I have a tennis addiction

Fan Slam 2011 - looking back

2012-02-27T12:10:00.000+13:00

I'm in the midst of packing up my life and moving back to the US this weekend after being in NZ for nearly eight years and being overseas for the bulk of the past 13 years. Sadly my packing up and selling of possessions included my TV so I haven't been able to watch much tennis this month.

However, I did get a chance to be interviewed the other week by Grand Slam Gal who is doing her own 'fan slam' in 2012. I met GSG last year at the Aussie Open and caught up again with her at the 2012 Aussie Open so it's been fun to exchange grand slam attendance tales and swap tips.

Here's the interview I did with GSG. Feel free to ask either of us any questions about attending the four slams or share your stories and tips! I found out so much through other other tennis fans on Twitter particularly - there is so much to share about ticketing processes and little bits of info to ensure you make the most of your hard-earned money and time!

You can also follow Grand Slam Gal's 2012 Fan Slam on Facebook and Twitter.

US here I come!

2012-02-09T15:24:00.000+13:00

Am currently packing up after more than 7 years in New Zealand, and downsizing is proving very difficult. There is NO way I can part with my tennis souvenirs so somehow, someway, I will need to transport these 20 tournament programmes (along with some clippings, tickets and daily programmes) to the US. Talk about valuable cargo!

In this photo are programmes from the 20 tourneys I've attended since moving to NZ in 2004:

ASB Classic (2008-2012)

Heineken Open (2009-2012)

Australian Open (2008, 2010-2012)

French Open (2011)

Queens (2011)

Eastbourne (2011)

Wimbledon (2011)

US Open (2011)

ATP World Tour Finals (2011)

Davis Cup Final (2011)

It's going to be very bittersweet to leave NZ as this is an amazing country, but my mind is already racing about all the tourneys in North American that will be a short flight/drive away.

Let the addiction continue!

Au revoir 2012 Australian Open

2012-01-31T12:58:00.003+13:00

Who needed a recovery day from the men's final of the Aussie Open? I feel like I need a week, or I may do what my faves Rafa and Serena are doing and take the whole month of February off.

The Australian Open made a lot of noise for a lot of reasons. What drama! It's only fitting the 14 days ended with the longest grand slam final in history.

The photo at left to me tops any other from the tournament (great choice SI Beyond the Baseline). Rafa and Novak had just battled it out for nearly six hours on court but were struggling to stand during the trophy ceremony. They both simultaneously leaned down in a poignant moment which brings tears to my eyes. Oh this sport.

My list of the biggest storylines from the 2012 Aussie Open:

Withdrawals pretournament: Petkovic, Venus Williams, Robin Soderling, Marin Cilic, James Blake, Tommy Robredo, Fernando Gonzalez and Somdev Devvarman. It's never good to start the season with so many injuries and health concerns. Soderling's presence is very missed on tour and the clock is certainly ticking for Venus, Robredo, Gonzalez and Blake. I hope these favourites will make at least one more appearance in Melbourne. Petkovic's injury, a stress fracture in her back, sounds very serious and is the very one that has possibly ended Dinara Safina's young career.

Retirements - was it the heat or are athletes just still carrying injuries from the 2011 season? The men had eight retirements and one withdrawal due to injury in the first four rounds, from Andy Roddick and Xavier Malisse to Ivan Dodig and poor Jarrko Niemenen who played in two rain delayed Sydney finals on Sunday and still was made to play his opener against David Nalbandian on Monday. The ladies weren't quite as bad with four retirements, most notably Maria Kirilenko in her match against Petra Kvitova and Anabel Medina Garrigues who badly sprained her ankle while playing Li Na in the third round.

Nalbandian/Isner - exhibit A of why the challenge system and umpires don't always work well together. I was so disappointed in this ending - a fantastic five setter (both men seem to be addicted to them) that regardless of whether the call was right or wrong deserved a better ending. People said Nalby was right, the umpire was a moron, that Isner shouldn't have celebrated the way he did. Just a bummer all around and it ended with Nalbandian being fined for some post-match incident (throwing water at an official?) and many tennis fans extremely angry at umpire Kader Nouni.

The Australian men - two Aussie men made the fourth round this year which is great for the locals. The two, Lleyton Hewitt and Bernard Tomic, have certainly polarised fans in their long and short careers respectively. But the Aussies know how to get behind their own, and with the first round departure of Sam Stosur it was great to see the men keep local hopes alive and entertained through the four rounds.

The unpredictable WTA. Before the tournament started, many named 5-6 probable winners on the women's side and we ended up with arguably the most fascinating quarters we've seen in a slam for some time. The winner was not one of the multiple grand slam winners (Serena, Kim, Maria) it was the talented Victoria Azarenka who stormed to her first slam, meaning the past four slam winners were all first timers. Compare this to the men's side, in which two men (Rafa and Novak) have won the past eight slams. Give me unpredictability any day!

Linecalling, challenges, etc. Much has been said about this tournament being one of the worst in recent memory with officiating. I'll add that yes the human eye is not perfect and umpires using their discretion on calls can lead to inconsistent results. The funniest tweet I saw about this by @Janie5Jones: "...did Tomic break? The new #ausopen tagline should be, "Don't beat your opponent, the umpire will do it for you."

The final. Whether you were cheering for Novak or Rafa or neither, the men's final was one of the best in memory. As a Rafa fan I thought he was out after that third set and I screamed hard when he somehow came from from 0-40 on his serve at 3-4 down in the fourth set and managed to win it in a tiebreaker. I hid when he missed that backhand at 4-2, 30-15. I cried when it was over and turned the TV off instantly. Then I calmed down, watched the ceremony and marvelled at our sport. Amazing.

2012 Australian Open doubles champs: Sveta and Vera!

2012-01-27T21:30:00.000+13:00

How exciting - two awesomely nutty Russians pair together and win the first slam of 2012! I watched these two play a few matches in Melbourne and they of course were as hot, and as cold, as they are on a singles court but they managed to pull things together to win the title!

So congrats Sveta and Vera!

2012 Australian Open women's finalists in photos

2012-01-27T19:27:00.001+13:00

Had a chance to see a few practices of Vika and Masha when I was in Melbourne last week. Some photos:

Maria Sharapova

Victoria Azarenka

A tense day/night of tennis for this crazy fan - 2012 Australian Open

2012-01-27T17:52:00.000+13:00

Photo by William West/AFP/Getty Images

A tennis fan for more decades than I want to admit, I've learned to enter into the later stages of a slam with caution. Anything can, and does, happen. Being a favourite, leading the head to head, being more experienced - sometimes none of these really matter when two players step on a tennis court. Each match is a whole new ballgame and I've been burned too many times when expecting my faves would win key matches.

Yesterday was a day in which three of my favourite players played semifinal matches at the 2012 Aussie Open.
My absolute favourite male player, Rafael Nadal was set to take on Roger Federer while two other big faves - Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka - were in battles of their own for a spot in the final.

How does one prepare for the emotional roller coasters of watching your faves be so close to a grand slam final? Personally I like to keep my expectations low and try to focus on the tennis. Of course the inner calm quickly dissipates and I become a tense fan who sometimes has to get up from the TV and step away!

Yesterday's women's semifinals were a great preparation for the tense Rafa/Fed match. Watching Azarenka and Clijsters battle, I could feel the match slipping away from Vika who is one of my faves. I am still scarred from watching Li Na (huge fave) lose to Clijsters last week while I was watching live and I've seen enough matches from the Belgian to know she's just never out of it. Vika, on the other hand, has worked hard on the mental and emotional parts of her game and I'm impressed with how she kept herself pumped up and closed out the defending champion.

Score: Steph 1, Tennis Heartbreak 0

Then it was time for a match I was much more nervous about - Maria vs Petra Kvitova. Petra is the one everyone seems to have appointed the best female player at the moment but I'm hesitant to fully believe she's ready for that crown. Yes, when she's on she has a dominating game but she is still working on consistency and can just play horribly bad tennis and go off the rails. I'm not quite ready to trust her but she can really step it up in big matches (Wimbledon final, Istanbul, Fed Cup) so I did not expect Maria, one of my faves, to have it easy though she's looked pretty great all tournament long. Another seesaw battle in this match, and in that third set I thought for sure Maria was going to lose. She was repeatedly down on her service games and it just looked like she was hanging on. But somehow, that fighter in her just kept going and then it was Petra's turn to freeze when serving to stay in the match and Maria pulled it out 6-4 in the third. They joy on her face was just awesome. It's been a long four years since she won the 2008 Aussie Open and it was that final match that turned me into a fan. She is definitely the favourite in the final given her experience in slam finals but I expect Vika to fully contend. Should be a fantastic final!

