Showing posts with label Tennis 2011. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tennis 2011. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Biggest Men's Disappointment: Fernando Verdasco
It didn’t appear that Fernando Verdasco enjoyed playing tennis in 2011. He had finished the previous year at No. 9, and it seemed that his star might still be on the rise, a rise that had begun with his first Grand Slam semifinal appearance, at the 2009 Australian Open. Over the next two seasons, Verdasco had established himself as one of the the ATP’s solid second tier of stars, and one of the tour’s most popular players.
This year was a long slide back down the hill. Verdasco started decently, with a fourth-round appearance in Melbourne and a runner-up finish in San Jose. But by Indian Wells, where he lost to Sam Querrey, signs of implosion were surfacing. Verdasco lost in the first round at the Masters events in Key Biscayne, Monte Carlo, and Madrid. He went out early at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open. By the fall, his ranking was down to No. 24, and he generally looked like he’d rather be anywhere else than on a court. Verdasco lost what may have been the ugliest match of the year, to fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal in Cincinnati. Even in his one triumph, as a member of the winning Davis Cup team, he played horribly. In the semis and final, Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez, once a reliable team, suffered badly lopsided defeats in doubles. Let’s hope his teammates’ victories put him in a better frame of mind for the new year.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Greatest point: Djokovic and Murray’s 39-point Aussie rally
It's tough to remember now, but there was a time not so long ago when Novak Djokovic's ascension to the top of the tennis world hardly seemed inevitable. Entering the 2011 season, Djokovic figured to contend in Grand Slams as he had for the previous three years. Winning three in a single year and finishing the year as a clear-cut No. 1? Not even the most ardent Djokovic fans had that in their sights.
When Djokovic stepped onto the court in the finals of the Australian Open, he did it as No. 3 player in the world. He defeated Roger Federer in a Slam semifinal for the second consecutive major and faced world No. 4 Andy Murray in the final. The pair traded holds for the first nine games of the match before Djokovic got out to an early 30-15 lead on Murray's serve at 4-5. The two exchanged a 39-shot rally that highlighted Djokovic's sterling defense.
It's tough to remember now, but there was a time not so long ago when Novak Djokovic's ascension to the top of the tennis world hardly seemed inevitable. Entering the 2011 season, Djokovic figured to contend in Grand Slams as he had for the previous three years. Winning three in a single year and finishing the year as a clear-cut No. 1? Not even the most ardent Djokovic fans had that in their sights.
When Djokovic stepped onto the court in the finals of the Australian Open, he did it as No. 3 player in the world. He defeated Roger Federer in a Slam semifinal for the second consecutive major and faced world No. 4 Andy Murray in the final. The pair traded holds for the first nine games of the match before Djokovic got out to an early 30-15 lead on Murray's serve at 4-5. The two exchanged a 39-shot rally that highlighted Djokovic's sterling defense.
It's tough to remember now, but there was a time not so long ago when Novak Djokovic's ascension to the top of the tennis world hardly seemed inevitable. Entering the 2011 season, Djokovic figured to contend in Grand Slams as he had for the previous three years. Winning three in a single year and finishing the year as a clear-cut No. 1? Not even the most ardent Djokovic fans had that in their sights.
When Djokovic stepped onto the court in the finals of the Australian Open, he did it as No. 3 player in the world. He defeated Roger Federer in a Slam semifinal for the second consecutive major and faced world No. 4 Andy Murray in the final. The pair traded holds for the first nine games of the match before Djokovic got out to an early 30-15 lead on Murray's serve at 4-5. The two exchanged a 39-shot rally that highlighted Djokovic's sterling defense.
RIVALRIES 2011 - DJOKOVIC VS. FEDERER
| Tournament | Winner | Score |
| Djokovic | 76(3) 75 64 | |
| Djokovic | 63 63 | |
| Djokovic | 63 36 62 | |
| Federer | 76(5) 63 36 76(5) | |
| Djokovic | 67(7) 46 63 62 75 |
DJOKOVIC NAMED BBC OVERSEAS SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic won the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award on Thursday night. He beat Barcelona and Argentina footballer Lionel Messi and German Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel to the prestigious award.
