This year's inductees to the International Tennis Hall of Fame highlight the importance of the doubles game to the sport.
For more of Tennis Spin's video content, please click the "Blogcasts" tab above.
July 13, 2010
Blogcast: The Year of Doubles
This year's inductees to the International Tennis Hall of Fame highlight the importance of the doubles game to the sport.
For more of Tennis Spin's video content, please click the "Blogcasts" tab above.
July 11, 2010
Ladies, to Your Corners
Patty Schynder and Agnes Szavay began the week on the same side of the court, paired in doubles at the GDF SUEZ Grand Prix in Budapest. But I'm not sure either thought they'd end the week on opposite sides of the net. It's been a rough couple months for both ladies on the singles Tour, and since they last met in the finals here in 2009, neither has advanced deep into their brackets.
Szavay had beaten Venus Williams in the third round of the French Open last year, but hadn't progressed past a quarterfinal in 2010. She lost in the first round of three tournaments, including Wimbledon and saw her ranking drop to #49 -- she'd been thirteenth in the world only two years ago. Veteran Schnyder has fallen even farther. Once in the top ten she's now in the low fifties and hasn't made it past the second round of a Major in two years.
But when they returned to Budapest, they once again looked like their old selves. The championship round last year was the only full match they'd ever contested -- Szavay had to retire while trailing in the first set in Madrid this past May -- and the Hungarian had rallied from a set down to beat Schnyder for her third career title.
But this year after dismissing top seeded Alisa Kleybanova in the second round, Patty looked good to get revenge on her vanquisher's home turf. She dropped a couple sets -- one to up-and-comer Polona Hercog and qualifier Zuzana Ondraskova -- but was playing solid tennis. Szavay had also been doing well on her side of the draw though, staying perfect until she dropped the second set to Alexandra Dulgheru in the semis, but holding strong to take the match in three and earning the right to defend her title.
Agnes might have learned a thing or two during her court time with Patty -- she didn't need time to get her bearings this go-around and rolled through the first set, 6-2. Schnyder picked up her game in the second set, trading breaks with the seventh seed early. But ultimately she just couldn't make much impact on Szavay's serve, winning less than a third of the points on return. After less than ninety minutes the hometown girl was able to clinch her second straight title in Budapest and add one more trophy to the mantle.
But it was a good showing from the ladies, both of whom had lost a bit of their punch recently. And if they can keep up the momentum, it could make for an interesting summer!
Szavay had beaten Venus Williams in the third round of the French Open last year, but hadn't progressed past a quarterfinal in 2010. She lost in the first round of three tournaments, including Wimbledon and saw her ranking drop to #49 -- she'd been thirteenth in the world only two years ago. Veteran Schnyder has fallen even farther. Once in the top ten she's now in the low fifties and hasn't made it past the second round of a Major in two years. But when they returned to Budapest, they once again looked like their old selves. The championship round last year was the only full match they'd ever contested -- Szavay had to retire while trailing in the first set in Madrid this past May -- and the Hungarian had rallied from a set down to beat Schnyder for her third career title.
But this year after dismissing top seeded Alisa Kleybanova in the second round, Patty looked good to get revenge on her vanquisher's home turf. She dropped a couple sets -- one to up-and-comer Polona Hercog and qualifier Zuzana Ondraskova -- but was playing solid tennis. Szavay had also been doing well on her side of the draw though, staying perfect until she dropped the second set to Alexandra Dulgheru in the semis, but holding strong to take the match in three and earning the right to defend her title.Agnes might have learned a thing or two during her court time with Patty -- she didn't need time to get her bearings this go-around and rolled through the first set, 6-2. Schnyder picked up her game in the second set, trading breaks with the seventh seed early. But ultimately she just couldn't make much impact on Szavay's serve, winning less than a third of the points on return. After less than ninety minutes the hometown girl was able to clinch her second straight title in Budapest and add one more trophy to the mantle.
But it was a good showing from the ladies, both of whom had lost a bit of their punch recently. And if they can keep up the momentum, it could make for an interesting summer!
July 8, 2010
The World Cup of Tennis
Over the next few days a lot of things will be decided. Spain has a chance to win its very first World Cup when it takes on the Netherlands on Sunday -- it also will be playing for its third consecutive Davis Cup when it takes on rival France in the quarterfinals. But that's only one for four ties that will be contested this weekend, and no outcome is certain.
