Masters of Madrid

"My lips on this phallus? Seriously?"

Sometimes I wonder what it must feel like to step onto a tennis court, stare across the net and feel a sense of completeness. Like I know I can handle whatever my opponent throws at me be it a rifled serve, scorching groundies or the patience of a saint; that at my core I know my best is better than theirs or, at the very least, believe it is for that game, set or match.

Rafael Nadal owns this kind of rare belief. He steps in between the lines and knows that even if he can't pummel his way through an opponent, his will and desire can trump all. He's the ultimate competitor and has the ability to win a match in the locker room, as they say. But a strange thing has happened this year: The world's top baller finally has met his match in Novak Djokovic.

Although he was riding a 31-0 record heading into the Madrid final and had beaten Rafa the last two times, Nole was still considered the underdog. It was clay, not his favored hard court, and the Serb had never won a match against Rafa on the surface the lefty has dominated for years. Plus, it was being played in Rafa's backyard and home field advantage can never be counted out. But Nole has been doing the unthinkable all season long and this was no different upsetting Rafa 7-5, 6-4 to claim his sixth title and remain unbeaten in 32 matches this year. Yeah, we can talk crosscourt backhands (Nole's was LETHAL) and big serving on key points but what it all came down to, as it has in their recent matches, was belief. Nole stayed with Rafa in those long, brutal rallies where the Spaniard's champion mentality normally gains a foothold and waited for the right opportunity to go on the full attack. Even when he lost the two break advantage in the first set he never wavered or flinched.

In a tennis match you only need to be better than one other person. And when that person is Rafa and you're playing on clay and win, you know you're doing something special. Now onto Rome where Nole can grab the top ranking if he wins the title. Good grief.

"Good for you, Nole, but I ain't giving lip service to this thing."

Petra Kvitova strikes an intriguing figure. When she smiles she reveals a mouth full of metal [SELF REVELATORY ALERT: I, too, had chosen to wear those things in my early twenties. And went dateless. But I really love my teeth now...] and struts around the court with a Lindsay Davenport-esque posture and gait. I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that the girl can smack a bitch up. No, I'm not talking about Vika who she defeated 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 to win Madrid. I'm talking about the ball, the poor felty thing that she strikes so beautifully with such ease. Like Linds, her timing is impeccable causing the ball to leap off her racket with lethal precision and pace.

Vika, as hard as she hits the ball, was mostly forced into the role of retriever - not a winning game play for the Belarusian. In fact it's not a path to success for Kvits, either, which is why her Plan A of first-strike tennis in the final worked so well. Here's the flip side, though: When Plan A hits the skids we've seen some f-ugly losses from the newly-minted Top Tenner. Consistency has yet to befriend Kvits as it has with Vika recently which is why the Czech remains a work in progress. But if she gets on a HAWT streak for, say, seven straight matches over a fortnight it wouldn't surprise either.

[Photo(s): Getty Images] 

VIDEO VAULT: Nadal knows lobs

I'm pretty busy with work today but I just had to mention quickly the astounding feat that was Novak Djokovic's first EVAH defeat of Rafael Nadal on clay in the Madrid final today. The Serb won 7-5, 6-4 breaking Rafa's 37-match win streak on clay and upping his season opening win streak to 32-0. I'll have more to say about Nole's huge win as well as Petra Kvitova's victory over Victoria Azarenka in the women's final a bit later.

In the meantime, here's video of another astounding feat from the match: Rafa's 'tweener lob winner. There was some sick shit going on in this match. Seriously.

[Video: ATP ]

PHOTO OP: Eyes wide shut

"Please GAWD let that ball be on the strings..."

Did anyone else notice Thomaz Bellucci, who's having the tourney of his life after knocking out Top Tenners Andy Murray + Tomas Berdych and reaching his first Masters 1000 semifinal in Madrid, hits his spinny, lefty forehand with his eyes completely shut? It's true. I noticed it after I was sifting through a bunch of his match photos. Strangely, it only happens on his forehand and not his backhand. It's an odd habit, but tennis ballers are full of 'em as we all know.

All I can say is the Brazilian better have those pretty peepers wide open and focused for his next match when he takes on Novak Djokovic, who raised his record in 2011 to 30-0 after getting past David Ferrer today 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Nole's only trailing John McEnroe (42 in 1984) and Bjorn Borg (31 in 1980) for the record of longest winning streak to open a season. Holy fucking hell. I mean, WHAT IS THAT???