"Thank you for this beautiful award," Djokovic told BBC Sport in a recorded interview. "I am very honoured and privileged to be on the list of great champions who have won this award in the past.
"Looking back on 2011, it has been the best season of my career. I won three Grand Slams and, who knows, next year, one of my goals is to go for all four."
The 24-year-old Serbian compiled a 70-6 match record in 2011, which included winning his first 41 matches. He won the Australian Open,Wimbledon, US Open and seven other singles titles.
First awarded in 1960, Djokovic follows in the footsteps of Rod Laver, who won in 1969, Arthur Ashe (1975), Bjorn Borg (1979), Jimmy Connors(1982), Boris Becker (1985), Andre Agassi (1992), Goran Ivanisevic(2001), Roger Federer (2004, 2006-07) and Rafael Nadal (2010).
The winner was decided by a panel of sports editors from British national and regional newspapers and magazines.
Djokovic was recently nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award. The awards ceremony will be held on 6 February in London.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
RIVALRIES 2011 - DJOKOVIC VS. MURRAY
Djokovic vs. Murray: 2011 Meetings
Tournament | Winner | Score |
Australian Open Final | Djokovic | 64 62 63 |
Rome SF | Djokovic | 61 36 76(2) |
Cincinnati Final | Murray | 64 30 ret. |
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
The Worst Matches of 2011
We have a year with the best matches from Nole, Roger, Rafa... .Beside there are some disappointed matches. But they're a part of tennis world. Take some minute to see the worst matches of 2011.
1. Australian Open final: Novak Djokovic d. Andy Murray, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3
Okay, nobody knew at the start of the year just how tough Djokovic would be in 2011; had they any idea, they might have been less inclined to throw cheese doodles at the television, or return that long-neglected phone call to an irritating in-law while the match was still going on. But this was a legitimate stinker.
The strange thing was that Murray didn't even drop a set in the tournament until he was well into his quarterfinal match with Alexandr Dolgopolov. Given that we all labored under the impression that this was still the "old" Djokovic (the one who, at any moment, might come down with some mysterious respiratory ailment, or just plain run out of steam), Murray's downhill slide through the final could almost be called majestic. Rarely has a legitimate contender looked so out of his league, so much like a game but obviously inadequate "battler," or amateur—a type easily conjured up by Murray, what with those ankle braces, that pasty complexion, the woeful colors they dress him in, the generally slovenly appearance—and let's not forget his tendency to freak out in a way that's neither charming nor particularly menacing.
One generally overlooked factor might have contributed to Murray's ragged play: In the semis, Murray had overcome David Ferrer. The match went "only" four sets, but two of them were tiebreakers, and Ferrer's grinding, war-of-attrition style forced Murray to stay on court for just 14 minutes shy of four hours. Murray just had to be stiff and sore for the final, despite the day of rest.
By the end, though, when Murray cried during the presentation ceremony, all you could think was, "Poor guy, he's in wa-a-a-a-a-y over his head. . ."
And it turned out that in 2011, just about everyone else who met Djokovic until mid-September was as well.
2. Miami Masters semifinal: Rafael Nadal d. Roger Federer, 6-3, 6-2
Federer got off to a great start in 2011. He won Doha, then made the semis at the Australian Open (l. to Djokovic). He was also in the final of Dubai and semifinals Indian Wells (l. to Djokovic at both), by which time it was becoming clear that something special was going on with Djokovic.
By contrast, Nadal didn't seem quite dialed in. He lost to Nikolay Davydenko at Doha. At the Australian Open, Nadal was cut down to size by Ferrer, his countryman. No shame in that, until you factor in that Nadal was 11-3 against Ferrer in previous matches. And Nadal was coming off a final-round loss at Indian Wells—to Djokovic.
Clearly, Djokovic had interrupted something that most fans and pundits considered rare and special—the Nadal v. Federer rivalry. So what if they would have to renew it in the semis, with the winner thrown to the new lion, Djokovic? The atmosphere in the stadium at Crandon Park was electric, the air of anticipation palpable as the players took the court.
