Forty Deuce

Donkey Says...Novak Djokovic

"Oh Yes-le. Was there ever any doubt?  You are the perfect combination of hot, funny, and intense when you need to be. You are the reason I started reading C Note's blog and obsessively Googling tennis players. You are the reason I called up Comcast to add a subscription for the Tennis Channel. You are the reason I started looking for legal positions in Belgrade. One word from you, and I would pick up and move to Monaco so we can settle down and have our nanny raise the children I plan to make with you with vigor. Thanks to all the FDers who put up with what amounted to a week long blogging equivalent of a photo bomb. You can come back now, TO." -- DG

Couldn't say it better than that.  So enjoy the photo essay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Donkey.

PS -- New Moon this week?

Suit Up!

Mmmmmm...Hackett and Nole? Beautiful.

Good Boy.

Nole's going to play a shorter schedule next year.  Generally a good idea, but this puts more pressure on him to play well every time.  He won't be able to sustain his ranking if he's crapping out in the first 3 rounds all the time.

Aw, That Was Fun.

Well that was an up and down match, but thoroughly enjoyable.  It was a shame one of them had to lose.

The first set was all Kolya, as he was dictating play and Nole looked a bit rusty.

In the second set, Nole raised his level and Kolya dropped his. 

 

And the last set was pure fun.  Nole broke ahead with the early break before Kolya played a GREAT game to break back to 5-5.  But from there Kolya would flinch and drop the next two games.

But it all doesn't matter.  Because this happened:

 

 

I can't wait for the day when the guys realize that the truest, purest form of sportsmanship is exchanging shorts. 

Pic This: The Mad Men Of Putnam, Powell, and Loeb

 

I'd totally watch the spin off.

ATP WTF, Sponsored By Planters Peanuts.

 

But where are the top hats and monocles?  Talk about a missed opportunity.

Either that or this is a brilliant viral marketing campaign by Planters, a la this.

Ok, I'll stop fawning but I love love LOVE the ties the ATP made for them.  The hunter green and grey?  Swoony McSwoonerson over here.

 

Aaaaaand I've stopped swooning.  Thanks, BonerKillerer.

 

I will say this about Fed.  I'm glad he's procreating so that he can pass on that head of hair.  

 

Ahem.  No kids yet for Kolya.  No coincidence I'm sure.

 

I wonder if Simon Fuller, at some point, will drug Muzz, throw him into the back of a van, drive him to some dark alley, and get a one eyed Asian dentist in a wheelchair to fix his teeth.  Because boy, those things ruin a lot of pics.  That said, they're also why I love him.  I know, I'm not right in the head.

 

Aw, perfect. 

 

Rafa looks so different from picture to picture.  Does the dampness of his hair make *that* much of a difference?

 

It's weird to see Andy actually look bigger than Rafa.

Oh yeah.  This guy.

Nole Beds Up With Flavia?

  

The first question is, collar or no collar?

According to Boyfriend's Twitter feed, Nole will be leaving Adidas and moving to Sergio Tacchini for 2010.  First of all, PHEW!  It's not K Swiss, which had been floating around as a possibility.  Second, more promo pics with Flavia!

Third, does anyone find all the switches by Muzz and Nole odd?  I'm still a bit shocked that Andy would leave Fred Perry to go to Adidas.  Obviously, that's a money grab.  Adidas had to know that they couldn't have both Nole and Andy on the payroll, so they had to pick.  Given the state of the game and the huge opportunity in the UK market, it's not surprising that they chose Muzz.  It's a shame though.  They spent a lot of money developing Nole's Falcon line.  As for Muzz, I would have wanted him to stay with Fred Perry.  Keep things in the family.  But his new management at 19 Entertainment is trying to elevate him to Beckham levels.  So the move makes sense.

As for Nole, while I think he'll look great in Sergio (very clean, very simple, well-tailored stuff) I'm really going to miss him in his Adidas gear.  I always thought Nole had the best kits of the Big 4 because Adidas really made him look like a professional athlete.  Fed looks like he's going golfing, Rafa either looks like he's going golfing or he's wearing something on a dare, and Muzz looks like he's going to water the lawns at Wimbledon.  Sergio Tacchini, unless they start designing things differently, is going to make Nole look like a golfer.  A classy golfer, but a golfer nonetheless.  I'm guessing that since Tommy wears the collared stuff, Nole will get the crew shirts.  Which again...look blah.