Score: Steph 2, Tennis Heartbreak 0

Then, it was time for Rafa and Fed. I am a huge Rafa fan - no one else comes close to being my favourite male player like the Mallorcan. And given I was present in November when Rafa lost 6-3 6-0 to Roger I was pretty sick to my stomach about this match. I know it's a slam, and I know Rafa's record against Roger in slams but as I said above - that really can mean nothing. Roger's looked pretty good all tourney long, while Rafa was just not quite in his best form though he really picked it up in the latter sets of his QF with Tomas Berdych. The first set began as it did in the French Open final. Rafa got down early, 4-1, and at that stage I wasn't too worried as Rafa didn't look good while Roger came out firing hard. As Rafa got into the match, it seemed her just started to look like he did three years ago here - moving so well, firing the forehand tho Roger really picked on his backhand again and again. After the two split sets and Rafa led in the third, I still felt so tense. Neither player seemed to grab the momentum and leads went as quickly as they came.

Rafa took a huge lead in the tiebreak, 6-1 and would proceed to lose the next four points. God help me these tiebreakers are the worst - may never get over Li Na's four match points in her tiebreak with Clijsters. But Rafa hung on to that tiebreak and lead 2 sets to 1. I don't know how many Federer breaks of serve were followed by Rafa breaking straight back but I was sure that fourth set was going to Federer. But toward the end he really stuffed up some key points and Rafa managed to serve it out the make his second Aussie Open final. Utter joy!

Score: Steph 3, Tennis Heartbreak 0.

Day 7 at the 2012 Australian Open

2012-01-23T02:38:00.001+13:00

I might need therapy before writing this blog - I'm still reeling from Li Na's collapse today and not sure I can really talk about it yet. Sigh.

After starting the day watching Serena Williams practice (see photos here), I headed to my wicked Rod Laver Arena seat for some Vika/Iveta, Rafa/Feli and Li Na/Kim action.

Let's start with the positives from day 7:

Vika is hitting the ball amazing well - she really could win the tournament this year. And RLA crowd you can mimic her shrieks all you want - she doesn't care!

Rafa won in straight sets again over Feli Lopez. Feli is still pretty.

That's it.

I was quite disappointed today for a number of reasons:

Li Na - what can I say? A set and a break lead over a gimpy opponent. Four match points in a tiebreak. Then an utter third set collapse - this one hurt a lot. I couldn't even stay in RLA until the end as the crowd erupting for Kim who is not Aussie would have been too much.

Hisense Arena crowd - I went to charge my phone inside Hisense and heard this loud, prolonged booing. I immediately thought Nico Almagro was being booed for something and turns out it was Tomas Berdych on the receiving end. I cannot explain how loud these boos were and I wasn't even inside the actual stadium and couldn't believe the noise. Nico hit Tomas with a ball, and in my mind Tomas did overreact (who hasn't directed a ball at the body when playing tennis - it happens and it's legal!) but wow that booing in no way was appropriate for his non-hand shake. I've never heard such boos and think it was completely over the top. And the Aussie Open interview on court should have been cut short instead of trying to keep speaking with Tomas. I just can't comprehend this one. Total drama.

Jelena Jankovic. Four years ago, I saw JJ beat Serena Williams here at Rod Laver Arena. It was a quarterfinal match and JJ was just in great form. She lost to Maria in the semis but she had a great 2008 and would of course make the US Open final, losing to Serena. Where in the world did that player go? She's a shadow of what she used to be and I find that quite sad. I hope she can somehow find her confidence and use that talent to get back toward the top 10.

Some more photos from today:

Day 7 at the 2012 Australian Open - Serena Williams practice

2012-01-23T00:27:00.000+13:00

Love seeing my favourite players on the practice courts - you can get so close to them and really observe their training. This morning, I caught Serena before I headed into Rod Laver Arena - it was a crazy hot day and Serena was working on her groundstrokes while I was there.

Some photos!

Fave shot of the day - ha!

I love this pic a lot!

Day 6 at the 2012 Australian Open

2012-01-22T02:49:00.000+13:00

Today, 80,000 people attended the Australian Open - amazing! The grounds passes sold out as did Rod Laver Arena and Hisense during the day - tennis is loved!

I stayed away during the day and attended just one match - Serena Williams vs Greta Arn. Serena is my top fave on the WTA and I hadn't seen her play in Melbourne since 2008, when she lost to Jankovic in the quarterfinals. Last year I was gutted that she was out injured so I had to go see her play at least once at the Aussie Open.

Greta Arn had upset Dominika Cibulkova in the second round but she could do nothing to win points from Serena. It was very one-sided and Serena advanced to the fourth round 6-1 6-1. During her pre-match interview, Greta said Serena was the player of the century and it was a privilege to play her. Such respect! The two actually had a nice exchange after they shook hands and it was lovely to see.

Some photos:

This was after Serena missed a smash on set point. Ha!

Had an amazing seat (yes that's my foot)

Lovely night - view of city over Margaret Court Arena

Crowds watch Hewitt/Raonic in Garden Square

Big crowds in the Heineken Bar

Day 5 at the 2012 Australian Open

2012-01-20T23:16:00.000+13:00

Garden Square at Melbourne Park is one of the best public spaces in grand slam tennis, probably second to Henman Hill at Wimbledon in my opinion. A huge screen and lots of tables and chairs are set out so that people on grounds passes can watch all the big action without shelling out tickets for Rod Laver Arena. It's a great spot if you get in early, and today was a perfect day to enjoy Garden Square and it was a rather chilly, cloudy day!

I decided to sit in Garden Square this morning to watch Rafa take on Lukas Lacko of Slovakia. I think the first point was 20+ strokes, and the second game took nearly 10 minutes. There were some great rallies but they usually ended in Rafa's favour. He moved through in straight sets and will meet Feli Lopez who took out John Isner in five sets.

The rest of the day was doubles action for me, and the best by far was Svetlana Kuznetsova/Vera Zvonereva vs Julia Goerges and Kaia Kanepi.

So much awesome on one court - I was stoked. And then it wasn't a great match to start. Julia and Kaia seemed to net everything and then the Russians just turned it on! Sveta is so talented and the match turned into a shotmaking clinic by the Russians - amazing stuff.

Sveta and Vera won the first 10 games before Julia and Kaia managed a game, and they'd win three in a row before the Russians got it back together and closed out a 6-0 6-3 win. Really enjoyable match.

Photos from today:

Rafa ready

Lukas Lacko

Into the fourth round

Apparently today's interview had better questions

Kaia and Julia in doubles action

The awesome Sveta

Gools

Kaia and Julia win their first game down 6-0 4-0

Vera was pretty good today

The awesome Vera and Sveta

Smiling heaps despite a 6-0 6-3 loss

Love this photo - you'd have thought the Russians lost

They clearly had something important to discuss

Day 4 at the 2012 Australian Open

2012-01-20T02:19:00.002+13:00

Today was a great day of ladies tennis at the Aussie Open. I've always been partial to watching women's tennis and since no WTA matches are shown on NZ television (the exception being the ASB Classic, our own tournament) I have to make the most of seeing the ladies at grand slams.

Thanks to my friend Kait (a great writer - check out her tennis blog here), I went to see Angelique Kerber against Stephanie DuBois. What a compelling match! Angelique was down a break, then serving for the first set, then battling hard to win in 7-5 after some epic long games. We were right in the front and were treated to so much emotion from the German. She almost had a desperate look on her face the entire match - I haven't seen her play too much so perhaps it's a usual thing but I wondered if being seeded and having the added expectation are causing a bit more emotion from her. Either way, it was a great battle with some wonderful rallies and fight. And Kerber has one of the best drop shots I've seen in years - perfectly placed every time.

Then it was time for Russian Anastasia Pavlychenkova vs American Vania King. Pavs didn't look good from the start and kept taking slowish walks to her chair in between points for the towel. (do ballkids only handle towels on Rod Laver Arena?) and generally looked irritated/exasperated. She called for the trainer midway through the first set so I hit the road. I rejoined in the third set, and it was just one of those seesaw battles full of breaks and no real momentum. Vania would cause the upset 6-4 in the third set.