The battle between perennial fútbol greats can translate well on the tennis court. Though the two-time defending champions will be missing star Rafael Nadal, they still look good to advance. Gael Monfils and David Ferrer kick off the action in what could be a tight match between two top-twenty players, and Fernando Verdasco follows it up against Michael Llodra, who's now at his highest ranking in years.
Spain has won the match-up five times in their six meetings, but they've never played France on a hardcourt, so things could get tricky. Players like Monfils and Gilles Simon are more comfortable on this surface than clay or grass and could exploit the quicker game. Still none of the Spanish players are ranked outside the top twenty-five, so catching them off hard will take a bit of work.
The opening rubber between these two nations could be the most exciting. Current world #6 Nikolay Davydenko, who had been so red-hot at the beginning of the year has been a bit out of contention over the last six months. And former top-five player David Nalbandian has fallen well into triple digits thanks to a hip injury. They've met eleven time and the Argentine has the slightest edge -- the match will certainly give a clear indication of how healthy these guys are and could set the tone for the entire tie.
When you add to that the fact that players like Russia's Mikhail Youzhny and Teimuraz Gabashvili along with Argentine Leonardo Mayer and Horacio Zeballos have been having such strong years, the play between these two countries could be top-notch. But Russia just has a more solid team this time around, and with Juan Martin Del Potro, Jose Acasuso and Juan Monaco all unable to support the country, I find it hard to call for the South Americans to win.
In a match-up that shouldn't spark any political tension, Serbia takes on its former countrymen in Croatia in their first ever Davis Cup meeting. Missing big-serving Ivo Karlovic, the man who survived yet another long five-setter in the play-offs, the latter country is led by world #13 Marin Cilic. And Indian Wells champ Ivan Ljubicic beat his first rubber opponent, Novak Djokovic, on the way to that title in March.
Still, with Nole and top doubles player Nenad Zimonjic leading the Serbs, it will be hard to make a major dent. Djokovic has winning records against both his opponents and Zimonjic, in sixteen years playing for his country, has only lost six times in his discipline. Though the early matches might provide some close calls, most of the drama might take place among the fans as Serbia should make the semis.
This tie could be the closest of the quarterfinals contested this week, mostly because both teams are without their biggest stars. Though another doubles specialist Lukas Dlouhy is the top-ranked player on the Czech team, paired tennis only accounts for one rubber. Their best singles chance lies with Jan Hajek, now ranked ninety-fourth in the world, but he's only beaten one top fifty player this year. For Chile, down one Fernando Gonzalez, Nicolas Massu leads the pack. Once ranked #9 in the world, he's now dropped out of double-digits and has only won a handful of matches in 2010. Jorge Aguilar and Paul Capdeville aren't much better.
But this is a great opportunity for these players -- with a semifinal spot on the line, a stellar performance here and there could really make any one of these contenders stand out. And while this could be anyone's game, the Czechs who last year played Spain for the Cup are having a pretty good couple months and should be able to follow through.
The battle between perennial fútbol greats can translate well on the tennis court. Though the two-time defending champions will be missing star Rafael Nadal, they still look good to advance. Gael Monfils and David Ferrer kick off the action in what could be a tight match between two top-twenty players, and Fernando Verdasco follows it up against Michael Llodra, who's now at his highest ranking in years.Spain has won the match-up five times in their six meetings, but they've never played France on a hardcourt, so things could get tricky. Players like Monfils and Gilles Simon are more comfortable on this surface than clay or grass and could exploit the quicker game. Still none of the Spanish players are ranked outside the top twenty-five, so catching them off hard will take a bit of work.
The opening rubber between these two nations could be the most exciting. Current world #6 Nikolay Davydenko, who had been so red-hot at the beginning of the year has been a bit out of contention over the last six months. And former top-five player David Nalbandian has fallen well into triple digits thanks to a hip injury. They've met eleven time and the Argentine has the slightest edge -- the match will certainly give a clear indication of how healthy these guys are and could set the tone for the entire tie. When you add to that the fact that players like Russia's Mikhail Youzhny and Teimuraz Gabashvili along with Argentine Leonardo Mayer and Horacio Zeballos have been having such strong years, the play between these two countries could be top-notch. But Russia just has a more solid team this time around, and with Juan Martin Del Potro, Jose Acasuso and Juan Monaco all unable to support the country, I find it hard to call for the South Americans to win.