Well, the match was an enormous disappointment, mainly because Federer basically didn't show up. It was just one of those nights. He appeared sluggish, indifferent, almost peevish. At times, it looked as if the Swiss icon was lost in his own private Idaho, far from sultry Miami. Federer had just two break points in the match; Nadal swept both of them aside. Nadal had five break points and converted four. Federer won just 17 percent of his first-serve return points (compared to Nadal's 42 percent) and only 36 percent of his second-serve return points (Nadal won 52 percent).
The result: a cringe-inducing beatdown that led to Federer-bashing which would last until the semis of the French Open, where Federer finally ended Djokovic's winning streak.
3. Bastad, semifinal: Robin Soderling d. Tomas Berdych, 6-1, 6-0
At the time, Soderling was No. 5 and Berdych No. 7, and the two big men had played a brutal, exhausting, five-set semifinal at Roland Garros in their most recent meeting (in 2010, won by Soderling). So the stage was set for a competitive feast, but it just didn't work out that way.
Soderling blasted his way to 11 break points, converting five. Meanwhile, Berdych was unable to convert even one of his four break points. It was a 71-minute match, and ugly—but not in the way everyone expected. The takeaway: you don't want to mess with Soderling on his home turf. File that away, Davis Cup captains of the world.
4. U.S. Open, second round: Marin Cilic d. Bernard Tomic, 6-1, 6-0, 6-2
Tomic officially became the "next big thing" at Wimbledon just two months before the U.S. Open. He had ousted Davydenko and Soderling in straight sets on the grass, and he took the first set off the utterly dominant Djokovic in the quarterfinals before his breakout run ended.
By contrast, Cilic was a "former next big thing"—a rangy, raw-boned, punishing, heavy hitter who was supposed to take his place alongside the likes of Juan Martin del Potro, Soderling, and Berdych to challenge the ruling order. But Cilic became surprisingly inconsistent; his game was all over the map and he ranked just No. 28 at the U.S. Open. With his crafty, touch-based game, Tomic was expected by many to give Cilic all he could handle, and take another giant step toward the big time.
In a best-of-five laughter that lasted all of 80 minutes, Cilic pounded Tomic into the ground as if he were a mere tent stake. Cilic won an amazing 72 percent of his second-serve return points, and he broke the 18-year old Aussie eight times—even though Tomic was actually three percentage points better in the first-serve conversion department, 56 to 53 percent. By the end, Aussie fans were in less need of Tomic than a strong tonic.
5. Tokyo, final: Andy Murray d. Rafael Nadal, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0
Nadal losing a third and decisive set 6-0? That's stop-the-presses news, although it couldn't have been all that riveting for the Japanese fans assembled to watch what had shaped up, at least on paper, as a competitive final.
Nadal had gotten the best of Murray in the semis of the previous three Grand Slam events, and was reasonably rested, having played just two Davis Cup matches since the U.S. Open final. Nadal had won those in straight sets, at home, against Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, giving up a grand total of 10 games in those blowouts.
But Nadal had a history of tailing off in the fall, and like everyone else he was still reeling from the way Djokovic had come to dominate the tour. Among other things, the Serb had snatched away Nadal's No. 1 ranking. As well, Murray was on a hot streak, having lost just one match since the Cincinnati Masters way back in August, and he had just won Bangkok.
So what happened? In that third, bagel set, Murray happened to play what he would later describe as the best set he's ever played against Nadal. He allowed Nadal just four—that's right, four—points in the set, leading Nadal to shrug and explain it all with one word: "unbelievable." The win improved Murray's match record to 21-1 since the start of Cincy, and he would add seven more wins before Berdych ended his streak at the Paris Masters.
You know what they say—what goes around, comes around. It was a very different Andy Murray at the end of the year than at the beginning, way back in Melbourne Park.
1. Australian Open final: Novak Djokovic d. Andy Murray, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3
Okay, nobody knew at the start of the year just how tough Djokovic would be in 2011; had they any idea, they might have been less inclined to throw cheese doodles at the television, or return that long-neglected phone call to an irritating in-law while the match was still going on. But this was a legitimate stinker.
