A Fitness, Tennis, Squash & Sports Blog by Mayfair Clubs

Last year, Novak Djokovic had one of the best years in tennis history, winning 3 Grand Slams and beating Rafael Nadal 6 consecutive times – all of those in major finals. A season many considered the best of all time, especially when you factor in the competition – namely Federer, Nadal and Murray!  The question heard most often at the water coolers is “can he do it again.”

In the early stages of the first slam of the year – the hot topic is centered on Djokovic and his ability to dominate like he did last year. Was it a fluke? Many of the tennis pundits are predicting a more balanced winner’s circle – similar to what we’ve seen in the last few years on the Women’s tour.  Some have suggested 4 winners instead of such domination by one player.

Djokovic struggled at the end of the last season.  At one point he had an incredible 64-2 record – but he stumbled down the stretch and ended with a healthy 70-6 record – losing 4 of his last 10 matches.  Did he run out of gas?  Was he slightly injured?  Did he not like the fast indoor surfaces in the final 3 months of the season?  Or was it a combination of all those factors. Whatever it was, and it was surely something significant, the Serbian missile, with the gluten free diet – will be on a mission to repeat his jaw dropping season in 2011.

Most of the top players on tour feel like it was an anomaly and believe it won’t be repeated.  Remember what Nadal said after losing to Nole in yet another grand slam 6 months ago at Wimbledon? “My experience says this level is not forever. Even for me when I was last year winning three Grand Slams, my level of last year is not forever. Probably the level of Novak of today is not forever.”

In the history of the game, only 6 players have made it to 3 major finals in back-to-back years.  So for Djokovic to become the 7th – he would need to make it to the finals in 3 of the 4 Grand Slam championships in Melbourne, Paris, London and New York.  The only event he failed to reach the finals in 2011 was in Paris at Roland Garros when he lost in 4 sets to Roger Federer.

Can Djokovic win six matches in 3 of the four major cities in 2012 and do something only a select few have accomplished?

We shall see.

Winning three majors – even reaching three Grand Slam finals – in a single year is exceedingly difficult. Backing it up with another finals three-peat is even tougher. In the past 50-plus years, a handful of men have done it.

Before Nadal’s 2010 Grand Slam-fest and his win and two runner-up finishes in 2011, there was Roger Federer. In the midst of his unprecedented mastery, he did it four years in a row, from 2006-09, winning nine of 15 major finals. The last one before him – way back in the 80s was Ivan Lendl.

Consecutive years
Reaching 3-plus major finals

Lendl’s degree of difficulty was impressive because in 1986, the Australian Open wasn’t held. He made all three major finals that season, winning in Paris and New York, before losing to Boris Becker at Wimbledon. In 1987, the same scenario played out, with Lendl falling to Pat Cash at the All England Club.

Lendl has been in the news lately as he’s taken on the task of coaching Andy Murray.  Lendl believes, like some of the big-name coaches who are currently in Melbourne, that the majors are wide open and Djokovic won’t be the same player as he was in 2011.

“Backing it up, it’s so physically and mentally demanding,” Lendl said. “It takes so much out of you. Djokovic – you could just kind of see him tiring down the stretch. It will be interesting to see how he comes out in 2012.”

The bar has been set really high for all these guys. For Djokovic to repeat, it would be a remarkable achievement. But at a certain point, there’s weariness from all of that winning and all of that pressure. Novak, in my opinion was the athlete of the year in 2011, not just in tennis but in any sport.  Can he do it again?  I doubt it. His effort was Herculean in 2011 and it’s just too big of a mountain to climb in 2012.

Pete Sampras – winner of 14 grand slams – wasn’t good enough to do it! He reached three major finals in 1995 (winning two), but advanced to only one in 1996, winning at the U.S. Open. Jim Courier reached three Grand Slam finals in 1993 (winning one); his best effort in 1994 was two semifinals. Mats Wilander won three of four majors in 1988, but one year later he could manage only two appearances in the quarterfinals. In his great season of 1984, John McEnroe made three major finals, winning two, but followed that up with a single semifinal at Roland Garros and lost to Lendl in the U.S. Open final.

With all due respect to the stars of the past, it’s quite possible (more likely PROBABLE) that this is the best men’s tennis has ever been, particularly at the very top. Three different men have captured three majors in a single season in the past five years, something we’ve never seen and may never see again. And even with Federer, 30, clearly past his prime, he’s still a threat – a large one.  And because of this brilliance at the top of the game, this makes Djokovic’s task that much harder.

Written by Michael Emmett

Milos Raonic beat top-seeded Janko Tipsarevic 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4) in a serve-dominated Chennai Open final Sunday, earning his second career title. 

The young Canadian did something this past week that I thought was impossible.  He went 48 for 48!  Yes, he served 48 times in his 4 matches in India and didn’t lose serve once.  It is an awesome feeling,” said the 21-year-old Raonic, who won all of his service games during the week to become the first player to win a tournament without dropping serve since Roger Federer at the 2008 grass-court tournament in Halle.