Sabine Lisicki looked really sharp today. After retiring from her match against Kerber in Auckland, I wondered if she could be healthy enough to contend in Melbourne. Today she faced Shahar Peer, who one year ago was a top 16 seed. But today Sabine was in cruise control. She served well and her booming groundstrokes were hit so precisely. She also moved very well to the net and just crushed Shahar 6-1 6-2 in 53 minutes. I'm really excited for what Sabine can bring to the WTA this year - she's got such potential and looks heaps fitter than she did last year.

My fave Serena Williams won without much fuss today and will face Greta Arn next. I am shocked that Arn beat Dominika Cibulkova. I was really looking forward to a Domi/Serena match. I have no idea how that match unfolded but colour me surprised.

I also caught Vika and Li Na in practice sessions today - some other photos from today's action:

Li Na in practice

Kerber

Jelena Dokic

Sorana Cirstea

Jarka and Bethanie

Vika practice

Pavs

Showcourt 2 action: King/Pavs

Happy Sabine

Australian Open: Grounds Pass Perspective – Live Coverage

2012-01-19T11:39:00.000+13:00

NOTE: While in Melbourne, I am working as a tournament correspondent for Tennis Grandstand. The following article was originally published in tennisgrandstand.com and can be viewed here.

Attending the Australian Open takes endurance – for long, unpredictable days and especially for the heat. Of course, fans have it a little better than the players who are unable to duck into air conditioned shops and enjoy ice cream to cool down a bit.

The 2012 Australian Open is no different. The heat has been unbearable and the crowds noticeably larger during the first few days, but fans have been rewarded by fantastic tennis and lots of drama.

A grounds pass is definitely the way to go when attending the first week of any grand slam, but the setup here is ideal. It’s very easy to watch player practices as they are spread out all over Melbourne Park so you get great access to the players. While the schedules aren’t posted anywhere, the Aussie Open twitter account is very good at tweeting who will be where at what time.

Many top players were practicing with each other this week: Petra Kvitova and Zheng Jie, Jelena Dokic and Shahar Peer, John Isner and Sam Querrey. The element of surprise when wandering the grounds is great – one never knows which players will be around the corner if you’re happy to bounce around between courts instead of focusing on one match.

Many top players tend to practice on courts 16 and 17 which are on the Hisense Arena side of MelbournePark. This is quite a walk from the courts on the other side of Rod Laver, so fans must often race back and forth to catch matches and practices. No wonder the frozen Coke drinks are so popular!

We’re nearly through two full rounds of tennis, and the biggest shock so far was definitely Sam Stosur losing on Tuesday to Sorana Cirstea. The newspapers on Wednesday were not kind but hopefully Bernard Tomic’s big wins will keep the Aussies happy. Day three had a few surprises on the women’s side as two ladies who did well here last year were both upset. Francesca Schiavone of Italy lost to her countrywoman Romina Oprandi and Peng Shuai of China was knocked out by Czech Iveta Benesova. Ironically Schiavone and Peng are doubles partners this year so perhaps they’ll have a better run in that draw.

A few dramatic five-setters kept the nightlife going at Melbourne Park Wednesday night. John Isner and David Nalbandian battled for more than four and a half hours before the American won 10-8 in the fifth set. The match had some major controversy over chair umpire Kader Nouni not allowing the Argentine to challenge an Isner serve (which was proven to have been out) at 8-8 in that final set. This will surely be a huge talking point for a few days and was a sad way for Nalbandian to exit Melbourne, possibly for the last time.

Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgololov took his match 8-6 in the fifth over Tobias Kamke of Germany; Nicolas Almagro also won in five but bagelled Grigor Dimitrov in the fifth.

The most intriguing match for Thursday is surely that between Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick. Neither are in their primes but the Rod Laver Arena night crowd should be in for some great fight between these two old rivals.

Day 3 at the Australian Open

2012-01-19T01:16:00.000+13:00

Li Na

Another great day in Melbourne Park - had Rod Laver tickets today so I was mostly in a nice shaded seat thankfully as it was still a hot one (though not as brutal as the past two days).

Li Na was first up on Rod Laver and she looked pretty good against local Olivia Rogowska. I got some goosebumps when she walked onto the court to a huge reception. Li Na is clearly beloved here and she even mentioned in her oncourt interview that she noticed how much support she had today, and not just from Chinese fans. Was a great atmosphere.

Kim Clijsters, up next, was going to steamroll her opponent so I took the chance to watch Kiwi Marina Erakovic take on American Christina McHale. When Marina's name was announced, the crowd erupted. It was amazing! I knew she'd have a lot of support since there would be a lot of Kiwis at the tennis but it was pretty impressive. Sadly Kim did not take her time winning so it was quickly back to Rod Laver Arena for Rafa vs Haas!

Thankfully, after two pretty straightforward women's matches we were treated to a very good match between Rafa and Tommy. Rafa started really well and took a 4-0 lead but then Tommy got himself into the match and hung in quite well. The crowd oo'd and ah'd and we finally got some drama and some wonderful tennis. Rafa could have easily lost the third set but he was able to come back from an early break to win in three tight sets.

The Rod Laver crowd was amazing after the match and gave Tommy a roaring send off. Who knows if he will be back in Melbourne again so was thrilled to be there to see him in his possible last match here.

The doubles is well underway now and there are some pretty interesting doubles pairing. Many new teams have paired up in preparation for the London Olympics and my favourite team is definitely Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonereva. That is a lot of emotion and potential craziness on one side of the net! I hope they stay together for the year and compete in London. I caught the last 20 minutes of their match and saw them charge back from a break down to advance.

Being at a grand slam, in searing heat, day after day is exhausting and after a few long days of sunburn and dehydration I called it an early night tonight. So of course we had some intense five setters that I missed: Isner/Nalbandian, Dolgopolov/Kamke and Almagro/Dimitrov. But, three days down, five awesome ones to go!

Some other photos from the day's action:

Kiwi Marina Erakovic

Christina McHale

Rafa

Rafa vs Haas

Rafa wins!

Lovely moment at the net guys

Thanks everybody

Tommy got a great sendoff

Nice Rafa signs for fans

Awesome Russians

I love the look on Ryan H's face!

Jarka, Bethanie and BMS' wild pants.

Day 2 at the Australian Open 2012 - Rafa practice

2012-01-18T02:40:00.000+13:00

Thanks to the Australian Open Twitter account, I knew when and where Rafa was going to be practicing today so I was there in plenty of time to get a great position.

Well worth the wait (assume either practice schedule runneth over or Rafa changed his time as Monica Niculescu was on court when Rafa was originally meant to be there). We had an amazing view of Rafa and I got some fantastic photos!

Day 1 at the 2012 Australian Open

2012-01-17T12:46:00.000+13:00

Ah Melbourne you never disappoint. Day 1 at the tennis world's first slam was full on - huge crowds, scorching weather and some amazing first round matches.

The practice courts at the Australian Open are the best of any slam - very easy to see players quite close up. I saw Juan Monaco, Maria Sharapova, Jelena Dokic hitting with Shahar Peer, Petra Kvitova hitting with Zheng Jie, Marcos Bagdatis, Milos Raonic and Juan Carlos Ferrero - so many. That's the beauty of the first few days of a grand slam - everyone is around and pretty accessible.

I started day 1 with an Aussie - and what a great vibe on Margaret Court Arena for Casey Dellacqua and Bojana Jovanovski. The crowd was so pumped up and the stadium nearly full - I love hearing tennis fans cheering for one of their own.

Personally, I find it hard to commit to a match during the early days of a slam - there is so much to see and I truly bounced around from one match to another:

Agnieska Radwanska vs Bethanie Mattek-Sands (saw the TB - crazy stuff. Bethanie was drop shotting Aga repeatedly and blasted so many winners).

Julia Goerges vs Polona Hercog - Gools looked pretty good after illness affected her in Auckland.

Sam Querrey vs Kenny De Schepper - had to go cheer on Sam as the stands were pretty empty. Good to see him get a win.

Alexandr Dolgopolov vs Greg Jones - when I went into this match Dolgo was down two sets to love. He won in five sets - you're welcome.