The strange thing was that Murray didn't even drop a set in the tournament until he was well into his quarterfinal match with Alexandr Dolgopolov. Given that we all labored under the impression that this was still the "old" Djokovic (the one who, at any moment, might come down with some mysterious respiratory ailment, or just plain run out of steam), Murray's downhill slide through the final could almost be called majestic. Rarely has a legitimate contender looked so out of his league, so much like a game but obviously inadequate "battler," or amateur—a type easily conjured up by Murray, what with those ankle braces, that pasty complexion, the woeful colors they dress him in, the generally slovenly appearance—and let's not forget his tendency to freak out in a way that's neither charming nor particularly menacing.
One generally overlooked factor might have contributed to Murray's ragged play: In the semis, Murray had overcome David Ferrer. The match went "only" four sets, but two of them were tiebreakers, and Ferrer's grinding, war-of-attrition style forced Murray to stay on court for just 14 minutes shy of four hours. Murray just had to be stiff and sore for the final, despite the day of rest.
By the end, though, when Murray cried during the presentation ceremony, all you could think was, "Poor guy, he's in wa-a-a-a-a-y over his head. . ."
And it turned out that in 2011, just about everyone else who met Djokovic until mid-September was as well.
2. Miami Masters semifinal: Rafael Nadal d. Roger Federer, 6-3, 6-2
Federer got off to a great start in 2011. He won Doha, then made the semis at the Australian Open (l. to Djokovic). He was also in the final of Dubai and semifinals Indian Wells (l. to Djokovic at both), by which time it was becoming clear that something special was going on with Djokovic.
By contrast, Nadal didn't seem quite dialed in. He lost to Nikolay Davydenko at Doha. At the Australian Open, Nadal was cut down to size by Ferrer, his countryman. No shame in that, until you factor in that Nadal was 11-3 against Ferrer in previous matches. And Nadal was coming off a final-round loss at Indian Wells—to Djokovic.
Clearly, Djokovic had interrupted something that most fans and pundits considered rare and special—the Nadal v. Federer rivalry. So what if they would have to renew it in the semis, with the winner thrown to the new lion, Djokovic? The atmosphere in the stadium at Crandon Park was electric, the air of anticipation palpable as the players took the court.
Well, the match was an enormous disappointment, mainly because Federer basically didn't show up. It was just one of those nights. He appeared sluggish, indifferent, almost peevish. At times, it looked as if the Swiss icon was lost in his own private Idaho, far from sultry Miami. Federer had just two break points in the match; Nadal swept both of them aside. Nadal had five break points and converted four. Federer won just 17 percent of his first-serve return points (compared to Nadal's 42 percent) and only 36 percent of his second-serve return points (Nadal won 52 percent).
The result: a cringe-inducing beatdown that led to Federer-bashing which would last until the semis of the French Open, where Federer finally ended Djokovic's winning streak.
3. Bastad, semifinal: Robin Soderling d. Tomas Berdych, 6-1, 6-0
At the time, Soderling was No. 5 and Berdych No. 7, and the two big men had played a brutal, exhausting, five-set semifinal at Roland Garros in their most recent meeting (in 2010, won by Soderling). So the stage was set for a competitive feast, but it just didn't work out that way.
Soderling blasted his way to 11 break points, converting five. Meanwhile, Berdych was unable to convert even one of his four break points. It was a 71-minute match, and ugly—but not in the way everyone expected. The takeaway: you don't want to mess with Soderling on his home turf. File that away, Davis Cup captains of the world.
4. U.S. Open, second round: Marin Cilic d. Bernard Tomic, 6-1, 6-0, 6-2
Tomic officially became the "next big thing" at Wimbledon just two months before the U.S. Open. He had ousted Davydenko and Soderling in straight sets on the grass, and he took the first set off the utterly dominant Djokovic in the quarterfinals before his breakout run ended.
By contrast, Cilic was a "former next big thing"—a rangy, raw-boned, punishing, heavy hitter who was supposed to take his place alongside the likes of Juan Martin del Potro, Soderling, and Berdych to challenge the ruling order. But Cilic became surprisingly inconsistent; his game was all over the map and he ranked just No. 28 at the U.S. Open. With his crafty, touch-based game, Tomic was expected by many to give Cilic all he could handle, and take another giant step toward the big time.
