us/84423/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST On Sunday, he won the gold medal in Beijing. On Monday, he boarded a plane for New York as the no. 1 tennis player in the world. On Tuesday, he soothed his jet lag with a round of golf. On Wednesday, he strolled into the National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens, just before noon, signed a few autographs, and leisurely practiced with a young hitting partner for an hour without a coach, or anyone to retrieve stray balls, in sight. Let us reintroduce you to Rafael Nadal, the best tennis player... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/with-gold-in-hand-nadal-now-eyes-new-york/84022/ Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST He's the French Open champion, the Wimbledon champion, the Olympic gold medalist, and, as of today, the no. 1 player in the world. When Rafael Nadal arrives in New York City this week, he'll be one feat from the most remarkable summer of tennis since Rod Laver's in 1969, when the remarkable Australian won all four major titles in the same year. If he wins the U.S. Open, Nadal, already worthy of mention among the game's all-time greats, will become one of its undisputed legends. In Beijing... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/beijing-may-be-federers-last-chance-for-gold/83207/ Tue, 5 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Roger Federer often has described the 2012 Olympic tennis tournament, which will be played on the lawns of the All England Club, as a target, a time when he would like to take the measure of his career and determine whether to continue full on, play sparingly, or retire at the ripe old age of 31. "After that, you have to see how you feel," Federer said on the eve of Wimbledon in 2006. "Sometimes, motivation comes back; maybe eventually it totally goes away. At the moment, I'm very motivated. I... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/no-longer-a-true-no-1-among-the-women/82933/ Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST As Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal fight for the top ranking in men's tennis, the best women in the world are having their own power struggle — or at least, their own struggles. They struggle to stay healthy. They struggle to play a full slate of tournaments. They struggle to matter in a sport in which the attention increasingly goes to the men, or more specifically, to two men who have produced one of the most exciting seasons in years. In Montreal this week, the best of the women's tour... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/shocking-defeat-all-but-ends-federer-era-at-no-1/82552/ Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Roger Federer's days at the top of men's tennis are numbered. The world no. 1, playing his first match since losing the Wimbledon final to Rafael Nadal, suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Gilles Simon in the second round of the Rogers Cup in Toronto, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4. Early on, Federer had no trouble with the 23-year-old Frenchman, ranked no. 22 in the world, and he had leads of 3-1 and 4-3 in the third set. At 3-3 in the final set, Federer played his best game of the match and broke... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/after-234-weeks-federers-reign-at-no-1-in-jeopardy/82448/ Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST In Melbourne, Roger Federer lost the Australian Open crown that he had worn for two years, in part because of a bout with mononucleosis. In Indian Wells, Calif., and in Miami, he couldn't win either of the two hard court tournaments he dominated a few years earlier. In Paris, his third consecutive run to the finals ended in an embarrassing defeat in which he won a mere four games. Worst of all, at Wimbledon he lost his grip on the tournament that he had owned since 2003. As the summer hard... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/one-match-does-much-to-dispel-myth-that-tennis-is/81781/ Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Every year at Wimbledon, I stay with old friends, an American couple who live and work in London. They have attended Wimbledon several times and have enjoyed it, but they are not, by any means, tennis lovers. They don't pay tennis much mind before and after its annual visit to the All England Club, nor do they know all the rules of the game or spend hours debating the subtleties of forehands and backhands and volleys. They are casual fans, just the type that tennis for years has tried to win... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/nadal-supplants-federer-as-the-new-king-of-tennis/81283/ Mon, 7 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST WIMBLEDON, England — Behold the new king of tennis. Rafael Nadal, the 22-year-old from Spain with the boyish face and bulging biceps, took his place among the game's greatest players yesterday by beating five-time defending Wimbledon champion Roger Federer in a dazzling, tense, rain-interrupted final that will be remembered, when the last word is spoken about this wonderful sport, as the finest match in its history. When Federer hit the final ball, a routine forehand that landed in the net, it... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/inevitable-nadal-federer-final-will-be-one/81236/ Thu, 3 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Wimbledon, England — They're going to meet again. For the third straight year, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are marching toward the Wimbledon final, where they will play the most important match of their careers. Marat Safin isn't going to get in the way — as well as he has played these past two weeks, he'll be lucky to win a set against Federer in the semifinals. Arnaud Clement or Rainer Schuettler? Pity the poor man who wins that match and with it the privilege of being shredded by Nadal on... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/wimbledon-set-for-a-grand-slam-of-the-sisters/81118/ Wed, 2 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Wimbledon, England — The top seed stumbled, a former champion, Maria Sharapova, suffered an upset, and another former champion, Amelie Mauresmo, has faded since her glory days of just two years ago. All four top seeds, in fact, departed the women's draw at Wimbledon in ignominious fashion this year. But the Williams sisters, the two best players at this tournament since Steffi Graf retired, are still here and on course for their first meeting in a Grand Slam final since Wimbledon 2003. Venus... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/williams-sisters-federer-nadal-and-who/80941/ Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Wimbledon, England — Grass, all-white outfits, and strawberries soaked in cream — these are the most well-known traditions of Wimbledon. Yet there's a less often discussed, but perhaps more important, tradition that's been cast aside this year: Predictability. Wimbledon is not usually a place for upsets. Far more often than not, its champions have been dominant ones, men such as Roger Federer and Pete Sampras and women such as Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova. It's a tournament where the... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/sharapova-american-men-fall-flat-at-wimbledon/80842/ Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Wimbledon, England — This is Wimbledon, not the French Open, where the best Americans struggle to win matches. Wasn't this the year when Andy Roddick, two times a finalist, wouldn't have to contend with Roger Federer until the final? Wasn't this the place where James Blake, often disappointed by grass but always hopeful that his shotmaking skills would one day bring him far, didn't have to play anyone ranked inside the top 90 until the third round? Weren't Sam Querrey and John Isner, the... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/10-things-to-watch-at-wimbledon-this-year/80644/ Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Wimbledon is two days old and the biggest surprise so far has been the weather — not a drop of rain has fallen at the All England Club — followed by the early dismissals of fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko (he never has taken to grass) and former finalist David Nalbandian (who finds himself in a typical mid-season swoon). The tournament ought to heat up today with a fine second-round match between Novak Djokovic, a semifinalist last year, and the ever-entertaining Marat Safin, who hasn't cleared... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/after-a-steady-climb-ivanovic-claims-place-on-top/80459/ Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST By the very young standards of women's tennis, Ana Ivanovic, the French Open champion and top seed at Wimbledon, which begins today, is a bit of a late bloomer. Since she was 15 years old, the 20-year-old Serb has been mentioned as a future star, but unlike many of the top women who came before her — Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, and Martina Hingis — Ivanovic did not serve notice on the tennis world with a major title in her teenage years. Instead, Ivanovic has... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/can-rafael-nadal-become-king-of-grass-too/80384/ Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Rafael Nadal, Wimbledon champion. Three years ago, it was unthinkable to string those four words together. Nadal lost in the second round at the All England Club in 2005 to Gilles Muller, and looked befuddled doing it. He couldn't return Muller's serve. He couldn't control his forehand or adjust to the low bounces of grass. He seemed out of position, and late to the ball, at every turn. Nadal's transformation since then has been nothing short of miraculous. Wimbledon begins Monday and Nadal... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/federer-is-no-match-for-nadal-at-his-best/79551/ Mon, 9 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST In the four years since he became the no. 1 player in the world, Roger Federer has rarely lost a match, and when he has, he has usually done so by the slimmest of margins. Marat Safin had to save match point before beating Federer at the 2005 Australian Open, 9-7 in the fifth set. At the French Open in 2005, 2006, and 2007, Federer stole a set from Rafael Nadal and played him close in other sets — no small achievement against the best player in the world on clay. Earlier this year, when Federer... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/can-monfils-steal-show-at-roland-garros/79477/ Fri, 6 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Gael Monfils, the long shot French Open semifinalist from France, is a fan of hockey. Let's imagine, then, what Monfils might be like if he had dedicated his life to sticks and pucks rather than rackets and balls. At 6-feet-4-inches and 180 pounds, he'd be one of the most imposing and strongest athletes in the sport. He'd also skate faster than anyone — on the clay of Roland Garros, he seems to skate more than run. Scouts sizing up a man of Monfils's talent would project him as a star forward... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/in-paris-sharapova-cant-live-up-to-her-no-1/79177/ Tue, 3 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST On the verge of exacting revenge for a terrible loss at the French Open two years ago, Maria Sharapova stumbled, cursed, and found herself once again at the mercy of Dinara Safina. Sharapova, who took over the no. 1 ranking when Justine Henin retired last month, led 7-6(6), 5-2 in yesterday's fourth round match. At 5-3, she had match point on her serve. Safina erased it with a backhand winner, broke serve, and pushed the set to a tie-break, where Sharapova took a 5-2 lead before losing the next... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/french-open-2008-chaos-for-the-women-order/79080/ Mon, 2 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Somewhere in Belgium, or on a tropical island, or deep inside a rain forest, wherever Justine Henin is these days, the former world no. 1 should be asking herself: "What was I thinking?" The four-time French Open champion is not the sort to have misgivings. When Lindsay Davenport left the tour to have a baby, the odds were good that she would return. Kim Clijsters, now married with a child, likely hasn't seen her last Grand Slam tournament (give her a little time). But when Henin announced her... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/its-time-for-blake-to-say-goodbye-to-paris/78958/ Fri, 30 May 2008 00:00:00 EST James Blake is fed up with the French Open. How else to explain his reaction yesterday after losing his second-round match to Ernests Gulbis, a hard-hitting up-and-comer from Latvia who is no better suited to the slow clay of Roland Garros than Blake? "I think I played the way too many commentators think I should play," Blake said, remarking on his noticeable lack of aggression. "There are a lot of guys out there that can dictate play against me if I try to play like that." I'm surprised to... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/federers-best-and-last-chance-to-win-the-french/78768/ Wed, 28 May 2008 00:00:00 EST Roger Federer fans, this is the year. I'm not predicting that in two weeks Federer will win his first French Open title; I'm simply pointing out that the world no. 1 doesn't have much time left to complete his grand slam collection. In August, Federer will celebrate his 27th birthday. Since the Open Era began in 1968, six French Open champions have been 27 or older. One of them, 34-year-old Andres Gimeno, won the title in 1972, when contract professionals were not allowed to play. Two others... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/with-henin-gone-serena-controls-her-destiny/77388/ Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 EST "It's up to Serena." Through good times and bad — from no. 1 in the world to a badly out-of-shape underdog at the Australian Open two years ago — this has been the common refrain about Serena Williams. If she's motivated and wants to win, the thinking goes, she'll win. At her best, she's so good that her opponents have no say, and barely any reason to even show up for a match. Tempting as it has been to see Williams in this way over the years, it hasn't been an honest assessment for a long time... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/who-gets-to-lose-to-nadal-in-the-french-open-final/77389/ Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 EST When the French Open announces its draw this morning, Roger Federer might find himself the victim of a long-standing practice whose unfairness is magnified by the growing gap between today's top three men and the rest of the field. All professional tournaments, major and minor, create draws with a mixture of precision and randomness. The top seed and the second seed are placed, precisely and always, at opposing ends of the draw. The third and fourth seeds are positioned to meet either the top... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/with-paris-around-corner-nadal-looks-unstoppable/76613/ Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 EST Bend, don't break: It's a simple, well-worn phrase, but when describing Rafael Nadal on clay, there's none more fitting. In the last three years, Nadal has found himself in several seemingly impossible situations, yet he recovered to win. In Rome in 2005, he lost the first three games of the fifth set to Guillermo Coria before prevailing in a tiebreaker. A year later, he did the same to Roger Federer, recovering from a 4-1 deficit in the fifth set and saving match points. Nadal has played the... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/on-top-of-the-tennis-world-henin-says-goodbye/76463/ Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 EST Tennis is a game that demands brilliance. All of the sport's greats have been virtuosos of one kind or another. All had supreme powers of concentration and, at their finest moments, unshakable confidence and conviction. Without these attributes, a player cannot hope to conquer one exceptional athlete after another in one-on-one competitions that span 10 months out of every year. Unfortunately, as tennis has often taught us, brilliance is difficult to sustain. One moment you are Bjorn Borg... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/rash-of-losses-shakes-up-the-pro-tennis-tours/76232/ Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 EST Upsets and injuries were contagious on the professional tennis tour last week. Rafael Nadal, winner of 103 out of 104 clay court matches since April 2005, suffered a foot injury and lost his second-round match at the Rome Masters to Juan Carlos Ferrero. Justine Henin, the world no. 1 who has struggled to find a rhythm all season, failed in Berlin against Dinara Safina, who had never beaten Henin in her career (she was 0-5 beforehand). Serena Williams couldn't solve Safina, either, and so went... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/nadal-appearing-unbeatable-on-clay/75421/ Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST Order was restored to the world of tennis this week. Roger Federer is again the game's best and most versatile player. Novak Djokovic, who stole the Australian Open from a mononucleosis-stricken Federer earlier in the year, isn't quite consistent or healthy enough to pull off a winning streak that would earn him the top ranking. And Rafael Nadal, the world no. 2, doesn't lose on clay. Ever. Nadal won the Monte Carlo Masters yesterday for the fourth straight year, a feat not accomplished since... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/despite-shaky-play-federer-finally-takes-a-title/75035/ Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST In Shanghai last year, Roger Federer described his decision to enter last week's tournament in Estoril, Portugal, as part business, part pleasure. Because the largest events on clay now uniformly give byes in the first round to top players and no longer require best-of-five-set finals, he said, he would enter a smaller event to make sure he had the proper preparation for Roland Garros in Paris. He added that he wouldn't mind playing to the crowd at a smaller event, either. "I have the feeling... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/roddick-powers-america-over-france-in-davis-cup/74662/ Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST The last time Bob and Mike Bryan lost a Davis Cup doubles match, the American team was upset by Croatia, which went on to win the title in 2005. The Bryans lost again this weekend to the talented French duo of Michael Llodra and Arnaud Clement, but this time there was no sense of impending doom. From the moment Andy Roddick stepped on the court yesterday in Winston-Salem, N.C., this contest with France was over. Roddick suffocated Paul-Henri Mathieu from the opening game. He didn't face a break... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/newest-version-of-serena-williams/74284/ Mon, 7 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST MIAMI — Serena Williams races through the first 10 games, losing one. She hits clean winners, both forehands and backhands. She serves four aces. Jelena Jankovic misses and misses again. And again. Then Williams misses once, twice, three times. More times. It's one set apiece. Suddenly, Jankovic is finished as Williams serves at 5–0 in the third set. Williams is nervous? Nervous? Yes, nervous. She has won this title four times and major titles eight times, and she can't hit the ball over the... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/rising-serbian-stars-take-a-step-backward-in-miami/73858/ Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST MIAMI — What do these eight men have in common: Paul Haarhuis, Brett Stevens, Grant Stafford, Carlos Costa, Karim Alami, Jacco Eltingh, Jaime Yzaga, and Bernd Karbacher? Lots, you might say. Each one was a "journeyman," the favorite word in tennis parlance for an average Joe, a decent but not great player. None won a major title. None gained much recognition outside of his home country or the realm of avid tennis fans. There is one accomplishment, however, that all of these men share: Each one... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/foxs-tennis-broadcasts-need-fast-improvement/73397/ Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST Last week, many of you were perhaps eagerly awaiting the return of tennis after seven weeks of small tournaments and spotty television coverage. I ask you now: Has your eagerness devolved into sadness? Frustration? Perhaps beer-bottle-throwing anger? Any of the above is justifiable — who wouldn't want to lash out after waiting so long only to suffer through the dismal Fox Sports Net (MSG Plus in New York) coverage of the Pacific Life Open? The problem hasn't been the number of hours Fox... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/after-a-nice-long-nap-tennis-returns/72996/ Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST The tennis season, at long last, has begun. Or, I should say, begun again. At least for the men. And some of the women. Allow me to explain. Most of the best players in the world are in Indian Wells, Calif., this week, for the first meaningful tournament after the Australian Open, which ended seven weeks ago (if you feel like it was more like 70 weeks, you are not alone). This tournament traditionally produces great tennis among the men, who are required to play. The women, sadly, are not, so... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/for-one-night-only-tennis-returns-to-the-garden/72623/ Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST Roger Federer and Pete Sampras rather easily sold 19,000 tickets to this evening's exhibition at Madison Square Garden, many of them for $1,000. If you ask most people who are going, or who plan to watch it on television or online (the Tennis Channel will broadcast the match and the United States Tennis Association will stream it at USTA.com), why they are interested, they'll call this event a clash of all-time greats, a battle between a legend with 14 major titles (Sampras) and his heir...