Roger Federer vs Alexandre Kurdryavtsev - Roger served big - Alex cracks the ball. Was some entertaining tennis for the most part.

Caroline Wozniacki vs Anastasia Rodionova - Rodio had a few break points early on and from then it was some ugly tennis. Had to leave after 20 minutes.

Took a fair few photos:

Hi Pico

Shahar and Dokic practiced together

Jelena Dokic

Pironkova

Dellacqua

Bojana

Masha Masha Masha!

Vera - in Fila!

Kvitova

Zheng Jie aka Jay Z

Aga

Bethanie

Kei Nishikori

Gools

She looks a bit hot...

Querrery

Dolgo

Fed

It's time to head off for day two - the temps are meant to hit 36C today so water and sunscreen will be my best friends.

Time for Aussie Open 2012!

2012-01-15T10:59:00.003+13:00

It's time again for the best grand slam on the planet - the Australian Open! (I've done research - check my rankings here).

Having just been social media/online manager for WTA and ATP tourneys the past 2.5 weeks it will be fantastic to be just a 'fan' again (and actually get to watch the tennis).

This year, on my fifth visit to the Australian Open, I'm going to be a Fanbassador! What a cool idea the folks at the Aussie Open have come up with - to me there's nothing better than hearing first hand from someone caught up in the action and that's what I'll be doing - tweeting and blogging when possible during my time at Melbourne Park!

Will be in Melbourne for the first week - enjoying a grounds pass and a few stadium tickets. I've reviewed the draw and here are my first round picks:

Women:

Lucie Safarova-Christina McHale. This should be a battle. Lucie is always dangerous and the young American is coming off a huge season in which she defeated Wozniacki twice.
Victoria Azarenka-Heather Watson. Intriguing yes, but I think the young Brit is going to be well overmatched - she hasn't played this season and hurt her ankle playing footy, which forced her out of Auckland.
Peng Shuai-Aravane Rezai. Sigh. These two had a great battle in Auckland, which the Chinesewoman won in three sets. Lots of hard hitting in this match.
Sam Stosur-Sorana Cirstea - the Romanian has so much talent and this year lost a tight match with ASB Classic finalist Flavia Pennetta in Auckland and had Angelique Kerber on the ropes in Hobart. I think she'll challenge the Aussie.
Jelena Dokic-Anna Chakvetadze. WHY tennis gods? WHY?

Men:

Fernando Verdasco-Bernard Tomic. Sigh. Fer looked pretty good in both Hopman Cup and the Heineken Open. I feel like Tomic might take this but please Fer - don't let that happen.
Juan Monaco-Philipp Kohlschreiber - The German had a good run to the semis in Auckland while Pico skipped the Heineken Open. Pico has a dodgy wrist - Philipp is a great player. Sigh.
Stan Wawrinka-Benoit Paire. Watch the Frenchman - he's awesome!
Andy Murray-Ryan Harrison. I think Muzz will get through this handily.

Flight to Melbs in 6+ hours so talk to you on the other side!

Auckland tournaments = done and dusted!

2012-01-15T00:49:00.004+13:00

We had another amazing week of tennis here this week - this time it was the men who invaded Auckland (mostly Spaniards).

It was another trying week with rain but we mostly escaped without too much hassle. David Ferrer and Fernando Verdasco both had to play quarterfinal and semifinal matches on the same day when rain would not leave us alone on Thursday night but overall not much harm done.

The Heineken Open had such a different vibe compared with the ASB Classic. From the players to my dealings with the WTA and ATP - just so many differences.

Some highlights from an amazing two weeks:

Asking questions to Fernando Verdasco in press conferences and making eye contact.

Watching Benoit Paire play. Try to watch him, and soon.

Flavia Pennetta in press conferences - lovely!

The ASB Classic videos - please check them out!

David Ferrer's reaction on championship point.

Being in media conferences!

Interviewing Judy Murray, Dominik Hrbaty and Justin Gimelstob

BEING PAID TO WATCH TENNIS!

Am heading to Melbourne tomorrow so can't wait to resume tennis fandom!

One down, one to go!

2012-01-09T23:19:00.000+13:00

What a week I had at the ASB Classic. Was beyond amazing to be part of a pro tournament and have access to the players and be paid to watch tennis!

I managed the tournament website (www.asbclassic.co.nz) meaning I wrote all the content, updated scores, added videos and photos and just kept things as up to date as possible. I also managed the Facebook, Twitter and Youtube accounts.

The long-time sponsor of the tournament, ASB (a bank) has used a NZ sports journalist to create some fun videos with the players. I'd seen a few from years past, but one of the best parts of my day was waiting for a new video from the hilariously creative and funny James McOnie. I had to stifle my laughs again and again as the videos just kept getting better. And then this happened:

My god did I laugh, and I'm still laughing. I may have had the processes and channels ready but without the great resources at my disposal during the tournament my job would have been so much harder. These videos are just classic and I'm thrilled how much exposure they've received.

The other most memorable part of my week was definitely attending the press conferences. The first one I went to was for Christina McHale, and once I asked a question once I felt like I was meant to be in there. I asked Flavia about her book (she said the feedback and sales have been great) and asked Sveta about her short/tight skirt dress and high heels she wore to the player dinner. I tried to keep my questions light instead of just asking about their game (leave that to the sports journos).

I also got a chance to interview Judy Murray and Dominik Hrbaty for our daily programme. Judy was lovely - very friendly and easy to speak with.

This week it's time for the men as the Heineken Open is underway. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook - or check out our website. The field is full of Spanish flavour: Ferrer, Verdasco, Almagro and more. Vamos!

ASB Classic - it's on!

2012-01-01T18:25:00.002+13:00

My blog will be a bit silent during the next two weeks as I am living and breathing the ASB Classic and Heineken Open.

It's been a fantastic first few days here despite some appalling Auckland summer weather. The players have mostly been in good spirits and I've been able to speak to most of them top ones briefly and hope to be able to interview a fair few of them during the week.

We had a player dinner Friday night, and it was fun to see some of the ladies really dress up. Svetlana Kuznetsova was probably the biggest surprise as she was in a short, fitted dress and killer high heels. Sabine Lisicki also had on some dangerously high heels. Some of the players really went all out which was great considering it was a chilly, rainy night so I appreciated the effort.

Yesterday we had a 'meet the seeds' media event so all top eight seeds were onsite to speak with media. I was able to introduce myself to Svetlana Kuznetsova, Julia Goerges, Flavia Pennetta, Roberta Vinci and Monica Niculescu and took photos of all of them. I wasn't brave enough to ask many questions but instead chose for casual conversation. Total heaven for a tennis geek tho.

So far we haven't had much of a break from the weather gods as the first round of qualifying was played completely indoors. Today (Sunday 1 Jan) we got six of eight matches completed. For me the biggest story so far for qualies is the young Americans. It's possible that 3 of 4 qualifiers for the main draw will be Americans which is pretty exciting. Alison Riske, Coco Vandeweghe and either Jamie Hampton or Irina Falconi are into the final round of the qualies tourney so will be interesting to see how they do tomorrow.

Today, qualies top seed Anne Keothavong won as did Czech Karolina Pliskova who was impressing the fans who braved the weather to come onsite. Monica Puig of Puerto Rico, all of 18 years old, also looked pretty sharp in her win.

Tomorrow's main draw matches include Christina McHale, Flavia Pennetta, Sabine Lisicki and Jelena Dokic. We've also got doubles action including Sania Mirza and Elena Vesnina and reigning French Open champs Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka.

Rafa's year

2011-12-27T15:35:00.000+13:00

Thanks to the great folks at Rafa Updates who are using some of the many Rafa pics I've taken from my 2011 tennis travels on their website!

Have a read of their new post about the second half of Rafa's year - a few of my pics are in this article.

Make sure to follow Rafa Updates on Twitter @RafaUpdates and check their site for all the news on Rafa!

ASB Classic starting soon!

2011-12-27T11:12:00.000+13:00

It feels like the Fed Cup Final was just the other day but alas it's time for live tennis again.

The ASB Classic is a fantastic tournament held in Auckland the first week in January. We're about to kick off our qualifying tourney on Saturday the 31st so players have started to arrive - I'll be hitting the practice courts all week to see if I can get some pics and hopefully some brief interviews.