In a best-of-five laughter that lasted all of 80 minutes, Cilic pounded Tomic into the ground as if he were a mere tent stake. Cilic won an amazing 72 percent of his second-serve return points, and he broke the 18-year old Aussie eight times—even though Tomic was actually three percentage points better in the first-serve conversion department, 56 to 53 percent. By the end, Aussie fans were in less need of Tomic than a strong tonic.
5. Tokyo, final: Andy Murray d. Rafael Nadal, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0Nadal losing a third and decisive set 6-0? That's stop-the-presses news, although it couldn't have been all that riveting for the Japanese fans assembled to watch what had shaped up, at least on paper, as a competitive final.
Nadal had gotten the best of Murray in the semis of the previous three Grand Slam events, and was reasonably rested, having played just two Davis Cup matches since the U.S. Open final. Nadal had won those in straight sets, at home, against Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, giving up a grand total of 10 games in those blowouts.
But Nadal had a history of tailing off in the fall, and like everyone else he was still reeling from the way Djokovic had come to dominate the tour. Among other things, the Serb had snatched away Nadal's No. 1 ranking. As well, Murray was on a hot streak, having lost just one match since the Cincinnati Masters way back in August, and he had just won Bangkok.
So what happened? In that third, bagel set, Murray happened to play what he would later describe as the best set he's ever played against Nadal. He allowed Nadal just four—that's right, four—points in the set, leading Nadal to shrug and explain it all with one word: "unbelievable." The win improved Murray's match record to 21-1 since the start of Cincy, and he would add seven more wins before Berdych ended his streak at the Paris Masters.
You know what they say—what goes around, comes around. It was a very different Andy Murray at the end of the year than at the beginning, way back in Melbourne Park.
Rivalries 2011 - Nadal vs. Federer
It is one of the most storied rivalries in tennis history, as fans around the world follow intently when Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer battle it out on court. Nadal continued to extend his advantage in his FedEx ATP Head 2 Head series with Federer, winning three of four meetings against his Swiss opponent during the 2011 season to move ahead 17-9. But Federer had the final say at the end of the year, sending a message that he will be a fierce competitor in 2012.
Their first clash was a highly anticipated semi-final encounter at the Sony Ericsson Open, where the two were meeting for the first time in six years on North American soil. However, the Star-Spangled blockbuster did not quite live up to its billing, as Nadal compiled an all-around performance to dismiss Federer 6-3, 6-2, advancing to his third Miami final.
“In general, I think I played a very, very good match, very solid and serious,” said Nadal. "I was playing very good from the baseline, without mistakes with my forehand, playing aggressive, so it wasn't an easy situation [for him] when [he was] back all the time in the score.”
Nadal was victorious again when the two squared off in the semi-finals of the Mutua Madrid Open, rallying from a set down to win 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 and claim his 37th straight win on clay.
“I thought Rafa played well and me too at times so it was a good match," Federer said. "It was it a good first set and even the second set at 6-1 doesn’t tell the truth and the third as well. I felt it was very close. Maybe the result doesn’t show as much but I thought I was right here.”
The dynamic duo met for the third time, four weeks later, in the Roland Garros final - though their match-up was somewhat unexpected. Riding a wave of strong form, Federer knocked out then Novak Djokovic - who, at the time, was undefeated in 41 matches in 2011 - in the semi-finals. The 16-time major champion showed his hunger to lift another Grand Slam trophy, opening with a 5-2 lead in the first set and holding a set point against the "King Of Clay". But Nadal clawed his way back, winning five games in a row to deny Federer the set. While the 2009 champion had his opportunities throughout the match, Nadal closed him out 7-5, 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-1 in three hours and 40 minutes to win his record-tying sixth crown at the event.“For me it's something very special to equal the six titles of Bjorn Borg, for sure,” said Nadal. “But the most important thing is to win Roland Garros. It's really an honour to have this record with him. I am going to keep working to be here next year and to try to play well another time.”