Anyway, back to Thomaz. More shots of his closed eye FH after the jump - click the head if you need more proof. But don't say I didn't tell you so. Even though you will.

PHOTO OP: Wonder Twin powers ACTIVATE!

 

"Shape of a Babolat AeroPro Drive GT...PLEASE."

So, yeah, that's my update on Rafael Nadal and the defense of his Madrid Masters 1000 title. Insightful, eh? He's been steamrolling as usual and even got a walkover when Juan Martin del Potro withdrew yesterday with the hip injury he sustained in Estoril (uber *sad face* for Delpo but happy he's being cautious with Roland Garros on its way). I was so looking forward to that match but it wasn't meant to be in Madrid. Let's hope we see those two ball where it really matters, though, at RG.

Today, the top seed pummeled Michael Llodra 6-2, 6-2 bringing him to 36 straight matches on clay. You could tell he wasn't in the mood to putz around early on though the Frenchie's serve and volley tactic probably wasn't the right one either. The Spaniard now gets either Roger Federer or Robin Soderling. Good luck to them. Really.

[Photo(s): Getty Images]

SIGHTING: Night & Day

Last night, Maria Sharapova and fiance Sasha Vujacic (no doubt Ice Rink was there, too) were spotted hand-in-hand leaving a Madrid restaurant. It's rare to see Sasha at her matches (probably 'cause he's kinda busy ballin' himself) but he's been there all week fist pumping and cheering her on. Cuteness. As I type this post Shrieka is battling Dominika Cibulkova in the third round of Madrid. Here's some trivia for your ass: They've never played against each other on any surface besides clay. It's true.

Five more images of Shrieka + Sasha after the jump.

Today, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Fernando Verdasco in the Magic Box to watch Rafael Nadal crush Marco Baghdatis 6-1, 6-3 and Roger Federer save match point and edge out Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (13), 6-7 (1), 7-6 (7) in an absolute second round thrillfest. While Cristiano seemed calm during the Fed-Feli match Fer couldn't help but rise up out of his seat to urge his boy on. In the end, a determined Fed and a shanked overhead by Feli told the tale. That one's going to huuuurt.

Two more pics of Cristiano & Co. after the jump.

PHOTO OP: A helping hand

"Uh, that's not my hip, sir."

Remember last week when I said, "I can't wait to see what [Juan Martin del Potro] does at Roland Garros. Could be kinda awesome (no jinx, really)" in this post? Now, I'm pretty sure my words don't have magical powers (that I know of) but look what happened.

Delpo defeated Mikhail Youzhny 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in the first round of Madrid today but aggravated a hip injury he suffered during his run to the title in Estoril:

It’s a pain that I've had since Estoril and maybe it could be because it has been a long time since I played on clay. I always want to win and I think of winning no matter the amount of pain and it's a type of pain that allows me to play. It’s a Masters 1000 where there are lot of people looking at me to do the best I can and that’s why I continued on the court, because I knew I could win the match.

He also said he doesn't want to take a chance of missing out on Roland Garros by playing with the injury:

I will be careful for my future - I am playing really well last week and this, but my first goal is to play healthy. I want to be safe this week so I don't want to risk my presentation in French Open.

I agree. If it's bothering you, Delpo, pack it up. You're playing some top level ball right now and getting better each match. Even Nole said you'll be Top 5 by end of year. So don't be a hero. Save that for RG you big lug.

[Photo(s): AFP PHOTO / DANI POZO]

PHOTO OP: Talk the talk

"Not a good look for you Andy. Just sayin'."

That Andy Roddick lost a match on clay is not a surprise. That he lost to Flavio Cipolla, a baller who hadn't won a tour-level main draw match this season until today, in the first round of Madrid is a little bit more surprising. Or depressing depending on how you feel about the former U.S. Open champ.

A-Rod also didn't get a warning from Mo for the amount of fuck bombs he dropped during the 6-4, 6-7 (9), 6-3 loss. Yes, they were plentiful like the hairs on his face. Now THAT was a surprise. The beard, guys, the beard. Not cute.

[Photo(s): Julian Finney/Getty Images]

Breaking down the rankings and points for the Mutua Madrid Open

(Hey y'all, please welcome author and fellow tennis freak Richard Dedor. He's a new contributor to Down the Line! and will be discussing rankings and points for the blog. Enjoy!)