Last point, I've seen and felt Sergio gear and they definitely don't employ a sweat-wicking/cooling fabric equivalent to Dri-Fit or Climacool.  Given our boy's tendencies to overheat, this could be an issue.

Welcome To The Hogwart's Reunion.

 

If Shanghai made the boys look like Hitmen, London has turned them all into the most mischievous group of prep school kids this side of Manhattan.  And I LOVE it.

  

The battle for Class President begins here.

Nice to see Rafa's hair decided to dry for this pic.

  

The faves.  Or so "they" say.

  

Cute.

 

Not sure why I can't find his stock picture.  Did someone arrive a little late to the party?

 

Lucky Sod.

Party Pooper

Oh, Nole.  You're starting quite the trend.

For the second straight week, Nole spoiled the hometown celebration, eeking out a three set win over the local favorite, 62 57 76(3).

This match really could have gone either way.  Nole dominated for a set and half before coming back to earth and letting LaMonf come back to take the second set.  Nole would dart out to a 4-1 lead in the third before losing his game for a bit and LaMonf took advantage, breaking back and forcing a deciding tiebreak, much to the loud cheers of the Paris crowd.

But in the end, Nole showed a maturity that I haven't seen in a long time.  Instead of losing his head after losing his lead, he recomposed himself and played a solid tiebreaker, taking it 7-3 on a LaMonf double fault.

Match highlights.

In the end, it seemed like this result meant a lot to both.  To Gael for performing well in front of the home crowd and electrifying them with the game that we have come to love and hate, and Nole, who picked up his 5th title of the season, second title in a row, and first Masters of the season. 

So everyone was in a pretty good mood.

Obviously Nole's got all the momentum going into London.  And given his party pooping ways, you gotta like him if he plays Muzz in London.  But who knows how much he has in the tank.  That said, he was absolutely revelatory this week, playing with confidence and precision.  Hats off, Falcon!

 

"Gum, would be perfection."

Perfect.  Well, at least for a set and a half, he was.

 

I mean, wow.  This match was an amazing reminder of what Nole can do when he's firing on all cylinders.  As Rafa acknowledged after the 62 63 loss, he didn't play poorly.  Nole was just *that* good.  I was giggling like schoolgirl watching some of the winners he came up with.  Keep it going, Falcon!

 

Nole won't have the crowd behind him for the final, as LaMonf outlasted Radek in a 64 57 64 win.  Nole should take this but you just never know with Gael.  Unpredictable, that one.

Oh, and before I forget, Nole and Rafa's wins in the quarterfinals guaranteed the 8th WTF spot to FeVer.  Get your chastity belts out, London.  Papa's come to play.

The Nipple Tassles. Always Funny.

Outtakes from Nole's Head commercial.

Pic This: Bones.

Nole continued his tradition of taking the court in Bercy in a mask. 

I prefer his Zorro look.  More sexy, less skully.

I. Eat. Your. Pizza. I EAT IT UP!!!

 
Oh, Nole.  You sexy badass motherfucker.

If you're a Nole fan and a...um...Roger non-fan, there can be nothing sweeter than seeing Nole beat Fed for the Basel title.  It was a sweet three set win wherein Nole truly played some solid tennis.  It's the best I've seen him play against a top player in a really long time. 

I have no idea if this loss will bother Roger.  I mean, really, at this point nothing should.  But losing to a guy that you sincerely dislike at your home tourney?  That can't be an ideal way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Nole's win of course would make the entire town of Basel cry.  No pizza for the ball boys, no 6th straight Basel title for Roger, and apparently, someone just shat in the tourney director's hat.

One last thought on Basel: Did anyone else see that its title sponsor is Davidoff, a tobacco company?  The EU forbids tobacco companies from being title sponsors of sporting events or teams, but Switzerland isn't part of the EU.  I found it...odd.

Slippery Little Sucker

Novak Djokovic, Comeback Kid?  What's going on?