In a match-up that shouldn't spark any political tension, Serbia takes on its former countrymen in Croatia in their first ever Davis Cup meeting. Missing big-serving Ivo Karlovic, the man who survived yet another long five-setter in the play-offs, the latter country is led by world #13 Marin Cilic. And Indian Wells champ Ivan Ljubicic beat his first rubber opponent, Novak Djokovic, on the way to that title in March. Still, with Nole and top doubles player Nenad Zimonjic leading the Serbs, it will be hard to make a major dent. Djokovic has winning records against both his opponents and Zimonjic, in sixteen years playing for his country, has only lost six times in his discipline. Though the early matches might provide some close calls, most of the drama might take place among the fans as Serbia should make the semis.
This tie could be the closest of the quarterfinals contested this week, mostly because both teams are without their biggest stars. Though another doubles specialist Lukas Dlouhy is the top-ranked player on the Czech team, paired tennis only accounts for one rubber. Their best singles chance lies with Jan Hajek, now ranked ninety-fourth in the world, but he's only beaten one top fifty player this year. For Chile, down one Fernando Gonzalez, Nicolas Massu leads the pack. Once ranked #9 in the world, he's now dropped out of double-digits and has only won a handful of matches in 2010. Jorge Aguilar and Paul Capdeville aren't much better. But this is a great opportunity for these players -- with a semifinal spot on the line, a stellar performance here and there could really make any one of these contenders stand out. And while this could be anyone's game, the Czechs who last year played Spain for the Cup are having a pretty good couple months and should be able to follow through.
July 4, 2010
Time For Something Different?
Now I love Rafael Nadal, and I greatly admire the champion Roger Federer is. But after watching the 2008 Wimbledon titleist somersault his way to his second trophy at the All England Club I found myself wondering if it might be time for someone else to claim the honor.
In the past five years, we've only seen one Grand Slam where neither Roger nor Rafa played for the title. But we might be getting a little closer to seeing their historic streaks end -- though they've combined to win twenty of the last twenty-two Majors, it's been eighteen months since they've played each other in the final. And a little bit of new blood has come up just short of the ultimate prize.
I'm actually a bit surprised that Tomas Berdych wasn't able to get in a few more shots today against Nadal. The tall Czech has a powerful serve and smart ground strokes. Having beaten Roger Federer twice in a row and making at least the semis of two straight Slams, the twenty-four year old is clearly hitting his stride. By the time hardcourt season rolls around he could be a real contender for the U.S. Open.
Robin Soderling also has a good shot at a big title in the near future. He's been improving his performances steadily at the Majors, reaching the finals twice in a row in Paris and making the quarters in London this past week. He made the final eight in New York last year, and now at his highest career ranking, it looks like he might be able to get farther this year.
There are, of course, a couple stars I hope will have a chance to capture their second Major, either because their first was so long ago or because it is fairly easily forgotten. Novak Djokovic, you might remember, won his only Slam at the 2008 Australian Open -- not long ago, but it sure seems far away. He's had a couple of good runs recently, even making the semis this past week, so it's not yet time to write him off. And Andy Roddick, so close to achieving glory last year, has been upset early in recent tournaments, but the move to his best surface might be his best opportunity to step back up.
Of course, we're far from a time when we can count either Federer or Nadal out of contention -- the tide may be shifting, but it hasn't quite turned yet. But tiny windows may open here and there, and it's up to the next generation of tennis stars to jump on any chances they get.
In the past five years, we've only seen one Grand Slam where neither Roger nor Rafa played for the title. But we might be getting a little closer to seeing their historic streaks end -- though they've combined to win twenty of the last twenty-two Majors, it's been eighteen months since they've played each other in the final. And a little bit of new blood has come up just short of the ultimate prize.
I'm actually a bit surprised that Tomas Berdych wasn't able to get in a few more shots today against Nadal. The tall Czech has a powerful serve and smart ground strokes. Having beaten Roger Federer twice in a row and making at least the semis of two straight Slams, the twenty-four year old is clearly hitting his stride. By the time hardcourt season rolls around he could be a real contender for the U.S. Open.
Robin Soderling also has a good shot at a big title in the near future. He's been improving his performances steadily at the Majors, reaching the finals twice in a row in Paris and making the quarters in London this past week. He made the final eight in New York last year, and now at his highest career ranking, it looks like he might be able to get farther this year.