The qualifying draw includes top seeds Alexandra Dulgheru and Alberta Brianti as well as Sania Mirza, Heather Watson, Aravane Rezai, Alize Cornet and young Americans Irina Falconi and Coco Vandeweghe.

Last year, Sabine Lisicki won a spot in the main draw and this year she's the top seed! The other top seeds are Peng Shuai, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Flavia Pennetta so should be a tourney full of great tennis!

Appreciate any support of the tournament - I manage the social media accounts so....

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ASBClassicAuckl
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ASBClassic

Merry Christmas everyone!

2011-12-25T11:25:00.000+13:00

It's officially Christmas Day in New Zealand so happy holidays to all of you! This is my blog's first Christmas and it's been a great year so thanks for all your support and interest!

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and, well, the 2012 tennis season is literally days away so enjoy the break while you can!

The ASB Classic qualifying tourney starts here on Saturday 31 December so follow me on Twitter - going to be an amazing tournament!

No Venus in New Zealand

2011-12-20T17:58:00.000+13:00

After weeks of anticipation building about Venus Williams playing in the ASB Classic, the lovely Vee has withdrawn. It's been a rough day.

Of course, speculation is rife by the tennis world that Queen Venus' career is over. Sure, people have said that for years which is absurd given her talent. But the latest health issues are of course another story. Sjogren's syndrome is a real disease and Venus has to best work out how she can manage it for day to day living as well as life on the tennis court.

One of the body parts most affected by this syndrome is the eyes. In addition to dryness, there's also chances of blurred vision and constant eye discomfort. It's easy to understand how she could struggle on the court if she can't see properly. Of course the fatigue and joint pain are going to be the most difficult for her to overcome on the court. It's one thing to play an exhibition match, but to play several matches back to back could be too much to ask for Venus.

I'm trying not to think the worst, but at 31 and with a serious health issue for an athlete my optimism is fading.

Of course there's a lot of disappointment in Auckland that we won't be able to see Venus in action, but personally I am so excited to welcome amazing players like Sabine, Julia, Sveta and Flavia. Plus Peng Shaui, Zheng Jie, Christina McHale, Jelena Dokic - we will have some fantastic tennis here I'm sure. To follow along please like the Facebook page ASB Classic and follow here on Twitter.

Best of Delpo in Photos - 2011

2011-12-13T18:58:00.001+13:00

Ah Delpo. The gentle giant is back and I couldn't have been happier to see him in action this year. It started with a very frustrating match vs Baggy (made frustrating due to the noisy Cypriots I sat next to) and ended with Delpo tears in Spain. I have a feeling 2012 is going to be a fab year for the big man.

1) vs Marcos Bagdatis, Australian Open
2) vs David Ferrer, Davis Cup Final
3) vs Rafael Nadal, Davis Cup Final

Australian Open

Walking toward practice courts in Melbourne

About to take the court vs Baggy

Losing in four sets

Queens

I watched Delpo practice in the pouring rain for ages.

US Open

Big of Delpo practice time

Davis Cup Final

Playing Ferrer

Double match point for Ferrer

Ah broke my heart Delpo

Back for more against Rafa

Let's do this

Man he played well

Heading to his team for a hug after the match

Best of Sveta in Photos - 2011

2011-12-13T15:43:00.001+13:00

Oh Sveta. I am not sure any player put me through more drama this year. First, it was her third-set lead to Peng Shuai that went away in Auckland, then it was a tense close-out of Justine before THE match vs Franny. I can barely talk about the match vs Caro in NYC - SCARRED.

Sveta matches for me in 2011:
1) vs Peng Shuai, ASB Classic
2) vs Justine Henin, Australian Open
3) vs Francesca Schiavone, Australian Open
4) vs Elena Baltacha, US Open
5) vs Caroline Wozniacki, US Open (big screen at US Open)

ASB Classic (Auckland)

About to lose her 4-2 third set lead to Peng Shaui

My great view as a volunteer

Australian Open

Taking on Justine on Rod Laver Arena - third round

Pretty sure I was the only one in the crowd cheering for Sveta

She won! Fought off a set point after serving for the match...
cause that's the Sveta way

She was pretty happy

Hisense Arena. Vs Fran. THE MATCH

This match was crazy amazing

Sveta, during third set when she said she forgot who was serving, etc

I know Sveta, I know.

Fran wins - heart that one! Both ladies are AMAZING.

French Open

Practicing on her off day before playing 4R match vs Dani

US Open

2nd round match vs Elena Baltacha

UGH. Caro watch, watched on big screen. With Amelie M y'all.

Best of Ferrer in Photos - 2011

2011-12-13T08:43:00.001+13:00

David Ferrer has quickly moved up my list to become a main fave. He started the year in the right place this year - Auckland! From then, I was able to see him play quite a bit:

1) vs Philipp Kohlschreiber, Auckland
2) vs Santiago Giraldo, Auckland
3) vs David Nalbandian, Auckland
4) vs Ricardas Berankis, Australian Open
5) vs Rafael Nadal, Australian Open
6) vs Andy Murray, Australian Open
7) vs Gael Monfils, French Open
8) vs Novak Djokovic, ATP World Tour Finals
9) vs Tomas Berdych, ATP World Tour Finals
10) vs Juan Martin Del Potro, Davis Cup Final

Some pics:

Heineken Open, Auckland

After beating Santiago Giraldo to make the final

Um yeah it's hot here

Practice morning of the final

Volunteering at a tennis tourney is fab - great views :)

Pre-match interview before taking on Nalby

Winner, again!

Australian Open

Vs Berankis - he got a bit frustrated.

It's also hot in Melbourne

In the QF vs Rafa

Into the semis!

Taking on Muzz

Not his day - played great but went brain dead in the TBs

French Open

Taking on Gael and the French crowd!

Match called in fourth set due to darkness

ATP World Tour Finals

Taking on Nole in London

Happy winner!

Ah shucks

Taking on Berdych in his final RR match

You can blame the shirt. We all did.

Davis Cup Final

Taking on Delpo in Seville

He wins in five - amazing Daveed

Outside his hotel the morning after his big win

Morning of the final day

We...are the champions.

Best of Serena in photos 2011

2011-12-12T19:47:00.000+13:00

Ah Serena - my WTA #1. It was miserable to be in Melbourne, where she was two-time defending champion, and not have her there. Thankfully she played Eastbourne, which I'd already planned to go to and I was able to see her play a few matches there and at the US Open:

1) vs Tsvetana Pironkova, Eastbourne
2) vs Vera Zvonereva, Eastbourne
3) vs Michaella Krajicek, US Open

Some pics:

Only signs of Serena in Melbourne Park

Wimbledon tour

WHUT?

What Serena wore during her win in 2002 - from Wimbledon museum

Serena's 2010 dress

Eastbourne - welcome back Queen!

She's back! I'm in tears.

Very frustrated often during her first match back

Clawing her way back vs Pironkova

Love this look

Fistpump

Winner! After a long year away.

Serena walked by me heading to practice. Whoa.

Saw Sasha all over but never brave enough to talk to him

Versus Vera in a stressful match

Up a set and served for the match, but lost

US Open

Through to the third round

Talking to Pimmy

Being very nice to Pimmy

Best of Rafa in photos 2011: signage

2011-12-12T19:06:00.000+13:00

Can't get enough of Rafa on the court? Well, I managed to take a fair few pics of him this year around the grounds at different tourneys....

Aussie Open avenue of champs

French Open programme advert

Queens pro shop

Loved this pic

Underneath Queens stadium

During Wimbledon tour

In Wimbledon museum

US Open Nike shop

World Tour Finals signage

Outside the O2 Arena

Rafa's stuff for charity

Me and Rafa outside Olympic Stadium in Seville

Baby Rafa outside the Davis Cup museum, Seville

Best of Rafa in photos 2011: matches

2011-12-12T15:38:00.000+13:00

Rafa matches I was lucky enough to see in 2011:

1) vs David Ferrer, Australian Open
2) vs Matt Ebden, Queens
3) vs Nicolas Mahut, US Open
4) vs David Nalbandian, US Open
5) vs Roger Federer, World Tour Finals
6) vs Juan Monaco, Davis Cup Final
7) vs Juan Martin Del Potro, Davis Cup Final

My fave pics from these matches, and others I got to watch on the big screen at the French Open and Wimbledon:

Australian Open

Pre-match interview before QF vs David Ferrer

Habitual jog around the baseline

Love Daveed but this match broke my heart

French Open

Watching Rafa on the big screen vs Antonio Veic

Queens

Rafa against Aussie Matthew Ebden

Wimbledon

Unable to get Centre Court tix, I watched Rafa on Henman Hill

Straight set win vs US' Mike Russell. Challenged ball on MP, hence the smiles

US Open

Playing Nicolas Mahut in 2nd round

Short match as Mahut retired early in third set

Against Nalby, third round US Open

ATP World Tour Finals

Rafa being introduced to the court before RR match vs Federer

This match. Not good for Rafa. Bad.