He already had to mount a comeback to overcome Stan.  But this time, Nole looked like a goner.  Serving to stay in the match at 4-5, Nole faced triple break point.  He would then play 5 solid, confident points to save the game, which basically amounted to a swift kick in the nuts to Radek, who wasn't the same after that.  Nole would go on to break and take the second set 75 and the third 62. 

Well done, Falcon!

He'll face Fed in the final, who won the Battle of the Basel Ball Boys in the other semi.  All credit to Chiuds, who forced a really well-played tiebreak, which Fed won 9-7.  From there, Fed rolled to the win.

Swissers, Falcons, and Worms.

Well look who crashed the party.

Not sure people thought the two Swissers to make the semis in Basel would be Fed and Chiuds, but there it is.  Marco summarily dismissed a very flat Reeshie, 1 and 3.

And then there were the comeback kids.  Nole pulled a rabbit out of his hat, coming back from a set and a break down to beat Stan.  And Radek pulled off a bit of an upset, coming back from a set down to beat Marin.  And Jelena's still pretty.

[1] R Federer (SUI) d [Q] E Korolev (RUS) 63 62
[2] N Djokovic (SRB) d [6] S Wawrinka (SUI) 36 76(5) 62
[5] R Stepanek (CZE) d [4] [WC] M Cilic (CRO) 46 63 63
[WC] M Chiudinelli (SUI) d R Gasquet (FRA) 61 63

So it'll be Fed vs. Chiuds (yawn) and Nole vs Steps (intriguing).

Interestingly, the win keeps Radek in the hunt for the WTF.  The loss means Marin has to win Paris to have a chance.  I'm sure none of you care about this fact.  But I thought it was interesting.  So there.

 

I Could Watch Him Stretch All Day (and Night) Long

It's a Little Early For Mr. Hanky, No?

Roger's back from a 6 week layoff in his hometown tournament in Basel.  From what I can tell his back seems better.

But what's up with his obsession with brown?  First the 2008 USO UPS man gear, and now he just come out looking like shit.  Literally.  I mean, I know he just signed a deal with Lindt, but come on, dude, there's a line you have draw when cross-marketing.  Though, it does remind me of this:

This is diet Snapple? sound bite  30 Rock sound bites

Anyway, the Swiss are cruising in Basel, with Fed winning his first two matches easily and Chuids and Stan following suit. 

On the other side of the draw lies Fed's favorite foe, Falcon, who issued a heartless double-bagel today.  I would be so OK with a Fed/Nole final.  Hopefully Nole eats all his pizza.

In other noteworthy results, Richie and Halpert had themselves a highly competitive match that really showed off their skills.  In the end, Richie was able to stay with the tall guy through that second set breaker (saving 2 MPs) and once he was able to take the second set, Isner fell away.  Good on both guys.

And Viktor made Marin work, as Marin had to save 3 MPs to win, 76(7) 67(8) 76(6).  Tough loss for the kid.

Harness Your Chi

Nice article on Novak in the Independent.  Some interesting stuff on his new coaching situation and his thoughts on regaining his #3 ranking from Muzzard.

This, in particular, seemed promising:

Martin's influence, as a thoughtful coach and a cool head, has probably been even more significant. Djokovic, a forceful and demonstrative character, may not be the easiest of men to coach. He has had a knack for rubbing up tennis people the wrong way, upsetting some with his mid-match retirements and calls to the trainer and others with his impressions of fellow players. When does self-confidence become arrogance?

For all his ability to entertain crowds – witness his hilarious jousting with John McEnroe at the US Open last month – Djokovic can also turn the public against him. Twelve months earlier he had incurred the New York crowd's wrath with ill-judged criticisms of Roddick.

So how has Martin helped? "He obviously brings his great knowledge and experience – and great calmness," Djokovic said. "He's a very positive person and that's what I like. Before the US Open we had lots of time on the tennis court. We put a lot of work into it. I'm a temperamental player. I show my emotions, even in practice.

"When I get frustrated I throw my racket. Then I look at Todd and I'm kind of scared about what his reaction might be, what he's going to say. But he always says: 'The shot you made before the mistake was good. So keep it going.' He always tries to find the positive in everything. I think that's a great thing about him. He's going to bring a lot of freshness to the team."