There are, of course, a couple stars I hope will have a chance to capture their second Major, either because their first was so long ago or because it is fairly easily forgotten. Novak Djokovic, you might remember, won his only Slam at the 2008 Australian Open -- not long ago, but it sure seems far away. He's had a couple of good runs recently, even making the semis this past week, so it's not yet time to write him off. And Andy Roddick, so close to achieving glory last year, has been upset early in recent tournaments, but the move to his best surface might be his best opportunity to step back up.
Of course, we're far from a time when we can count either Federer or Nadal out of contention -- the tide may be shifting, but it hasn't quite turned yet. But tiny windows may open here and there, and it's up to the next generation of tennis stars to jump on any chances they get.
July 3, 2010
"Like Federer...Without a Nadal"
It's not often that I agree with Mary Carillo. But during today's women's title match between defending champion Serena Williams and first-time finalist Vera Zvonareva, she came up with a very appropriate analogy, comparing Serena's dominance in tennis to Roger Federer's, if there were no Rafael Nadal. Not to belittle Fed's accomplishments by any means, but just think of how many more Majors he'd have won if Nadal hadn't been in the way -- since 2005 Roger has lost five times in the finals to the Spaniard and one more time in the semis.
That realization got me thinking if there really is anyone out there who can challenge Serena's spot at the top. In her thirteen Slam championships, she has never had a foil quite like Nadal. Sure, older sister Venus can sometimes get under her skin, but in the past five years, she's only lost one Major title at the hands of Venus. And there are players who can have moments of brilliance against her -- Jelena Jankovic, Nadia Petrova and Sam Stosur have all outlasted her in recent three-set matches. It's hard to be consistently on top of Williams -- the way she served at the All England Club, opponents rarely got a shot to break. And when she's healthy and focused, her shots always seem to find their mark.
But there are a couple players out there who've had a bit more luck.
In her first career Kim Clijsters surprisingly only got the better of Williams once, at the Tour Championships in 2002. They didn't meet in more than six years before that fateful U.S. Open semi last year, but from what I saw of the Belgian, she'd certainly figured something out in the interim. If they play again, which I'm sure they will during the upcoming hardcourt season, Kim might be able to improve her win percentage.
Countrywoman Justine Henin had a bit better luck against Serena before she retired, beating her four times at a Major and another two when a title was on the line. Despite her diminutive frame and lackluster serve, she kept things fairly level throughout their history, even taking a set from her at the Australian Open this year.
Then there's Elena Dementieva, the only woman other than her sister to take a set from Williams at Wimbledon in the last three years. The Russian actually has a stunning 5-3 record over Serena in the last five years, beating her once on the way to Olympic Gold and twice when another championship was on the line, and she's done so decisively -- her last three wins have been in straight sets. There is some cause for concern, though, as a calf injury forced her to withdraw from the Championships this year and ended her streak of forty-six straight Grand Slam appearances.
But though these ladies might all know what it takes to beat Serena time and time again, the problem is that they can be much less consistent against other players, which makes their chances of reaching the round in which they face the world #1 a lot slimmer. So for the time being, as if we didn't know, it's going to take a lot to dethrone the current queen. And until a solid "Nadal" presents herself, it might be a while before anyone gets a crack at the top.
That realization got me thinking if there really is anyone out there who can challenge Serena's spot at the top. In her thirteen Slam championships, she has never had a foil quite like Nadal. Sure, older sister Venus can sometimes get under her skin, but in the past five years, she's only lost one Major title at the hands of Venus. And there are players who can have moments of brilliance against her -- Jelena Jankovic, Nadia Petrova and Sam Stosur have all outlasted her in recent three-set matches. It's hard to be consistently on top of Williams -- the way she served at the All England Club, opponents rarely got a shot to break. And when she's healthy and focused, her shots always seem to find their mark.But there are a couple players out there who've had a bit more luck.
In her first career Kim Clijsters surprisingly only got the better of Williams once, at the Tour Championships in 2002. They didn't meet in more than six years before that fateful U.S. Open semi last year, but from what I saw of the Belgian, she'd certainly figured something out in the interim. If they play again, which I'm sure they will during the upcoming hardcourt season, Kim might be able to improve her win percentage.
Countrywoman Justine Henin had a bit better luck against Serena before she retired, beating her four times at a Major and another two when a title was on the line. Despite her diminutive frame and lackluster serve, she kept things fairly level throughout their history, even taking a set from her at the Australian Open this year.