Rafa receiving his Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award

Davis Cup Final

Introduced to the court on day 1 of the final

Early point vs Pico

I'm in love with that forehand

Day three - the match to clinch the cup for Spain vs Delpo

Rafa ready to rumble

Rafa says hush

On his way to breaking Delpo for the second set

Serving for the match and the cup

Match point

Winners - Spain! Love the bear hug - think that's Feli.

Fuzzy, but he's saying thanks...to me I'm sure.

Lovely pic of my two fave Spanish boys

Rafa speaks

Rafa tired

Best of Rafa in photos 2011: practice sessions

2011-12-12T14:59:00.000+13:00

I saw a lot of Rafa this year, including a number of practice sessions. You have to be prepared to fight hard for a good spot at a Rafa practice and, well, I'm just happy to be tall.

Here are some practice pics I took throughout the year:

Australian Open

Got his autograph, but only because I
put my programme over people's heads

Wimbledon

He was right in my path - went for a photo and not autograph

Photo blog: Venus Williams 2011

2011-12-12T12:30:00.010+13:00

Venus has long been a fave of mine and I got to see her at the Aussie Open and Eastbourne this year:

1) vs Andrea Petkovic, Australian Open
2) vs Ana Ivanovic, Eastbourne
3) vs Daniela Hantuchova, Eastbourne

Here are some of my fave pics of her from these matches and some practices.

Venus' practice before she played her match vs
Sandra Zahlavova and injured herself

Venus vs Petko - she screamed in pain the moment she tried to serve

Serving against Dani at Eastbourne

Practice time in Eastbourne

Think she saw me camera stalking

Beating Ana Ivanovic Eastbourne

Watching Venus from Henman Hill at Wimbledon

Can't wait to see you in Auckland Venus!

My 2011 - 44 days of glory

2011-12-12T09:39:00.002+13:00

I had the good fortune (and a good credit card limit) to attend 10 tennis tournaments in 2011. I can't quite explain how it happened, but this year I went to:

1) ASB Classic, Auckland (three days)
2) Heineken Open, Auckland (five days)
3) Australian Open, Melbourne (13 days)
4) French Open, Paris (two days)
5) AEGON Championships (Queens), London (two days)
6) AEGON International, Eastbourne (three days)
7) Wimbledon (two days)
8) US Open (eight days)
9) ATP World Tour Finals (three days)
10) Davis Cup Final (three days)

So that makes 44 days of 2011 I spent watching tennis (minus a fair few rain delays) - blows my mind. That's a long time spent sitting watching a little yellow ball. I think it will take some time to get some perspective about just how amazing a year this has been, but here are some of my best and worst live tennis experiences for the year:

Best match: Women - Svetlana Kuznetsova vs Francesca Schiavona, Australian Open
No contest. I didn't leave my seat for the entire match and pinched myself many times during this match - so amazing to be there. Top quality, top fight, top drama. My recap.

Best match: Men - Rafael Nadal vs Juan Martin Del Potro, Davis Cup Final
The conditions for this match to be a thriller were ideal: Rafa could clinch the Davis Cup for Spain in Spain and the crowd was freaking loud and passionate. A magical, dramatic match. I'm still buzzing. My recap. My pics.

Worst match: Women - Venus Williams vs Andrea Petkovic, Australian Open
I hadn't seen Venus play live since the Beijing Olympics and I was so excited - I knew she was injured but was hoping for the best, as was she. It was awful - Venus couldn't move and lost the first seven points before pulling out. The crowd booed, a lot. It was awful. My recap.

Worst match: Men - Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer, World Tour Final
What a bust - so much expectation and the only positive was that it was quick. My recap.

Other highs and lows:

Saddest match that ended the chance for the Rafa Slam: Rafa Nadal vs David Ferrer, Australian Open

Most boring match that I had to walk away from: Gael Monfils vs Stan Wawrinka, Australian Open

Match that made me cry with joy: Serena Williams vs Tsvetana Pironkova, Eastbourne

Match that made me want to shove a tennis ball down the crowd's throat: Serena Williams vs Vera Zvonereva, Eastbourne

Most bizarre match that had an injury time out called when player was two points from losing the match: Fabio Fognini vs Albert Montanes, French Open

Match that made me smile the most because my least favourite WTAer ever lost to one of my faves: Svetlana Kuznetsova vs Justine Henin, Australian Open

Match interrupted the most by rain: Andy Murray vs Xavier Malisse, Queens

Best match cut off due to fading darkness because the matches start too late: David Ferrer vs Gael Monfils, French Open

Match in which the start time was most delayed by a player who then retired in the match: Victoria Azarenka vs Marion Bartoli, Eastbourne

Most dramatic match watched from such high seats in Arthur Ashe Stadium that I'm still not sure who won: Maria Sharapova vs Flavia Pennetta, US Open

Best match watched on a big screen close to a water fountain so you can drown yourself instead of watching one of your favourite players go brain dead on court: Svetlana Kuznetsova vs Caroline Wozniacki, US Open.

Wow - what a great year of tennis!

Nadal Edges Del Potro Giving Spain the Victory – Live from the Davis Cup

2011-12-07T19:20:00.000+13:00

NOTE: While in Seville, I am working as a tournament correspondent for Tennis Grandstand. The following article was originally published in tennisgrandstand.com and can be viewed here.

Being at a Davis Cup Finals tie is unlike any other tennis experience I have ever personally been a part of. In addition to the players coming together to represent their countries, another personality is often on court with them: the crowd.

The Davis Cup crowd during the Spain versus Argentina final in Seville this weekend was electric. The tennis often felt like the supporting act as fervent supporters of both teams tried to out-chant, out-cheer and out-spirit the other. Whether it was shouting during serves, delaying play with the stadium wave or starting up what felt like a percussion band in the middle of a game, there was constant noise from beginning to end. It really was fabulous for those of us lucky to be present.

During today’s match between Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin Del Potro, the crowd was certainly a major player. Play was interrupted time and again. It didn’t matter who was serving; games were delayed, even second serves were delayed and despite some fans (and players, coaches, teammates) getting irate it just didn’t stop. Whether it was done due to pure excitement or to distract one of the players (or both), the cheering, drums and horns were just part of the action. Both team captains got into discussions with the chair umpire and it wasn’t until the Argentineans were given a warning did the crowd scale it back a bit.

For the first time in his storied Davis Cup career, Nadal was in the position to clinch the Davis Cup for his team and as expected he won his 20th straight singles match in Davis Cup play (he hasn’t lost since his debut in 2004). But Del Potro certainly was no pushover and the match looked likely to go to a fifth set when the Argentinean battled back from a break down to serve for the fourth set at 5-3. At that stage in the match, Del Potro had wrestled back the momentum and the Argentinean fans saw their hopes return as Del Potro bounced around the court with a new fire.

The next five games would be an emotional rollercoaster for all 24,000 fans in the Estadio Olímpico de Sevilla as Del Potro lost three straight games before breaking Rafa as he served to seal victory for Spain. But Del Potro’s legs seemed to be gone and the tiebreak ended 7-0 in Nadal’s favour. The Spaniard’s final forehand winner sent him flat on the court in joy.

After the match, Nadal acknowledged how amazing the Davis Cup crowd can be. “The atmosphere is really, really unbelievable so thank you very much all the Spanish crowd, all the Argentina crowd that makes this confrontation really really special and unforgettable.”

That ambiance is what makes Davis Cup so special. In tennis, it can be rare to see such emotional cheering throughout an entire match, let alone four or five matches. It’s what makes Davis Cup so special and challenging for fans and players alike. It makes each point seem so vital. Whether a double fault or simple missed return, each point won is celebrated as if a set was won. And that is incredible to experience.