Nadal and Federer did not face off again until the end of the season at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Playing his best tennis of the year, Federer sent shockwaves across the O2 Arena, dominating the round-robin meeting with a convincing 6-3, 6-0 victory over the second-ranked Nadal in 60 minutes of play. Federer cracked 28 winners to Nadal’s four, and notched his first win against the Mallorcan since defeating him in the 2010 London final.
“It was a great match for me basically from start to finish,” stated Federer. “I was able to do what I was hoping to do: dominate from the baseline, play close to the baseline, serve well, take his time away… For me it was an exciting match to play.”
The 30 year old went on to win his record-breaking sixth year-end championship, finishing 2011 with a 17-match win streak and World No. 3 ranking.
Nadal vs. Federer: 2011 Meetings
| Tournament | Winner | Score |
| Miami SF | Nadal | 63 62 |
| Madrid SF | Nadal | 57 61 63 |
| Roland Garros F | Nadal | 75 76(3) 57 61 |
| Barclays ATP World Tour Finals RR | Federer | 63 60 |
FedEx Reliability Zone: Finals Records
With the 2011 tennis season in the history books, ATPWorldTour.com takes an in-depth look at players with superior finals records using the FedEx ATP Reliability Index and finds out what makes a big match player, with analysis from former ATP World Tour favourites.
When Roger Federer lifted a record sixth trophy at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals last month, it marked his 70 tour-level title in his 100th final (.700).
Nikolay Davydenko has the best record in finals among active players with a 21-6 mark in finals (.778). He tops his contemporaries: Federer, Andy Murray at No. 11, with a 21-9 (.700) record, No. 12-ranked Rafael Nadal, with a 46-20 (. 697) mark, and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, at No. 15, with a 28-14 (.667) overall. Only Davydenko, at No. 2, and Federer, at No. 9, rank in the all-time Top 10 (since 1973).
Brad Gilbert, a former coach of Andre Agassi (59-30, .663), Andy Roddick (30-20, .600) and Murray, is well qualified to define the qualities of a big-match player. "The journey to become a big match player is a process," Gilbert told ATPWorldTour.com.
"A big match player has played a lot of matches and doesn't feel overwhelmed by the moment. It then comes down to how he executes his tactics. That's why a lot of times when you watch the top players they seem more relaxed in finals than they did in their first-round match."
Greg Rusedski, the 1997 US Open finalist and now a television analyst, believes, "the key is for a player that can be comfortable in uncomfortable situations. The more times you get to finals, the more experience you get and the bigger shots you play in the pressure moments.
"I think you have to learn to be comfortable in finals and just go after the match. If you look at all the greats, normally they win their first title in their first final. It then becomes second nature."Overall, Thomas Muster heads the FedEx ATP Reliability Index with a 44-10 (.815) record in finals. Followed by Davydenko, Thomas Enqvist (19-7, .731), Bjorn Borg (64-24, .727), Pete Sampras (64-24, .727), Joakim Nystrom (13-5, .722), Jose-Luis Clerc (25-10, .714) and John McEnroe (76-31, .710).
Former World No. 1 Ivan Lendl, who reached 142 finals (92-50, .648) during his career, openly admits to ATPWorldTour.com that he finds it difficult to define what makes a big match player. Lendl said, "I feel it is a combination of a player's confidence, mental strength, technique, feel for the match and many other things."
Television analyst Justin Gimelstob reckons, "big-match players are players that can compartmentalise the pressure and play with a level of relaxation comparable to a less significant match. They believe in their games, their patterns, and their skills." The American adds, "It is important to realise every player feels pressure; the most successful players just handle it better and play closer to their potential than others."
This year, 22 trophies were won by the Top 4 players - Djokovic (10-1 in finals), Nadal (3-7), Federer (4-2) and Murray (5-1) - in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings.
"The Top 4 are the Top 4 because they consistently perform better than their rivals," said former World No. 4 Gilbert. "I think that wears on players mentally, knowing they have to maintain their best level to beat them." Gimelstob believes, "the best players are technically more efficient, as technical flaws reveal themselves in pressure moments by breaking down and causing errors."
Djokovic compiled an ATP World Tour-best 70-6 match record in 2011 and won three Grand Slam championships. He beat World No. 2 Nadal in six finals.