Then there's Elena Dementieva, the only woman other than her sister to take a set from Williams at Wimbledon in the last three years. The Russian actually has a stunning 5-3 record over Serena in the last five years, beating her once on the way to Olympic Gold and twice when another championship was on the line, and she's done so decisively -- her last three wins have been in straight sets. There is some cause for concern, though, as a calf injury forced her to withdraw from the Championships this year and ended her streak of forty-six straight Grand Slam appearances. But though these ladies might all know what it takes to beat Serena time and time again, the problem is that they can be much less consistent against other players, which makes their chances of reaching the round in which they face the world #1 a lot slimmer. So for the time being, as if we didn't know, it's going to take a lot to dethrone the current queen. And until a solid "Nadal" presents herself, it might be a while before anyone gets a crack at the top.
Why Vera Has a Chance
Okay, it's a slim chance. A very, very slim chance.
But of all the women who made the semis this year at Wimbledon, Vera Zvonareva is the only one who'd ever beaten Serena Williams before -- it was in Cincinnati in 2006, when the Russian was ranked fiftieth in the world and Serena, you might remember, was #139. Things have changed since then, of course. Williams has won nine more titles, including a handful of Grand Slams. Vera went on to capture the trophy at the Western & Southern that year and soon after cracked the top ten.
Vera has been struggling with injuries in the past year and does have a tendency to let her temper get the best of her -- she was, after all, the other player dealt a fine for profanity at the 2009 U.S. Open. But when she's good, she's good -- she's had one of the strongest return games of the tournament and a great percentage at the net. Against Kim Clijsters in the quarters, a woman she had never before beaten, she only committed nineteen errors to her opponent's thirty-six and won seventy-five percent of her first serves. And she hasn't gotten down on herself -- after losing sets to Kim and Tsvetana Pironkoa she was able to regroup without throwing racquets and smack the ball back at her adversaries harder than ever.
This is the first Major final in which Zvonareva has played -- after twenty-nine tries she's finally made her break out. Yes, it's a stage which often can flummox unexperienced players, but as a pro for almost ten years and with titles at Cincy and Indian Wells under her belt, Vera is no stranger to the spotlight. She also has the confidence of having beaten Serena on the doubles court a few days back -- she'll be battling for the dubs trophy a few hours after her singles match. If she's able to harness her strength at the net and get in more than a couple points on Serena's serve early, she might be able to catch Williams off-guard.
Make no mistake, it's not going to be an easy task. But Serena has gotten tripped up here before, and it wouldn't be unheard of to see someone as aggressive and as volatile as Vera get under her skin.
But mostly, if Vera's going to win the title, she's just going to have to bring it. There are no excuses on Centre Court at the All England Club -- especially against a three-time champion. And with a trophy on the line, we don't expect anything less
But of all the women who made the semis this year at Wimbledon, Vera Zvonareva is the only one who'd ever beaten Serena Williams before -- it was in Cincinnati in 2006, when the Russian was ranked fiftieth in the world and Serena, you might remember, was #139. Things have changed since then, of course. Williams has won nine more titles, including a handful of Grand Slams. Vera went on to capture the trophy at the Western & Southern that year and soon after cracked the top ten.
Vera has been struggling with injuries in the past year and does have a tendency to let her temper get the best of her -- she was, after all, the other player dealt a fine for profanity at the 2009 U.S. Open. But when she's good, she's good -- she's had one of the strongest return games of the tournament and a great percentage at the net. Against Kim Clijsters in the quarters, a woman she had never before beaten, she only committed nineteen errors to her opponent's thirty-six and won seventy-five percent of her first serves. And she hasn't gotten down on herself -- after losing sets to Kim and Tsvetana Pironkoa she was able to regroup without throwing racquets and smack the ball back at her adversaries harder than ever.
This is the first Major final in which Zvonareva has played -- after twenty-nine tries she's finally made her break out. Yes, it's a stage which often can flummox unexperienced players, but as a pro for almost ten years and with titles at Cincy and Indian Wells under her belt, Vera is no stranger to the spotlight. She also has the confidence of having beaten Serena on the doubles court a few days back -- she'll be battling for the dubs trophy a few hours after her singles match. If she's able to harness her strength at the net and get in more than a couple points on Serena's serve early, she might be able to catch Williams off-guard.