Davis Cup photo blog: Rafa vs Delpo

2011-12-05T14:00:00.001+13:00

Don't have much of a voice left after screaming my head off during today's exciting match between Rafa and Delpo. I took nearly 500 photos and videos, so I will allow some of them to tell the story...

Ready to play

Some of the energetic Argentinean fans

Rafa rituals

Opening point

Rafa down badly...

Big man doing well

Rafa asking fans to quiet down

One set all!

Rafa's pumped

Big third set lead

Two sets to one!

Rafa breaks Delpo to stay alive in set four

Warning to Argentina for crowd noise

Rafa breaks Delpo's serve again

Can Rafa serve it out?

Fourth set tiebreak

Great start for Rafa

Poor Delpo is fading

Nearly there for Spain

Love the Feli/Rafa monster hug

Rafa hugs Uncle Toni

Lovely Delpo and the Argentineans

Love these two!

Albert shares the cup

Confetti time

Rafa needs to sit

Feli takes the mike during a singalong of the special DC song

Fer chased everyone, trying to spray them with champagne

Davis Cup photo blog: Ferrer vs Del Potro

2011-12-04T12:42:00.000+13:00

Delpo vs Ferrer - what a battle. In pictures....

Ferrer Wins Thriller as Nadal Schools Monaco – Live from the Davis Cup

2011-12-04T11:39:00.001+13:00

Photo: AP

NOTE: While in Seville, I am working as a tournament correspondent for Tennis Grandstand. The following article was originally published in tennisgrandstand.com and can be viewed here.

Words won’t do justice to try and convey what the atmosphere of a Davis Cup Final feels like. Even an hour before play started at Estadio Olímpico de Sevilla on Friday afternoon, the Argentinean and Spanish chants had begun and they would only intensify through the day and what would become a late night.

This was never going to be a quiet affair, but Spain versus Argentina was beyond loud. The crowd was boisterous, it was mischievous, it was ecstatic. Drums, brass instruments and horns were allowed inside the venue and they were used often, and not always appropriately.

When the ceremony began, I got goosebumps as the players were announced onto the court. Such applause, such appreciation and such idolatry particularly for David Nalbandian and Rafael Nadal. Rafa was of course the last of all players to be introduced and he was lovely in acknowledging his home country.

The first match, as expected, was very one-sided. Rafa has been a big match player for most of his career, and he had the massive advantage of playing on his favourite surface in his home country. It wasn’t at all that Juan Monaco played badly, Rafa was just vintage Rafa on clay. It is amazing to watch this Rafa – the way he moves the ball around, the great way he is able to defend. This is just one example why it is so hard to put Rafa away on clay:

In the end, there was nothing Monaco could do as the King of Clay put Spain up 1-0 with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 win.

The second match would turn into those Davis Cup matches fans hear about and read about but few are lucky enough to see live. Well last night 26,000 of us got to witness Davis Cup greatness and the matchup was ideal. The young, tall Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro versus the veteran, much less statuesque, David Ferrer. Del Potro can annihilate the tennis ball but is not the greatest mover on court, particularly on clay. In the first set, Del Potro looked quite hopeless at times. His heavy shots were returned, and returned well over and over again and when he did venture to net things got ugly.

Somehow, Del Potro was able to turn the tide and starting hitting with much more conviction, actually winning some of the longer rallies that earlier he was unable to do. Del Potro would led two sets to one. The Spanish bench was looked tense, the Argentinean fans much more alive after they had little to cheer for in the first match. Albert Costa was visibly tense and started to complain to chair umpire Carlos Ramos about the noise the Argentinean fans were making (particularly during a player‘s serve).

All bets were off by this stage of the match. The Spanish fans loudly cheered when Del Potro missed a first serve, horns were blown at will and the crowd was on its feet after most points. It’s no wonder the match lasted nearly five hours.

Most fans knew that if Argentina was to keep itself in this tie Del Potro would need to win his match in four. David Ferrer would be a clear favourite to win should the match go five sets – he is the epitome of fitness. And when Del Potro was broken to give Ferrer the fourth set, it all seemed over.
Ferrer raced to a 5-1 lead and though Del Potro won two straight games to stay alive, fatigue had set in and Ferrer would clinch a 2-0 lead for Team Spain with a 6-2, 6-7, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory.

The celebration by Ferrer, the Spanish team and the crowd was an explosion of joy. One can only imagine what emotions will be shown on court today should Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco clinch a Spanish victory in the doubles as they take on David Nalbandian and Eduardo Schwank today.

Classic Spanish Davis Cup moments

2011-12-04T11:16:00.000+13:00

There's a great little Davis Cup museum that's been set up in Seville's town hall - just a bit of memorabilia from past ties and some signed attire from the players. But what I missed during my visit was a photographic display of the cutest photos of Rafa, Moya, etc. So fortunate to wander upon this today!

Now, inside the museum:

Rafa's kit

Rafa's shirt

These posters were all over the city

How cute are these name badges?

I hope these were the team's official IDs.

Baby Rafa

Davis Cup photo blog: Verdasco/Lopez vs Nalbandian/Schwank

2011-12-04T10:03:00.000+13:00

Well, today's doubles match at the Davis Cup final wasn't exactly a thriller, but an intensely passionate crowd and emotional players still made it a great day of tennis.

The photos tell the tale...

Davis Cup photo blog: Rafa vs Pico

2011-12-03T13:13:00.000+13:00

Davis Cup preview: Spain set to host epic Davis Cup clash with Argentina

2011-12-02T11:55:00.000+13:00

NOTE: While in Seville, I will be working as a tournament correspondent for Tennis Grandstand. The following article was originally published in tennisgrandstand.com and can be viewed here.

Seville is set for what should be an epic Davis Cup final between two of the most likeable teams in tennis: Spain and Argentina. Take a look at pics of the teams interacting this week and you’ll see smiling faces between the players and endearing moments. It’s clear there’s mutual respect and friendship between many of the teams’ top players.

Spain are the favourites, without question. The team are hosts, have won four titles in the past 10 years and the slow clay will certainly help them. And yes, they boast Rafael Nadal, arguably the best clay court player ever as well as #5 David Ferrer who’s had a career best year.

This Davis Cup final yields so many storylines and so many questions. Will the Argentineans be healthy enough to be competitive , particularly with Davis Cup veteran David Nalbandian still battling injuries? Will Nadal, mentally exhausted from a topsy-turvy year on tour, find the strength to lead his team to another title? Will Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez redeem themselves after losing badly in Spain’s narrow victory over the US in the semifinals? Will Juan Monaco, Argentina’s most in-form player of late, step up against his good friend Nadal in the opening match of the tie?

The emotional tugs for tennis fans may mostly surround Nalbandian. He’s never been part of a winning Davis Cup team, and most feel 2012 will be his last year on tour. Nalbandian has always been fiercely passionate about Davis Cup and most tennis fans would be pretty ecstatic should he finally win one.

And then, there’s the crowd. Having been to all four grand slams and the Beijing Olympics, I’ve seen my share of partisan crowds. Davis Cup ties are legendary for being noisy and full of very patriotic fans. Will the crowd be fair to both teams or are all bets off? At the Beijing Olympics, the partisan crowd lost all touch with good fan behaviour while its own were playing. Will the Seville crowd behave?

Thus far, the atmosphere in Seville has been fantastic. Somehow the tennis gods smiled down on me as my accommodation is directly across the road from the Spanish team’s hotel. I’ve already been within hand shaking distance from Nadal twice, and have seen the entire team. Last night, I saw Verdasco and David Ferrer quickly race into their hotel from their courtesy van while Nadal and Lopez lingered to bring their bags into the hotel. The number of fans outside the hotel has been rather small, and Nadal has been welcoming to his fans and has posed with a fair few (this professional tennis fan was not quick or assertive enough to ask for a photo either time).

Local shops have also gotten into the Davis Cup spirit with tennis signs and displays (a butchery near Team Spain’s hotel has even crafted a tennis court in its window using huge pieces of jamon as rackets). A Davis Cup museum has been set up in the city centre showing off programmes and signed memorabilia from past ties while a big screen plays highlights of classic matches.