Then again, I get very torn when I read about Nole learning to control his emotions.  I like my Serbs a little on the cray-cray side.

Big Pimpin'

Really, any chance to post my favourite picture of Kolya.  Any chance whatsoever.

 

Sooooo... Kolya took out Nole in an epic, awesome match today.  Over three hours, each player only broken once, a mere 3 points total separating them in the end.  Amazing, just the kind of match-- regardless of the outcome-- that tennis could do with more of.  Especially at a tournament where there have been so many retirements.  

I know I'm basically just babysitting a blog full of Novak fans, but I can't pretend that I don't like Kolya better.  IMO, he is consistently one of the most underrated players on the ATP.  And with the injury-filled year he's had, I can't help but be insanely pleased for him.  This is precisely the kind of match he needs to be winning in order to climb back up the rankings.  With this win, he jumps to #7 in the rankings, putting him right in contention for one of the final spots to WTF in London.  

As for the other semi, eh, whatever.  Feli has extremely questionable facial hair and retired against Rafa.  Whatever.

That scruffy half-beard looks good on no one.  No one, Feli.  Not even you.  Anyway, so, Rafa's through to the final and, as James LaRosa pointed out today, he hasn't had to play a match point since the third round.  Unbelievable.

Singles - Semi-finals 
[1] R Nadal (ESP) d F Lopez (ESP) 61 30 ret. (right ankle)
[6] N Davydenko (RUS) d [2] N Djokovic (SRB) 46 64 76(1)

Air Quotes: The Way the Lord Intended

“Nothing, nothing, nothing is better than sex, it is what God created us to do,” 

   -- Novak Djokovic, comparing notes with Cristiano Ronaldo on
      whether sports are better than God's purpose for humanity

Sunday Wrap-Up: Lazy Guest Blogging (ATP Edition) (UPDATE)

Unfortunately, much like C Note, I haven't had any access to TV today; ergo, I didn't see a single second of any of the finals.  They're all waiting impatiently on my DVR, though.

Beijing: Djokovic d. Cilic 6-2, 7-6(4)

 

Nice tournament win for Novak, even nicer that it'll send him back to the top 3.  That is one ridonkulous punch bowl they gave him for the room party, though.  And kudos also to Marin; even if he lost the final, rolling over Rafa like that in the semis was no small feat.

Tokyo: Tsonga s. Youzhny 6-3, 6-3

1. Jo's hair is nutty.  In a good way, but still.  Maybe it has something to do with the Van de Graaff generator they gave him as a trophy.

2. How surprised was I to see Misha in a final??  His first of the year, as ATPTennis.com tells me.  ATPTennis.com also tells me he's played 31 tournaments this year.  Wha?

Mons (Challenger): Tipsarevic d. Stakhovsky 7-6, 6-3

I don't have much to say about this except that I'm pretty sure Milo Rambaldi had something to do with Janko's trophy.  UPDATE: When this picture came along, I realized that they gave Sergei a crystal armadillo for his trophy or something.  I don't know what they're smoking in Mons, but I want some.

Marin Cilic Has Large Hands. Just Sayin'.

Yeah, I'm gonna be looking at those for a while.

 

And he used those big paws to lay the smackdown on Rafa, 61 63.  I mean...that's something.

 

Tuxedo will face The Falcon, who beat Sods 3 and 3.  Good job, Nole. With the win Nole will rise to #3 on Monday, bumping the injured Muzzard down a spot.

Now please take the title.  Kthxbye!

Friends, Countrymen

Lots of hot intracountry action on the men's side as Fer took out JCF and Nole beat Viktor.

Pretty.

Singles - Second Round
[2] N Djokovic (SRB) d V Troicki (SRB) 63 60 
[4] N Davydenko (RUS) d P Kohlschreiber (GER) 61 60
[5] F Verdasco (ESP) d J Ferrero (ESP) 75 64
[8] [WC] M Cilic (CRO) d J Benneteau (FRA) 62 26 60

Tubby Elephant and Baby Falcon

Some things change (serve). Some things don't (breathe, woman!).

Welcome To My House

The 2010 Davis Cup draw came out this morning and while everyone is understandably buzzing about the 1st round tie between Spain and Switzerland, I'm way more pumped for the USA vs. Serbia tie.  Why? 

