You Were *This* Close

James Martin has a nice preview of the ATP:

Where to begin? The obvious spot: Roger Federer trying to wrestle the top ranking and his Wimbledon crown from Rafael Nadal. Federer got off to a crummy start last season; this year, both he and Rafa should be on their games, healthy and motivated.

But it isn't just a two-man show anymore. Andy Murray is now a legitimate threat to win Grand Slams and become No. 1 in the world. His game, to say nothing of his combustible attitude, has matured remarkably over the last year. Murray has always been a crafty shotmaker, but as he has proven in recent matches, he demonstrates a willingness to play a little more straightforward when it's the smart thing to do. He also has put a lot of work into his fitness, which is clearly paying dividends. Hearing Murray talk about his offseason regimen reminds me of how Andre Agassi used his winter "downtime" after he finally realized that being in better shape than his opponents is every bit of a weapon as a blistering forehand. Murray has learned that lesson -- and at a much younger age.

Of course, you can't forget the 2008 Australian Open champ, Novak Djokovic. Although he sputtered after winning his first major last year, he ended the season on a high note by winning the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup. (BTW: This year the name has been changed, for no logical reason, to the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Or as I like to call it, the WTF event.) Refreshingly, Loco-Djoko isn't afraid to play the role of antagonist to the overly polite Federer and Nadal, two guys who act less like rivals at the top of their sport than two men engaged in a serious bro-mance.

Taken together, Nadal, Federer, Djokovic and Murray are the strongest, most competitive players tennis has seen in ages. They are all at, or near, the peak of their powers. Throw in the likes of steady-as-they-come Nikolay Davydenko, big-serving Andy Roddick and a slew of promising up-and-comers (Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Juan Martin del Potro, Gilles Simon, Gael Monfils, Marin Cilic and Ernests Gulbis), and men's tennis is giving us plenty of reasons to be excited. It's more compelling than the two-man show of Federer and Nadal, which, let's face it, got a little tired.

All fine and good.  But then he just couldn't resist taking a pot shot at the WTA in the very next sentence:

And given the lousy state of women's tennis -- no dominant No. 1, MIA divas and loads of injuries -- men's tennis is where it's at.

Seriously, WHAT goes on over at Tennis Magazine/Tennis.com?  They just love dissing the WTA.  I mean, am I the only one in a bubble who looks at 2009 with giddy excitement?  JJ, Serena, Dinara, Venus, and Ana, all gunning for the top spot and Grand Slam glory.  Every single player has something to prove.  Masha coming off injury (hopefully) break her way into that group of 5.  And then you got Lena D, Bepa, Ski Boots, Vika, and Domi, all capable of beating the top girls.  This is going to be an absolutely catty bloodbath.  I was raised to believe men loved cat fights.  Perhaps I was wrong.

Anyway, just another example of someone trying to tout the men's game by putting down the women's game.  Weak.  Very very weak.