Not much can change at the top of the ATP this week in Madrid. Nadal is the defending champion so 1,000 points are on the line, but with a cushion of nearly 3,000 points he is going to make it to Paris solid. Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, has the best chance of anyone to make a big move this week. He has zero, take that zero points to defend in Madrid so look for him to remain No. 2. Roger Federer is a little more than 1,000 points behind Djokovic and has 600 (finalist) points to defend. With his play of late, I would look for him to lose some points this week. Finally, Andy Murray, who is coming off an elbow injury has quarterfinal points to defend but his movement will be negligible no matter what happens.

The biggest change in the WTA in Madrid can come from Kim Clijsters' absence. Even though she didn't play Rome and, thus, won't lose any points, she could be passed by No. 3 ranked Vera Zvonareva. (Yes I said Rome ... due to a scheduling change, Rome points or 16th best come off this week.) Caroline Wozniacki can seriously pad her ranking with a good showing in Madrid; with an 1,800 point lead, a win, or just a strong showing (she only has 125 points to defend) in Madrid would make the No. 1 ranking going into Wimbledon almost a sure bet. The players ranked between 4-8 could see the most movement: No. 4 Francesca Schiavone currently has 4,892 points followed by Victoria Azarenka, Sam Stosur, Na Li and Jelena Jankovic who all fall between Schiavone and 4,235 points. A win or good showing by any of them could shake up the rankings heading into Paris.

About Richard: A life-long tennis fan, Richard offers thoughts on rankings for both the ATP and WTA. He runs a tennis blog, The Let Tennis, and is the author of two books, including his latest, Anything is Possible. You can visit his website at http://richarddedor.com.
[Photo(s): Reuters]

SIGHTING: Ronaldo, Raul and Rafa

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo + Raul paid a locker room visit to Rafael Nadal after he defeated Ukrainian qualifier Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr. 6-4, 6-3 in the second round of Madrid Masters.

But forget this meet up. Here's hoping Cristiano didn't run into Feliciano Lopez around the Magic Box because, well, it could get all sticky stuff. And not in the good way.


[Photo(s): Getty]

PHOTO OP: The Thinker

Dinara Safina pumps herself up during her 6-3, 6-4 win over Alona Bondarenko in Madrid.

The world's top lady baller will face Patty Schnyder who upset Jelena Jankovic 7-6 (6), 6-3 in the final four. The other semifinal pits Caroline Wozniacki against (surprise, surprise) Amelie Mauresmo.

(image via ap)

VANtage Point: Meet up at Madrid Mutua Madrileña

Whew! After dominating the clay-court season with my Rafa-winning picks in Monte Carlo and Rome here at VANtage Point, a much-needed break was in order. See, there’s a lot of work involved in looking at a draw that has Nadal in it, particularly on clay, and tapping him as the winner. I have to use something that I don’t always put into play: common sense. Anyway, I’m back and ready to keep on digging in the dirt here at the Point!

A Look Back: Well, the last time I was here was around Rome time, which Nadal won, but that’s old news. How about that week of tennis that just transpired? It started off with Serena Williams saying she’s the true number one, then promptly losing her first-round match in Rome. Dinara Safina and Svetlana Kuznetsova met in the finals of an event for the second week in a row, this time with top-ranked Safina winning. James Blake made his first European clay-court final (and the first by an American since 2003!) and there was a Mikhail Youzhny sighting in Munich, but he lost to another guy that’s been MIA, Tomas Berdych, in a wild three-setter in the finals. Novak Djokovic won that tourney his family runs and Yanina Wickmayer won the women’s Estoril event.

All this and news breaks of Richard Gasquet testing positive for coke (not “a-cola”, but the powdery stuff)! What a week!

This Week’s Spotlight: Madrid is the place to be for the boys and gals we call professional tennis players as the last major event before the French has kicked off. The only big-time player missing in either draw is Ana Ivanovic, who pulled out with a knee injury. I mean, even newlywed Andy Roddick, who hasn’t seen a clay-court event since 2003, it seems, is here. It must be a big deal!