Make no mistake, it's not going to be an easy task. But Serena has gotten tripped up here before, and it wouldn't be unheard of to see someone as aggressive and as volatile as Vera get under her skin.
But mostly, if Vera's going to win the title, she's just going to have to bring it. There are no excuses on Centre Court at the All England Club -- especially against a three-time champion. And with a trophy on the line, we don't expect anything less
July 2, 2010
Does It Mean As Much?
About a year ago, many people wondered whether Roger Federer's winning his historic Grand Slam was quite as significant since he didn't have to beat long-time rival Rafael Nadal to get it. This year we might ask the same question, as Nadal now has the chance to win the Wimbledon title without having to face Federer on his road.
Of course, the circumstances are a bit different -- Rafa did win the title once before, beating Roger in one of the most spectacular matches of 2008, while the one-time King of the All England Club still has not prevailed over the Master of Clay at Roland Garros. And there is no major record on the line this time around. But some factors are surprisingly similar.
During his run in Paris last year, Federer came shockingly close to elimination twice -- in the fourth round Tommy Haas won the first two sets before Roger came roaring back, and again in the semis the Swiss found himself down two sets-to-one to Juan Martin Del Potro, but still secured his spot in the finals. Early in this London fortnight, too, Nadal was shooting from behind against both Robin Hasse and Philipp Petzschner and somehow pulled out the wins. And for the title, the current world #1 will have to face the man who knocked out his adversary, just as Fed met Rafa's vanquisher, Robin Soderling in 2009.
It'll also be Tomas Berdych's first time playing in a Grand Slam final, just as the Swede made his debut at the French last year. But, unlike last year, I feel he might be a slightly more intimidating opponent for Rafa. The Czech has been slowly building his resume all year, taking a set from Andy Roddick in Brisbane, making the finals in Miami, and taking out Andy Murray in Paris on his way to the semis. Though still a few spots off his career high ranking of #9 in the world, he's been playing some of the most solid tennis at the All England Club. The twenty-four year old proved his endurance by beating Dennis Istomin in a long five sets and followed up his defeat of Federer with a decisive straight-set win over Novak Djokovic on Friday. He still holds a losing 3-7 record against Nadal, but he's certainly now looking in better shape than he ever has before.
We're still at least three sets away from crowning a champion at this surprise-filled Wimbledon, and while the final might not be the one we expected or even wished for, it certainly will feature two men who've fought tooth-and-nail to get here. And however that last match progresses, you can be sure that for whoever eventually wins the trophy, it will be one of the most meaningful events of his career.
Of course, the circumstances are a bit different -- Rafa did win the title once before, beating Roger in one of the most spectacular matches of 2008, while the one-time King of the All England Club still has not prevailed over the Master of Clay at Roland Garros. And there is no major record on the line this time around. But some factors are surprisingly similar.During his run in Paris last year, Federer came shockingly close to elimination twice -- in the fourth round Tommy Haas won the first two sets before Roger came roaring back, and again in the semis the Swiss found himself down two sets-to-one to Juan Martin Del Potro, but still secured his spot in the finals. Early in this London fortnight, too, Nadal was shooting from behind against both Robin Hasse and Philipp Petzschner and somehow pulled out the wins. And for the title, the current world #1 will have to face the man who knocked out his adversary, just as Fed met Rafa's vanquisher, Robin Soderling in 2009.
It'll also be Tomas Berdych's first time playing in a Grand Slam final, just as the Swede made his debut at the French last year. But, unlike last year, I feel he might be a slightly more intimidating opponent for Rafa. The Czech has been slowly building his resume all year, taking a set from Andy Roddick in Brisbane, making the finals in Miami, and taking out Andy Murray in Paris on his way to the semis. Though still a few spots off his career high ranking of #9 in the world, he's been playing some of the most solid tennis at the All England Club. The twenty-four year old proved his endurance by beating Dennis Istomin in a long five sets and followed up his defeat of Federer with a decisive straight-set win over Novak Djokovic on Friday. He still holds a losing 3-7 record against Nadal, but he's certainly now looking in better shape than he ever has before.We're still at least three sets away from crowning a champion at this surprise-filled Wimbledon, and while the final might not be the one we expected or even wished for, it certainly will feature two men who've fought tooth-and-nail to get here. And however that last match progresses, you can be sure that for whoever eventually wins the trophy, it will be one of the most meaningful events of his career.
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