Because it's in Serbia.

If you think about when Nole's career started to take a weird turn, you have to look back at Sarsapalooza 08, when Andy called out Nole for being injury prone, Nole got mad, New York got mad, and as a result, Nole's brain melted.  I swear it was as though Andy somehow lobotomized him.  The guy has been lost ever since.

So excuse me if I look forward to Nole finally playing Andy on pro-Nole territory.  When they can finally have a match where Nole should feel comfortable letting the Falcon out.  Who knows what will happen, but a Nole win would go a long way for his confidence and at least get Andy out of his head.

Because seriously?  Of all the players to have in your head, does it really have to be A-Rod?  Come on.

Also, will 2010 finally be the year when P-Mac gets his head out of his ass and plays Sam instead of Headband and Socks? 

As for the Spain/Switzerland tie in Spain, I don't know why but I'll be surprised to see Roger there.  And I don't mean that as a slight to him.  I just wonder if that early in the season he'll be willing to go from Australian hardcourts, to clay, and back.  Though, I guess if he was willing to play last week's relegation tie, he must want to add the Davis Cup to his NetJet.  What better way to do it than to beat Rafa.

Someone Call Ralph Lauren

Come on, dude.  You can't do this to us.  You can't leave our continent and then jaunt around Belgrade showing off that buttery caramel skin and all adorably dressed. 

Augh.  We need to bone.  Immediately.

Thanks to Great White North for linking to the article.

The Nole Conundrum

And .5 seconds later the world changed.  Apparently.

 

Ok, yes, it was a sweet shot.  But "the best shot I've hit in my life"?  I haven't even watched all that many Fed matches but I can count at least 20 shots that were more insane.  But whatever floats your dick, Fed.

 

As for Nole, he was *so* there.  He played well enough to put himself into position to take each set.  But I think this match highlights what I will call, The Nole Conundrum.

Novak cares about the crowd.  We all know that.  He wants to be loved and he wants to be cheered for.  And if this tournament will be known for anything other than 16, The Shot, The Abs, or The Failure, it will be known for Nole's Redemption.  He finally played with a smile on his face and with an eye towards entertaining the crowd.  No shame in any of that and I love him for all of it.

 

But we also know there's another side of Nole.  And that is the fiery, ultra competitive, I want to beat you badly and piss in your skull side.  In order for him to win Slams, he absolutely needs to let that dog out.  He has to scream, pound his chest, get that crazy "I'm gonna kill you" look in his eyes.  But he's so burned by what happened last year in the Roddick match that in these tight moments, against crowd faves like Fed, he refuses to let that guy take over. 

And to me, that was the difference in this match.  At the key moments Nole couldn't/wouldn't play with the necessary intensity.  And he refused to vocalize his intent and get into Fed's head.  His lack of fire made the match a foregone conclusion, despite the close scoreline.

I love Novak.  Always have.  And I'll continue to root for him in any match he plays (yes, even if it's against Rafa or Muzz).  But if he can't figure out how to solve his Jekyl/Hyde problem he'll never win another Slam, and that to me would make him a huge underachiever.

 

And so Fed gets a crack at 16 against Elfie tomorrow.  He hasn't lost at the USO in like, 3,000 days.  So let the suspense build accordingly.

Oh Yeah. There Are Three Other Guys.

Remember Miami? 

 

Well the #1 and #2 boys are going to try to forget it, I'm sure. 

Rafa's dropped his last two matches against Elf, first in that infamous Miami match and then a few weeks ago in Montreal.  Fed has finally snapped his Nole streak, beating him recently in the Cincy final. 

Buckle up.

Pic This: Book 'Em, Danno.

 

Please don't get ass-raped by Fed.  Not sure I could take another one of those.

Weird.  My boyfriend has that distant look in his eyes when I give him a handjob, too.

*whispers*

That's not Sanowa, Richard.

Fairly certain my abs would snap in two attempting this.

 

You know, it's a good thing that my blog is way classier than Perez Hilton's, because I could MS Paint a pretty awesome lollipop there.

Air Quotes: Get The KY Out...

