The Land of The Brave and.....Blue??

Not long now till the American Harcourt season begins. If I am honest it is my favourite time of year. May sound some what treacherous coming from a Brit considering Grass should be my favourite, but it is far too short to be enjoyed fully. The late evenings on the American courts are truly something to watch and do hope personally to witness one day.

The season thus far has belonged to one man. Feels like so much time has passed since the streak ended and Djokovic picked up Wimbledon. He is the big gun and the big scalp that players now want. If he is still feeling fresh and still has the form he showed at Miami and Indian Wells then it is hard to look past him for further success at Toronto and Cincinatti before the big one at the US Open.

Nadal defended his French Open crown despite his grip on the Clay slightly being pulled away by Djokovic. Can this season so far be seen as a disappointment because of the lack of success compared to 2010? It was always difficult for him and any other player to replicate 3 Slams a year consistently. I know Federer is the exception to this. I think again him being the hunter and not the hunted might see him return to his best of 2010.

Mr Federer is in somewhat of transition in his career. Will soon be 30 and talks of a decline into the wilderness has been banded about. He has proved at the French Open that his game is capable of throwing in a Grand Slam final and maybe another Slam title/s isn't that far from his grasp. No doubt, like the French Open at the US Open he will go in as an underdog.

The best of the rest. Murray will certainly look to break his Grand Slam duck and upset the applecart with the top 3 in it. Has a good Clay and Grass season under his belt and I hope he takes that into the Masters events and the US Open. Would help too getting a coach which is long overdue. Soderling and Berdych need to try and find some form on the Hard Courts. Certainly not been their favourite surface in recent years and for their rankings sake they need to show some standing at these events. Ferrer and Tsonga have shown some glimpses of form in the Slams this year Ferrer at the Australian Open and Tsonga at Wimbledon. Maybe they can put another run together on the blue stuff? Gasquet will also be a player to watch given his rise back up the rankings.

Will the big hitters break through? Roddick, Fish, Verdassco can they find their feet again?

The Young Guns (Tomic, Harrison, Raonic, Dolgopolov(?), Dimitrov) should also make inroads into the hegemony of Fedal (and now Fedalovic).

laverfan wrote:The Young Guns (Tomic, Harrison, Raonic, Dolgopolov(?), Dimitrov) should also make inroads into the hegemony of Fedal (and now Fedalovic).

See that Dimitrov beat Tommy Haas quite emphatically yesterday, and that Harrison beat the 21 yr old Berankis in 3. I was looking forward to seeing whether Raonic could go deep in the North American season - shame he is out.

Looking forward to seeing how the big guns come out in Canada

this is my post fro m tennis.com on a similar topic:
It's quite weird, but through tennis I got to I utterly love the windows of anti-normality; ok, it's nice to watch Wimbledon or RG semis and final matches after lunch, but there's something unreal and infinitely exciting and thrilling about huddling on a chair in front of the computer in January, thick woolen socks on, radiators blasting at full capacity, in the middle of the night, everything deadly silent, I feel like I'm stealing life transfixed by the luminent blue courts, blinding sunshine and sweating, lobster-red crowds trying to watch the match.
So I do look forward to the American summer, esp USO and my trips to the fridge where cold grapes have now become my traditional "strawberries and cream" of the last slam.

laverfan wrote:The Young Guns (Tomic, Harrison, Raonic, Dolgopolov(?), Dimitrov) should also make inroads into the hegemony of Fedal (and now Fedalovic).

Erm...Dolgo is Delpo's age...

noleisthebest wrote:

laverfan wrote:The Young Guns (Tomic, Harrison, Raonic, Dolgopolov(?), Dimitrov) should also make inroads into the hegemony of Fedal (and now Fedalovic).

Erm...Dolgo is Delpo's age...

You are correct, he is. Relatively young in the Pro level though. He was playing Challengers (and some non-Challengers) till March, 2010 (Marrakech). Had a lot of promise, but seems to have fallen back a bit.

I would really like to see how young Mr. Harrison plays on his own surface. Recently he has broken into the top 100, this should be his time to make a push and maybe see if he can break the top 50 by the end of the season. He seems to have a very well polished all around game for a player of his age. Sad what has happened to Raonic because I think if he didn't get injured he would also be able to gain a lot of ranking points.

As for the favorites, I really think it will be very tough for Nadal to repeat. Of the 3 grandslams Rafa had to defend this year this was the one that at the outset you would feel would be the most vulnerable. In the past this second Hardcourt swing in late summer and fall was where he would physically hit the wall.

Laverfan it is interesting as a brit you like this time of year the most what is the reason? I like the US hardcourt swing, as well not so much out of patriotism but I feel like the US open being the last slam and also having 2 master's to contend with all the action coming thick and fast makes july and august very hot month's on the tennis calendar.

legendkillar wrote:
If I am honest it is my favourite time of year. May sound some what treacherous coming from a Brit considering Grass should be my favourite, but it is far too short to be enjoyed fully.

socal1976 wrote:Laverfan it is interesting as a brit you like this time of year the most what is the reason? I like the US hardcourt swing, as well not so much out of patriotism but I feel like the US open being the last slam and also having 2 master's to contend with all the action coming thick and fast makes july and august very hot month's on the tennis calendar.

I think you meant LK, not me. I like Grass and HC, both, a bit more than clay (but only a bit).

laverfan wrote:

legendkillar wrote:
If I am honest it is my favourite time of year. May sound some what treacherous coming from a Brit considering Grass should be my favourite, but it is far too short to be enjoyed fully.

socal1976 wrote:Laverfan it is interesting as a brit you like this time of year the most what is the reason? I like the US hardcourt swing, as well not so much out of patriotism but I feel like the US open being the last slam and also having 2 master's to contend with all the action coming thick and fast makes july and august very hot month's on the tennis calendar.

I think you meant LK, not me. I like Grass and HC, both, a bit more than clay (but only a bit).

Meself, I'm a total addict.....I think I'd love tennis even if they played it on a sandy beach...which gives me a cunning plan for my holiday in Cornwall later on .....