Gilbert insists, "Belief and confidence are almost like brothers. When you have both, you just feel like you will always find a way to win. Athletes run on confidence. Djokovic didn't have it against Nadal before, but in 2011 he got it."
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Rivalries 2011 - Nadal vs. Murray
ATPWorldTour.com reviews how the key rivalries played out in 2011. Today we feature Rafael Nadal vs. Andy Murray.
Although the results suggested Rafael Nadal continued his dominance over Andy Murray in their 2011 meetings, Murray did not make it easy for the Spaniard and there were signs towards the end of the year that the Scot may be more of a threat to Nadal in the upcoming 2012 season.
Indeed, Murray impressed onlookers in their first clash of the year as he pushed the King of Clay to three sets in the semi-finals of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. The Scot’s controlled aggression meant for a gripping first two sets, before Nadal pulled away to secure the 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 win in two minutes shy of three hours.
"Obviously it's good to know you're able to play at a similar level to what he does on the clay," said Murray. "To win against him, you need to be able to do that for three and a half hours, four hours. He's the best player in the world for a reason."
Nadal again triumphed when the pair clashed a few weeks later in the Roland Garros semi-finals, this time with a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 win. The scoreline appeared comprehensive, but the Spaniard had saved 15 of 18 break points in the gruelling three-hour, 24-minute match. It was the first of three Grand Slam semi-finals the duo would contest in 2011, with more heartache to follow for Murray.
Four weeks later the pair came face-to-face again in the Wimbledon semi-finals. A year earlier Nadal had ruthlessly ended Murray’s dreams of glory at his home Grand Slam, but the Scot gave himself the chance to avenge that loss as he clinched the first set. The momentum abruptly swung early in the second set, though, when Murray missed a short forehand that he should have hit for a winner at 1-2, 15/30. "It was a big point," Murray said afterwards. "I went for it today, and I started to make a few mistakes after that." From there, Nadal ran out the 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 winner.
"Tennis right at the top of the game is exceptional," conceded Murray. "So not only to get level with those guys, but to push past them, you need to work harder than them."
Nadal again held Murray’s number when they met two months later in the US Open semi-finals, holding off a late fightback from the Dunblane native to secure a 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 win and reach his third major final of the season. "For sure it's an emotional day for me, winning against one of the best players in the world and reaching another final at the US Open," said the Spaniard.
Murray dominated the ATP World Tour Asian swing in the autumn, and the confidence he gained with a succession of impressive results saw him snap a five-match losing streak against Nadal when they contested the final of the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships. After losing the first set, the inspired Murray surrendered just two more games as he claimed a 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 victory.
"For sure in the third set it was some of the best tennis I’ve played against him," said Murray. "I was very consistent, didn’t make too many mistakes and kept a cool head in the important moments." Nadal, who had been allowed just four points in the decider, agreed. "He played unbelievable, he didn’t make any mistakes in the third set," said the left-hander.
Although the results suggested Rafael Nadal continued his dominance over Andy Murray in their 2011 meetings, Murray did not make it easy for the Spaniard and there were signs towards the end of the year that the Scot may be more of a threat to Nadal in the upcoming 2012 season.
Indeed, Murray impressed onlookers in their first clash of the year as he pushed the King of Clay to three sets in the semi-finals of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. The Scot’s controlled aggression meant for a gripping first two sets, before Nadal pulled away to secure the 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 win in two minutes shy of three hours.
"Obviously it's good to know you're able to play at a similar level to what he does on the clay," said Murray. "To win against him, you need to be able to do that for three and a half hours, four hours. He's the best player in the world for a reason."
Nadal again triumphed when the pair clashed a few weeks later in the Roland Garros semi-finals, this time with a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 win. The scoreline appeared comprehensive, but the Spaniard had saved 15 of 18 break points in the gruelling three-hour, 24-minute match. It was the first of three Grand Slam semi-finals the duo would contest in 2011, with more heartache to follow for Murray.