Players to Watch: Let’s start with the guys and I want to mention something I just noticed looking at the draw. In Nadal’s quarter, there are eight Spaniards. Now that’s a lot of Spaniards! And it’s almost all the big ones: David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco, Feliciano Lopez, Juan Ferrero, etc. I guess the organizers want a lot of all-Spanish matchups! Watch Verdasco, though. I think he can push Nadal in the quarters. And in the semis, Rafa’s drawn to play Djoko, who is someone else I’d say keep an eye on. He’s played a LOT of tennis the past few weeks. How will he hold up? See the full men's draw here.


On the women’s side, can Serena snap this losing streak she’s on? That’s a tough first-rounder she has against Francesca Schiavone. Big sis Venus looked real good in Rome, and I like her to keep it up here. That’s rough to see Safina and Kuznetsova drawn against each other in the quarters when they’ve been the star dirtballers so far. Check out the full ladies' draw here.

The Final Fours: For the guys, I’m going to go with Nadal over Andreas Seppi (his upset of Djokovic will be the biggest call made by VANtage Point of the season!) and Roger Federer over Tommy Robredo.

For the women, I like Safina topping Jelena Jankovic and Elena Dementieva beating Venus Williams.

And the Winners Are: A week off will have done both Rafa and I good as he picks up the crown and I look like a genius (yeah, right) for picking him, and Safina goes back-to-back with tournament wins.

Van Sias writes the blog Tennis Talk, Anyone?

(images via getty)

La Caja Mágica to debut at next week's Madrid Mutua Madrileña

La Caja Mágica (The Magic Box) - Madrid, Spain
Architect: Dominique Perrault
Features 3 adjustable roofs that can be open or closed in 20 minutes
Manolo: Stadium Court, seats 12,500
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario: Second court, seats 5,000
Unnamed third court seats 3,000
Four additional outdoor courts
Not only retract but can be "lifted" like the lid of a box

“We can be 100 percent outdoors, and in that case, the roof slides,” Perrault said. “And then there are these intermediate positions which are very comfortable and which give the feeling of being outdoors but also protect the courts from the wind.

“The box is also not constructed with walls. It’s constructed with a metal casing that acts like a big curtain that lets the air pass through but stops the sun and the wind and also the rain. At night, the box is a magic lantern. The light comes from the interior of the building, and then, at that moment, it lights up the entire curtain and the facade disappears, and we see the structures of the stadium inside.”

Full story here.

(image via nytimes.com)

(UPDATED) VIDEO VAULT: Rafa practices with Nando, cuts the lovely locks

Rafael Nadal + Fernando Verdasco came together for a practice session at the "Magic Box" venue in preparation for the Madrid Masters 1000 tourney next week.

So the Rafalocks are def shorter. Personally, I think it was time for him to get a cut.

Love it or leave it?

DO TELL!


UPDATE: Check out Nadal News for more shots of Rafa at the practice session with his newly-cropped 'do!

(via rafaelnadal.com)

WEEKEND WINNERS: Andy, Venus

Andy Murray - Madrid

What a week for the Brit baller. The 21-year old grabbed his second consecutive Masters Series shield, fourth title this season (the first Brit to accomplish the feat), and seventh overall ATP title when he defeated Roger Federer (increasing his head-to-head over the Swiss to 3-2) in the semifinals and Frenchie Gilles Simon in the final 6-4, 7-6 (6). The US Open finalist looks to be playing the best ball around at the moment and is certainly setting himself up nicely to take his first Masters Cup title.

Venus Williams - Zurich

Finally! The Wimbledon champ actually won another tournament other than her fave grass-court major when she defeated Flavia Pennetta 7-6 (1), 6-2, stopping a surprising 3-match losing streak to the Italian. V also defeated Ana Ivanovic in a tight 3-setter in the semifinals and may have secured her spot in Doha with this win. Stay tuned...

(images via AFP + Getty)

Confessions of a Madrid Masters ballgirl - would you leave the house with a puffy face?

So we've been given an insidery look into what it's like for a ballkid at the US and Aussie Opens. Now we get a peek into the challenges facing the models-turned-ballgirls at the Madrid Masters.

Karly Baptista is taking her turn throwing balls and handing towels to the biggest ballers on the ATP Tour. But this wasn't the gig she was expecting when she got the call:

The truth is that it was pure coincidence. I received a call from a friend to attend a casting like any other, when they told me it was to work as a ball-girl in of the most important tennis tournament's in Spain I was somewhat astonished.