Q. Is there one specific area, besides the mental game, but one thing that perhaps even you're surprised he's (Todd Martin) helped with?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don't think you can always ‑‑ you can ever get your game to the perfection, you know. Only if you're Federer. (laughter.)

Small Gestures

I hinted at this on my twitter feed, but Nole has been hosting children of 9/11 victims in his box during matches.  And before everyone gets at PR-cynic on him, here's his presser:

Q. I understand you’ve been hosting children of 9/11 victims in your box. Can you talk about that, what that means to you, how it got started.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, well, I mean, we had this idea before the tournament, and I didn’t want to talk about it, obviously. I think it’s ‑‑ well, it’s a gesture that I hope it means for them. I’ve been meeting, you know, four different guys, you know, in these two weeks.

I have been giving them some presents after the matches. Obviously we don’t want to talk about the past and what happened. It’s something that I have been going through, as well, something similar in my past, you know, through the war and all these things.

So I know what it feels like, so I just try to bring some smiles and make them enjoy. I hope that’s what I did.

Q. Do they know who you are and what you’ve done on the court? Do they know you for your impressions or more for your tennis?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I haven’t asked them that. (laughter.)

I think that’s ‑‑ the main thing is that they enjoy it. I think that the guy I met today was first‑time watching live tennis match. It was quarterfinal of US Open, and certainly it was a fantastic feeling for him.

About the impressions, I don’t know if they have seen it. But it’s going on on the Internet for a while.

Q. When you say that you don’t want to talk about it or you haven’t wanted to talk about it, do you mean you don’t want to make it seem like it’s a publicity thing, make it genuine from the heart?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: About what?

Q. I think when you responded to that question you said, you know, I obviously haven’t wanted to talk about it.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, just because this is something that is negative to talk about, and I think it’s a sad story from their side and from my side. So I guess in this moment we have no reason to talk about sad things, because, you know, we are here. We’re trying to enjoy. We’re young. They’re young. They’re trying to enjoy their life, and they came to tennis.

So this is the positive message. We don’t want to, you know, get back in the past. What already happened, happened. It’s life.

Much love, Falcon.

Well Hello, Semis. It's Been Awhile. Have You Lost Weight?

Orange you glad I didn't eat your banana?

 

Tough luck for FeVer.  He did well to take the second set after fighting in the first, but towards the end of the third he started struggling with an ab injury.  Apparently his cut and paste tape job wasn't helping things.

And so Nole books a spot in the semis of a Slam for the first time this year.

 

Soar, Falcon.  Be free.

Pic This: Work It

Today was Labor Day in the states, which means no working, lots of out of towning, and, if you're in the Bay Area, lots of trying to figure out how the hell you're supposed to get to a BBQ in the East Bay when the Bay Bridge is shut down.  Let's just say Tommy wasn't the only one with that look this weekend.

But while we were being lazy bums, the action in NYC kept rolling.

 

Doesn't this look like a "Pic This" pic?  But I can't think of the perfect caption, even though it's begging for one.  Kinda like how Caro's begging to get f'd in the a. 

Oh, look!  Caption!

Smug little bastard.

 

The Sex expert.

 

This is Yanina Wickmayer.  She is a quarterfinalist.  Or something.

Back To Good

Nole beat The Sex easily.  But that's not the point.

Genius move by Nole to get back into the good graces of the NYC crowd by sending up J-Mac. And much love to J-Mac for coming down and sealing the deal on the 2009 Nole-Is-Not-A-Little-Shit campaign. So great to see the kid smiling again on court.

 

Much love.

McEnvic

The tighter the shorts, the happier the me.

Coach Nole

Awesome sauce.

Pic This: Do You Believe In Magic?

Melanie Oudin's shoes ushered in a crazy day four at the USO. 

What is up with the obsession with Hubba Bubba?

 

Hubba Hubba.

 

Not so much.

 

The forgotten but adorable Swisser.  You go on with your winky self, Chuds.

 

Mmmm...drumstick.

I have stared at this picture for 5 minutes now.  I literally have nothing interesting or funny to say.  So goes my relationship with Tommy Boredo.

 

Seriously.  Sandwiches are your friend, Andy.

 

Blue Steel.

Air Quotes: "Oh, Baby. I'm sorry, baby. Sometimes I just get so mad sometimes because I love you so much."