Today, the draw was held at the beautiful Teatro Lope de Vega. Sadly, only media were allowed inside and a noisy rally by striking workers (apparently over a migrant worker issues) created a huge distraction from the joy of the Davis Cup draw. My group saw all the teams pull up in cars but that was as close to the draw as we could get since it was not open to the public. Practices inside Estadio Olímpico de Sevilla have also been closed to the public, though the team’s practice times have been published online.

So the excitement and anticipation builds and builds for the many fans who’ve been in town waiting for the tie to begin. The long wait is over at 1pm tomorrow to see the teams and the stadium. A ceremony will kick off at 1pm, followed by Nadal versus Monaco then Ferrer versus Del Potro.

Hola Rafa!

2011-12-02T04:46:00.000+13:00

Well, not sure how it happened but I managed to book accommodation literally across the road from Team Spain!

So...have already had two Rafa sightings since arriving in Seville yesterday. I chickened out asking for a photo both times but tried to get some pics. I saw the whole team last night but just Rafa this morning ('just' Rafa!)

Here are my pretty average pics, but hey I was there!!

Back of Uncle Toni's head

Marc! getting his bags

Davis Cup van

Player hotel

Back of Rafa and Feli I think

RAFA!

Newly shorn Feli heading in

Rafa this morning

Off to Spain

2011-11-27T13:33:00.001+13:00

Daviscup.com

Am off to Barcelona in the morning for a few days before the Davis Cup begins in Seville on Friday. I've never been to Spain and am very much in the "I can't believe how this all happened" mindset. So easy to click a few times on a website and boom - off to a foreign land.

Davis Cup will certainly be one of the best tennis experiences a tennis fan can have - I'm expecting crazy, loud, exuberant fans for both the Spanish and Argentinean teams. These guys are pretty much my most favourite tennis players - Nadal, Del Potro, Nalbandian, Ferrer, Monaco, Verdasco, Lopez - it's just a dream lineup and the atmosphere at the Estadio Olímpico de Sevilla will certainly be indescribable.

It's hard to really choose a side, as I want Rafa to win all his matches but would be delighted if David Nalbandian gets a Davis Cup win. So I will go and be dressed in red tho my heart is torn!

Reuters

It will be fantastic to see the Spanish team in action - having never been to a Davis Cup tie before, I've never seen the camaraderie a team competition creates. Just check out these pics - going to be a dream three days in Seville!

I'm going to be reporting for Tennisgrandstand.com so be sure to follow @tennisGS or my Twitter account at @StephinNZ for all the stories, photos and videos!

Berdych Defeats Ferrer to Knock Djokovic out of London

2011-11-27T10:04:00.001+13:00

NOTE: While in London and Sevilla, I will be working as a tournament correspondent for Tennis Grandstand. The following article was originally published in tennisgrandstand.com and can be viewed here.

By the time the final round robin match was ready to begin at the ATP World Tour Finals on Friday night, the O2 crowd was truly energized. Not only were they promised an intriguing match between David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych, but the result would decide whether Berdych or world #1 Novak Djokovic would advance to the semifinals.

Ferrer had been the in-form player coming into the match after defeating both Djokovic and Andy Murray in straight sets to lead his group. Berdych, on the other hand, saw both his previous matches decided by third set tiebreaks. He wasn’t able to close out Djokovic, but defeated Janko Tipsarevic after surviving a match point.

The O2 Arena delivers such an amazing experience when players enter the court. The lights dim, the blue court literally glows and superb graphics on the big screen and all around the court are dazzling. Add in the smoke machine and music and the tennis players must feel like grand celebrities. It’s an amazing sight and made this tennis fan proud to be present to cheer on the ATP’s top stars during the week.

From the first point, Ferrer continued the form he’d shown all week and he fought off early break points to take the set 6-3. Berdych played evenly throughout the match, but it was Ferrer who was winning the rallies, which often ended on a Berdych error (43 in total).

But when serving up a break at 4-3 in the second set, the Spaniard tightened up and handed the break back. Seemingly from nowhere, Ferrer’s play, particularly his serve slumped and Berdych seemed to have an extra spring in his step throughout the third set. He sprinted to a 5-0 lead (winning seven straight games), before Ferrer held serve to escape a bagel, and then took the match 3-6,7-5, 6-1.

Watching a player as likeable and hard-working as Ferrer suddenly struggle to find his shots was not easy. But Berdych, who seemed an afterthought on the tour for much of the first half of the season, was delighted with the way he hung in there and he was rewarded for his perseverance.

“The turning point, I think, was just the one that I made on set point to win the second set, because all the time before I was down,” said Berdych. “When I made the second set, it just gave me a lot of confidence [and] energy. I started to feel really great on court.”

The Czech moves into the World Tour Finals semifinals for the first time, and will face Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Ferrer, who has already qualified after winning his first two matches, faces Roger Federer whom he has a 0-11 record against.

Ferrer and Berdych Win in Contrasting Styles at ATP World Tour Finals – Live Coverage

2011-11-25T07:31:00.001+13:00

NOTE: While in London and Sevilla, I will be working as a tournament correspondent for Tennis Grandstand. The following article was originally published in tennisgrandstand.com and can be viewed here.

Berdych Battles Past Tipsarevic
Disappointed tennis fans didn’t hide their initial lack of interest in the Tomas Berdych/Janko Tipsarevic match on Wednesday at the ATP World Tour Finals. It seemed as though many fans hadn’t seen the news that Scot Andy Murray had pulled out of the tournament.

When the players entered the O2 Arena, the applause was muted and that absence of energy seemed to transition into Berdych’s game in the first set. His stinging forehand and aggressive play were nowhere to be found, while Tipsarevic was steady and often merely had to keep balls in play as Berdych‘s error count grew.

Perhaps the Czech was still suffering from a post-match hangover due to his inability to close out world #1 Novak Djokovic on Monday. He didn’t move well in the first set and served poorly as the #2 Serbian took the first set, 6-2.

The second set was more of the same until Berdych finally started to cut down his errors, and he seemed to hang in there until he managed to break Tipsarevic and served out set two 6-3. By this stage, the crowd still was mostly silent – there had been some better shotmaking in set two but the atmosphere felt dead. There just hadn’t been much to cheer about.

But how quickly a match can turn – the third set proved that a poor start can be overcome and fans were treated to a dramatic tiebreaker which had one of the strangest endings one can experience. Up a minibreak, Berdych soon found himself down a match point and Tipsarevic was one volley away from a win. But he overhit it, and then double faulted to go down a match point at 6-7. It was all getting away from the Serb and while receiving serve, Tipsarevic slipped backward, giving Tomas the open court to put away a forehand to win the match. It was a sad end for Tipsarevic, who had shown his mettle as an alternative called in to compete when Andy Murray pulled out.

Losing two straight matches in a third set tiebreak would have been a massive disappointment for Berdych, but after surviving Tipsarevic his hopes of making the semifinals in London are still alive. The Czech must beat Spaniard David Ferrer to qualify for the knockout stages.

Ferrer stuns Djokovic
The night session at the ATP World Tour Finals was a huge contrast to the day session – the crowds were pumped up and vocal from the very start.

And as opposed to the day match, instead of the drama growing throughout the match, this time the match started well but ended up being a very one-sided affair. Most fans might have expected an easy win for the world number one, but David Ferrer proved to be the much better player on the night.

The Spaniard has a reputation for being one of the fittest, hardest working players on the tour, and he demonstrated this to the crowd. It’s hard to outhit Ferrer – he is superbly fit and fast and though he doesn’t possess the most powerful groundstrokes, his placement is fantastic and he can turn defence into offence very well.

When Ferrer went down early break points in the first set, Djokovic looked very much like the player he’s been throughout 2011: his shots had sting and great depth. But all of a sudden, those shots became less potent and it was Ferrer who was wining the rallies. It was if someone flipped a switch and errors began to fly off Novak’s racket. He looked a bit slower and was visibly at a loss for how to turn the match around.

Ferrer would break twice to win the first set and the night never got better for the world number one. Novak only held serve once in the second set and Ferrer would easily advance to the semifinals with a 6-3, 6-1 victory. It was the third time in his career that the Spaniard beat the ATP top player after wins over Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal while they were at the top.

In his post-match interview, Ferrer’s smile lit up the O2 Arena. “It was a surprise, no?” he said. “I think today maybe was my best match of the season.” With two straight set wins over player the #1 and #2 players in the world, it was easy to be thrilled for Ferrer, who will now face Berdych on Friday night.