Karly described the rigorous preparations the models must go through before hitting the court:

The truth is that, we have to get up very early so that when we eventaully (sic) get there our faces are not puffed. Then we go through hairdressing, make-up and the internal review to check that our clothing and appearance are perfect - the modeling things.

Sounds like my morning ritual - I never leave the house before my face has un-puffed. Anyway, the 27-year old also revealed who she'd like to be stranded on a deserted island with:

On a deserted island I would go with Djokovic and Federer, the first for his great humor which characterises him and the second for the class and elegance he exudes.

What, no Rafa? At least we know this ballgirl isn't allowing blind allegiances, bad hair, or screwy makeup to disrupt her important responsibilities on-court. Phew.

(image via mutuamad-mastersmadrid.com)

PHOTO OP: Nicole follows Radek to Madrid, leaves game in the pits

Nicole Vaidisova accompanied boyfriend Radek Stepanek, who'll face a returning Roger Federer on Wednesday, on the press line for the Madrid Masters baller party.

First of all, Nicole wore this same outfit on the press line in Moscow last week - NOT GOOD. Secondly, why is she following "The Worm" around the globe when her game is in the pits?

Seriously Nicole, get a grip.

(image via atp)

Fed to play Madrid Masters, Academy Award in the mail

Madrid Masters' tournament director Manolo Santana confirmed today that Roger Federer will be playing in the Spanish city next week, ending his self-imposed 3-week break.

On October 1st, the Swiss stylist announced he was taking an indefinite break to "to get a proper rest and get strong again so that I am 100% fit for the remainder of the year or next year."

In light of today's news, Fed's announcement now seems a little dramatic and over-the-top. It certainly got the media and fans (myself included) speculating about whether he'd be returning to the game this year or next, his health and level of physical fitness, etc. I suppose he needed to let the Swedes down easy but I dare say it gained him a lot of publicity as well.

"And the Oscar goes to..."

(image via Getty)

FASHION FIX: Nike continues their tedious tennis sponsorship

This is getting bad: We harped on Nike's recent repeat performance with their players' tennis gear at the Madrid Masters and now they're at it again. Feliciano Lopez and Juan Martin Del Potro played against each other at the Paris Masters today, but they might as well have been playing with themselves.

How boring for the fans, frankly, to see two players battling it out on the same tennis court looking like mirror images of each other. If you're sitting in the nose bleed sections, you can't tell who's who.

Nike - tennis is not a team sport, it's an individual sport. Get it?

FASHION FIX: Nike bores to tears, Winter Global Power Sleeveless in blue needs to go

End of our rope: Believe us, we like this Nike shirt. We think the colors are great and it shows off the player's sexy guns. But we're through and bored, frankly. We've seen our fill of the Winter Global Power Sleeveless Top in crystal blue at this week's Madrid Masters. The Spanish trio - Rafael Nadal, Carlos Moya, Feliciano Lopez - and the fiery Austrian Stefan Koubek have all sported it during their matches here and elsewhere, sometimes at the same time.


Hello - the shirt also comes in 2 other great colors, people. We're beating an already dead horse, but tour stylist anyone?!!

Moments from Madrid: Federer returns, media frenzy follows

The media & fan frenzy never stops when Roger Federer is around. After taking over a month off after winning his 12th Grand Slam and playing for Switzerland in the Davis Cup, the World No. 1 returned to tournament action at this week's Madrid Masters. And so did the media madness...

Photo op: Fed made sure to greet his terracotta twin at a pre-tournament press conference and take some photos with his alter ego, Warrior Federer.

Tennis tour: Next he toured Madrid and visited the construction site of one of the four new skyscrapers currently being built in the Spanish city. We think he looks cool and casual in the brown bomber jacket, black shirt, and jeans - though we'd move him away from boot cut denim (very 2005).

Game on: Oh, let's not forget Fed actually played some tennis this week. Today he met his recent nemesis, Guillermo Canas, who had bested the Swiss stylist in consecutive Masters Series this past spring - Indian Wells & the Sony Ericsson Open. Clearly, Fed had a different idea in mind today and was at his brilliant best, demolishing the Argentinian 6-0, 6-3.

Finally, Fed received the Marca Award from ATP Masters tennis tournament Madrid director Manolo Sants and the director of daily sportsnewspaper Marca Eduardo Inda after his win against Canas. All in a day's work for the World No. 1.

(images courtesy of AP Photo)