Q. Are you curious how the fans would welcome you this year after what happened last year?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, I mean, this is past. What happened last year, the way I get it, to be honest, was like, I don't know, a fight with a girlfriend. Just a little fight with a girlfriend. These things happen. It was something that everybody can learn from it.
I always felt like at home here. I played so well last three years. I see no reason for me thinking about something that happened already.
So today was great. I just hope that the fans will behave nice, you know, in the next rounds.

Q. You're such a fun loving guy. You have a lot of personality. You became a fan favorite because of that. Did that have any effect on how you act or hold yourself anymore?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: You mean?

Q. How you carry yourself.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I think every individual, every tennis player, is different. You can't compare me to somebody else. This is the way I am. This is my personality. I am trying to enjoy what I do on and off the court as much as I can, do some things, like impersonations, which a lot of people liked, and I was very glad for that.

They were asking actually today, the small kids when I was signing autographs, When are you going to do more impersonations? I just came to see that.
Well, I'm here a little bit to play tennis.
No, I don't care for that, just impersonations.
Okay. Maybe I'll think about it.

"I Wanna Rock With You, All Night..."

Aww...Tax does her best Michael Jackson impression.

 

Ooga Chakka Ooga Chakka Ooga Chakka...

 

Focus on your tennis and stop practicing making out with your girlfriend, Tomas.

 

You know what, dude?  You deserve to lose if you're going to wear those sunglasses.

Even Falcons Need A Muse

An easy walk in the park for Nole today, as he took out Lubey in easy straight sets as Jelena looked on.  Either Lubey needs to retire or something physical was up with him today.  He played horribly and looked like he was just happy to collect his $19k check for showing up.  Really embarrassing performance.

 

Over on Armstrong, JJ looked like her 2008 self, dominating Vinci in a 2 and 3 win.  No pictures of Mladjan, but you know he had that same dumb look on his face.

Sunday Stalker Roundup

 
First of all, I want that cup.  Specifically I want what's in the cup.  But I'm not particular.

In pretty awesome news, we've got some FDers on the ground in NYC and lucky for me they've been extremely forthcoming with their pics and anecdotes.  So here we go:

    

Well, well, well, look who decided to show up.  The Falcon has been pretty MIA during the off-week before the USO.  No promo appearances, no interviews, no...nothing. 

But he hit the practice courts yesterday and we actually have pictorial evidence. 

Well done Sabrina and Amanda!

And if you wanted shade, where else would you go than the Grandstand where Big Ol' Sam and Halpert were practicing.

Um...yeah, no one has any answers for that hat.  NO ONE.

Thanks again to Sabrina and Amanda for these pics.

As for Sodapop and Carrie...

Carrie:

 

Sodapop:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get some sleep, ladies.  Tomorrow's going to be a long one.  I mean, *surely* you bought night session tix for Williams/Roddick, no?

 

US Open Favorites. Or Something.

I've made my feelings for Lena known so I won't go through it all again.  But congrats to her for seizing the opportunity to bag her third title of the year in Toronto by beating Masha.  A serveless Masha is a breakable Masha, which will be her downfall at the USO.  But not before she wreaks some havoc through the quarters.  If she gets a favorable draw and the top seed fall early, she has a legitimate shot at the USO title.  

And congrats to TMF, who withstood a challenge from Nole in the second set to take his first Masters title of the season in straight sets.  I think Nole comes out of this tournament with some momentum, as he has to believe that he can beat Rafa in NYC and he can give Fed a run for his money.  The question for me is whether he believes he can beat either of the Andys, which is going to be more of an issue considering he can't be in Rafa's half at the Open.  But a run to the semis would do the kid some good.

As for Fed, he won, he was phenomenal, and in his two matches against Andy and Nole he didn't collapse when the pressure was on late in the second set.  He looks confident and and calm and is playing with clarity.  So that's AWESOME.

Red Rover, Red Rover, Send The Real Nole Right Over

Oh, Nole.  You kill me.  Just when I'm ready to write you off you play a match like this and you give me hope again.  Hope that will last at least for another 12 hours until you get your ass handed to you by Fed.  But hope nonetheless.