Four weeks later the pair came face-to-face again in the Wimbledon semi-finals. A year earlier Nadal had ruthlessly ended Murray’s dreams of glory at his home Grand Slam, but the Scot gave himself the chance to avenge that loss as he clinched the first set. The momentum abruptly swung early in the second set, though, when Murray missed a short forehand that he should have hit for a winner at 1-2, 15/30. "It was a big point," Murray said afterwards. "I went for it today, and I started to make a few mistakes after that." From there, Nadal ran out the 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 winner.
"Tennis right at the top of the game is exceptional," conceded Murray. "So not only to get level with those guys, but to push past them, you need to work harder than them."
Nadal again held Murray’s number when they met two months later in the US Open semi-finals, holding off a late fightback from the Dunblane native to secure a 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 win and reach his third major final of the season. "For sure it's an emotional day for me, winning against one of the best players in the world and reaching another final at the US Open," said the Spaniard.Murray dominated the ATP World Tour Asian swing in the autumn, and the confidence he gained with a succession of impressive results saw him snap a five-match losing streak against Nadal when they contested the final of the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships. After losing the first set, the inspired Murray surrendered just two more games as he claimed a 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 victory.
"For sure in the third set it was some of the best tennis I’ve played against him," said Murray. "I was very consistent, didn’t make too many mistakes and kept a cool head in the important moments." Nadal, who had been allowed just four points in the decider, agreed. "He played unbelievable, he didn’t make any mistakes in the third set," said the left-hander.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Rivalries 2011 - Djokovic vs. Nadal
It was a rivalry that Rafael Nadal had previously commanded, but which Novak Djokovic turned on its head during the 2011 season. The top two players on the ATP World Tour contested six finals throughout the year, with Djokovic not only winning all six, but also claiming Nadal’s No. 1 crown in the South African Airways ATP Rankings.
"This guy is doing unbelievable things, so I just want to congratulate Novak," said Nadal after defeat in the US Open final. "What he did this year is probably impossible to repeat. I tried my best in every moment. This year I've lost a lot of finals against him. I have to accept I won a lot in the past and the only thing I can do is to try my best every day to keep improving."
The pair contested two electrifying matches in the finals of the BNP Paribas Open and the Sony Ericsson Open. After prevailing in three sets at Indian Wells, the as-yet-unbeaten-in-2011 Djokovic followed up two weeks later with victory in Miami, in what we deemed to be the second best ATP World Tour match of the season.
Many expected that Nadal would avenge those defeats come the clay-court season, with the Spaniard having won all nine of their previous meetings on clay. But the King of Clay was left reeling as Djokovic played what he declared to be "the best match of my life on clay against the World No. 1" to notch his 34th consecutive win of the season in the final of Mutua Madrid Open, in doing so snapping Nadal’s 37-match unbeaten run on the dirt. One week later the Serb was victorious again, once more defeating Nadal in straight sets in a clay-court final at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
The pair met again in the Wimbledon championship match, where defending champion Nadal was bidding to win back-to-back Roland Garros and Wimbledon trophies for the third time. The left hander was once again thwarted by the unstoppable Djokovic, who dethroned the Spaniard with a 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 victory and subsequently usurped Nadal at No. 1 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings.
"It has been the most special day of my life," declared Djokovic. "I always dreamed of winning this tournament. When you are playing the best player in the world, who has won two of the past three Wimbledons, I had to be on top of my game and I think I played my best grass-court match ever."
Djokovic and Nadal met for the final time in 2011 in a repeat of the 2010 US Open match. A year earlier, Nadal had completed the career Grand Slam with a four-set victory over Djokovic, but the tables were turned at Flushing Meadows as the Serb avenged that defeat with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-1 win. The 24-year-old Djokovic became the sixth man in the Open Era to win three major titles in the same season.
Djokovic vs. Nadal: 2011 Meetings
| Tournament | Winner | Score |
| Indian Wells Final | Djokovic | 46 63 62 |
| Miami Final | Djokovic | 46 63 76(4) |
| Madrid Final | Djokovic | 75 64 |
| Rome Final | Djokovic | 64 64 |
| Wimbledon Final | Djokovic | 64 61 16 63 |
| US Open Final | Djokovic | 62 64 67(3) 61 |
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