Fourth-seeded Raonic hit 35 aces in a marathon match that lasted 3 hours, 16 minutes and didn’t include a break of serve.  “Raonic dropped only four points on serve in the first set and had four chances to break in the fourth game before the Serbian stole it in the tiebreaker.

Raonic’s 35 aces are the 5th most in an ATP World Tour final since the ATP began tracking aces in 1991.

Raonic hit 76 aces in four matches. He also saved all 14 break points he faced in the tournament, including four in the final.

“My serve is a big factor in my game … in 99 percent of my matches,” said Raonic, who averages 124 mph on his first serve. “My job is to take care of my serve.”

The ninth-ranked Tipsarevic now has lost six of eight ATP finals in his career.

Milos has been so impressive against the best players in the game – something that bodes well for the future when he continues to play the top players on a weekly basis. He improved his record against top 10 players to an astonishing 5-8. To already have 5 wins over top-10 players at this early stage of his career is so impressive.  Some players play for 15 years and don’t have these kinds of stats.  This is the first time in his career he’s beaten two Top 10s in the same tournament.

“Guys like Milosare special players,” Tipsarevic said after his first match against the Canadian. “It was a great game of tennis. Nobody knew till the end who would win.

The Canadian is 2-1 in ATP World Tour finals, claiming his first title inSan Joselast February. He followed that up by finishing runner-up to American Andy Roddick inMemphisa week later.

Raonic rose from No. 156 in the rankings to a career-high 25th last season before moving down slightly to his current No. 31. He won the ATP Newcomer of the Year award last year – and award voted on by his peers. With this win inIndia-Miloswill improve his ranking 6 spots to match his career best ranking of #25 and will be seeded 23rd for the upcoming Aussie Open.

Raonic heads toKooyong,Australia, to play in an exhibition event, a tuneup to the Australian Open inMelbourne, which begins Jan. 16. More on that in shortly!

What is so impressive is his lack of fear.  He cranks that serve all over the court at scorching speeds no matter what the score is.  He is relentless and has gobs of confidence at such crucial stages of the match.  The guy is robot-like with his massive serve and seems to fire aces at such critical junctures of matches.  To go an entire event without losing serve is the most improbable stat I’ve heard in any sport at any time – this is just not done!! The concentration, skill and composure required to accomplish such an unlikely task is incredible.  With this cannon for a serve, the sky is the limit for this lanky kid from Thornhill.  Guys are returning so well in this day and age – to win 48 consecutive service games outside in humid conditions against a top-notch field is mind-boggling and inconceivable.  This is so preposterous that we may never see it happen again.

A guy, who can serve a 117 mph second-serve ace down the T, as he did against Tipsarevic, is brutally dangerous for any opponent. He rarely dips below 130 mph on the first serve, unless of course he chooses to go for a spinning ace out wide in the deuce court. And he often goes above 110 mph on his second serve and rarely misses – simply put the guy never double faults!  He not only has the heater (fastball to all corners) – he also has the best second serve in the game.

When Milos serves around two aces per service game, not counting all the unreturnables or sitters that come back at him – there’s only so much the opposition can do.  This serve is more than a weapon – it’s a torpedo that is the talk of the tour right now.

And that is what makes Milos Raonic interesting at the Australian Open.  Can he beat any of the top 5?  Can he do it over 5 sets?  All questions we’ll no doubt get answered in the near future.

A daunting third-round opponent for any player and the Big Four will be praying to avoid him. Perhaps none more so than Rafael Nadal, who’s always been troubled by players who take away his rhythm and refuse to rally. If John Isner can take Rafa to five sets at Roland Garros, what can Raonic do at the Australian Open? We’re about to find out. 

While I would be quite surprised if Raonic makes it beyond the quarters, I can certainly see him making another fourth round or even the quarters. It all depends on two things: the draw, and his serve!

An injury-free Raonic should be able to have a couple of deep runs at the slams this year and make his way into or around the top 12.  Better than that you say?  I say not this year – but I do see him making massive improvements in his already impressive ranking. 

And so far, I’ve failed to mention his lethal forehand – this gigantic stroke is right up there with the best in the world. His racquet head speed on the inside out forehand is breathtaking.  Imagine that, 2 blistering shots that can be outright winners in a blink of an eye.  If Raonic improves his return game, his movement and his volleys, the rest of the tour better watch out.

Because service-wise, he’s almost unbreakable – and he just might have the best serve of ALL-TIME!

Written by Michael Emmett

As we get closer to the start of the 2012 tennis season – only one question needs to be answered.  Can Roger Federer win Slam #17 after going winless in 2011? 

Those of you that follow my columns know that I’ve said definitely in the past 12 months the answer is a resounding NO.

And after blowing two matches with a 2-sets-to-love lead (one against Tsonga atWimbledonand the other against Djokovic at the US Open) – something he had never done before in his brilliant career – my previous columns were looking pretty good!