Really nice match from the Forgotten Falcon today.  Perfectly executed game plan.  And what gave me hope in particular was his ability to step up during key points and hit the ball confidently and dictate play.  That hasn't been the norm over these past few months, when Nole seemed to get too conservative during key moments.  Please, Falcon.  Take this play into NYC.

As for Rafa, his hardcourt season played out better than I would have expected.  He got a good number of matches under his belt, scored some solid wins, and engaged in some pretty tough competitive battles.  So all is good in Rafa world.

Unless it isn't.  Towards the end of the match it looked like Rafa tweaked something.  Possibly an abdominal problem.  Hopefully whatever it is heals in time for NYC.  The healthier the Rafa, the better.

You Kneed To Relax, Boys

Aw, poor Gilly.  But he had a great run and I think he's got some confidence back.  Does anyone else get the sense that he's playing tight?  Either from the pressure, lack of confidence, or injury?  He just doesn't seem to be the same smiley Gilles from last year.  Hell, I guess we can say the same for Nole.

Magician, Joker, Entertainer.  Kid got through in straight sets.

He'll face the winner of Big Berd and Rafa.  Here's hoping for a 1, 2, 3, 4 semis.

 

Do The Hippy Hippy Shake Shake...

The Lawnmower man with a bit of a resurgent run in Cincy.  After beating Sods in the first round, he's now into the quarterfinals with a quality win over Sam.

Tough luck, Q-Boy.  Now rest up for the USO.

Nole's through without much incident.  Ajde, Falcon!

 

And in the battle of dudes dating chicks hotter than them, Muzz dished a bagel on Steps, who was never in the match.  Muzz is starting to walk around with the strut, folks.  

Muzz is still on track to meet Fed in the semis as Fed withstood a challenge by Daveed, who took the first set from Fed and lead 3-1 in the third before pulling a "Ferrer" and just playing like a stone cold idiot.  But you know, congrats to Fed or whatever.

Rafa just took the court and Gilles and Kolya have split sets.  

I'm A Little Worried About The Company You're Keeping These Days, Nole.

Nole in the recording studio with the Bryan Brothers. Yeah, wrap your head around that. Also, for some reason he's insisted on wearing clothes again. Bastard.

(Thanks to Victoria for tweeting)

Rusty Bull, Fallen Falcon

Congrats to Elf on his win over Rafa.  He had to fight hard for the first set, eventually winning 76(5) and then cruising in the second set to win 61.  I only saw parts of the first set and though Rafa still looked rusty, it didn't seem like the first set was a "bad" loss.  Not sure what happened in that last set though.

Novak, you ignorant slut.  GET ANGRY!  Play on the edge!  I don't care that it's A-Rod and you're all self-conscious about how you come across to him or to the crowd.  What do you care more about?  Unfortunately, I think I know what the answer is to that question, which is why I don't have much hope for Nole during this USO swing.  Muzz and Rod own him.  In fact, it seems like the one player who can get him up to play with and edge is Feds.  Sigh. 

"Let's Have Some Fun This Beat Is Sick, I Wanna Take A Ride On Your Disco Stick."

Whaaa??? 

Tom Tebbutt reports that Rafa and Nole are going to play dubs together in Cincy.

!!!

(Thanks to Clau for posting the link)

Birds of a Feather, Flock Together

Sam the Eagle joins Team Falcon.

In what seems to be the worst kept secret in Montreal, Todd Martin will be joining Team Nole in a "consultant/advisor/don'tcallmecoachbutreallyI'macoach" role.  Not sure when this relationship will start but he's already in Montreal hanging out with the team.

Big Boys

Rafa made his triumphant return and actually played a full match, beating Petzscher 63 62.  He looked much better than yesterday, particularly his serve, but every time he lunged for a ball or I heard his shoes squeak to a stop, I cringed.  He take on next, who needed three sets and two calls to the trainer (bum right shoulder, apparently) to get past Hanescu. 

 
As for Nole and Muzz it was business as usual.  Nole looked rock solid today in his win, though no thanks to his Mom shorts.  And Andy made JCF look like an old man in his 1 and 3 win.

Oh and Kolya beat Gonzo 76(2) 75.  Not that you'd know this seeing as how there are no pictures of that match anywhere.