However, after watching the past 3 months – after the demoralizing loss to Djokovic in the US Open semi-finals – and hearing the news that Rafael Nadal will take time off after the Australian Open to mend an injured shoulder – I really believe Federer can win a major in the upcoming season. 

At this point it is crystal clear, Federer is no longer an afterthought, and will be a betting favourite to win any of the 4 majors as we look forward to another spectacular season on the Men’s tour. 

Federer has always been a punishing closer – in his glory years, if he could see the finish line it usually meant curtains for the opposition.  However, this part of his game has suffered.  Federer is not invincible with huge leads.  If Fed is going to claim one of the slams in 2012 this stat will have to change.  Federer must become a better front-runner and keep the nerves and resolve in tact.  If anything has let him down in the past 18 months – it’s been his psyche and his lack of confidence on break points and match points.

My lack of confidence in Federer to win a slam in 2011 had more to do with his inability to win back-to-back matches against tennis’ two major giants in the last 12 months – Djokovic and Nadal.  I have always thought he could beat either man on any given day – I just felt like he couldn’t beat them both in consecutive days and in consecutive matches.  Federer’s game has always been better suited to beat Djokovic – and now with Nadal being injured and not 100 percent I feel like the Swiss Superstar can have a banner year.

The two straight set losses inAbu Dhabithis past weekend should not be an indicator for the upcoming season – it was just an exhibition and nobody really knows for sure how much effort is being put forth.  Federer was routed in both matches against Nadal and Djokovic winning a total of 9 games in both contests.  For Fed’s sake, let’s hope this is not a barometer of what lies ahead in 2012.

There is no doubt that Federer, the one we saw in the final 3 months of the season, is playing the best tennis of his career.  He is a more complete player right now than he was when he was winning all of his major titles. Yes, even in 2006 when he was winning all of those events.  Roger Federer at the end of 2011 has more weapons than he did in his so-called hay day.  Nadal and Djokovic have forced Federer to elevate his game and for that we have witnessed some incredible tennis over the last 24 months.  It’s ironic that Fed is playing so well – even last year he was brilliant at times – and is struggling to hang with the big boys.  Things got so bad for Federer last season that he briefly dropped to #4 in the world rankings – many predicted his ranking would just keep tumbling.

The logical conclusion: Federer was done.

He hadn’t won a tournament since January (in Doha) and with Djokovic following Rafael Nadal as a three-time major winner in 2011 — and Andy Murray usurping his No. 3 ATP World Tour ranking — maybe it was time to admit the truth.  Federer’s days of winning major championships looked to be over.

But that’s when Federer hit the re-start button.  And something seemed to click!

After a five-week sabbatical, Federer returned with a vengeance. He won two Davis Cup matches againstAustralia, took the title in his hometown ofBasel,Switzerland, floored the field in the BNP Paribas Masters event inParis, and then accelerated through the finish line, winning the Barclays ATP World Tour finals inLondon.

The month of November delivered three titles and a sterling 17-0 record. Reports of Federer’s professional death were greatly exaggerated.

It was, he declared after winning his record sixth year-end title, the strongest finish of his career.

Brad Gilbert saw it firsthand as an ESPN analyst.

“After that devastating loss at the Open, he had to regroup. One thing I noticed in his impressive run, he had the twinkle back in his eye.  Something I hadn’t seen for quite sometime.”

“I think he likes it when people think things have passed him by. I think there’s another chapter left in the novel.”

Federer has 16 Grand Slam singles titles, the all-time record, but 2011 was his first year without a major since 2002.

“Sure, to win Grand Slams would be nice,” Federer said inLondon. “I’ve missed out on a few occasions last year, and the year before. So I feel like it might be around the corner. Maybe not? The other players obviously have a role to play in this.”

Federer, based on his past two Slams, could have gone quietly against Tsonga in the Barclays final. He actually served for the match in the second set and held a match point before winning 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 to become the oldest year-end titlist.

“When he lost that second set, with a [match point], 99 percent of the guys lose that match in the third,” Gilbert said. “Winning that match shows me something. You’re going to see some more oomph out of Roger in 2012.”

After going 3-9 against top-10 players through the U.S. Open, Federer won all seven of his matches against the top 10 afterward.  This kind of domination has been lacking for nearly 2 years.

“I think he’s going to have a big year next year,” Gilbert said. “A Slam? Yeah. I thought he’d have to do something different to win one this year. Change a racket or something drastic. But he just kept doing what he does. I mean, the guy never sweats.”

This year’s WTA produced four different major champions. Gilbert can see it happening on the ATP side for the first time since 2003, when Andre Agassi, Nadal, Federer and Andy Roddick sliced the pie four ways.

Gilbert, who coached Agassi, sees some parallels with Federer.

“Roger can take a lot of stock in what Andre did seven years ago,” Gilbert said. “He was in the finals of the U.S. Open at the age of 35. He won the Aussie Open at the age of 32. I think Roger’s in better physical shape than Andre.

“I can see him playing until he’s 35.”