Ted Robinson’s Matchpoints

Forty-eight hours later and I’m still in awe over Sunday. A 10-hour plane flight, with time to absorb nearly a dozen London newspapers along with nearly a hundred messages, many from those who would be classified as “casual” fans, has lent to the aura of this match as “the best ever.”

Now I hear today that SI will feature the match on its cover. When Pete Sampras won his record 13th Slam and 7th Wimbledon, we came home to see a muscled and tattooed Jason Giambi on the SI cover. Sampras was appalled. And now we know that tennis fell victim to the BALCO scam.

This was pure.

This was cojones grande, the only way to describe Rafa doing what he could not 12 months earlier, find a way to win the third set from Federer.

This was a champion falling in “brutal gladiatorial combat…but tumbling with valour” in the stirring words of London Daily Mail writer Paul Hayward. And how fine is that description.

In 24 hours back home, there is a talk-show buzz and coffee shop chat about this match that I have not witnessed in many years.

These two made tennis relevant. Now can it sustain what these two have created?

More from the Wimbledon cache:

* The disappointment over early exits by Andy Roddick and James Blake certainly went away. Stories always emerge; be it Andy Murray’s next step towards the top echelon, Marat Safin (up 35 places to 40), Rainer Schuettler (up 55 to 39) and Arnaud Clement (up 73 to 72) all made themselves relevant again, the two-week siege and double wins for the Sisters, Britain’s obsession over 14-year-old junior champ Laura Robson and her marvelously refreshing attitude over new fame, and the continuing presence of so many former champions at the AELTC.

* The roof can’t arrive fast enough. Sunday’s final ended about 10 minutes before a nightmare encounter would have occurred. The Club, understandably, wanted play to continue until 9:30-9:45 p.m.. They, like everyone, wanted a result. The money and disruption for Monday play, perhaps as little as two games, would have been wasteful. Yet, there was a point at which the players would have said, understandably, that a Championship, particularly from a match so superior, couldn’t be decided in darkness. Thankfully, we were spared the moment. A match for the ages had a proper ending in the dusk of Centre Court.

And traditionalists need not weep. Centre Court will still be open. Remember that grass needs light. The roof will only close once it rains, a 12-minute process. Thus, the courts will be still be covered for a short period. The benefit of the roof will be to guarantee play after a short stoppage and thus never again the drama of Sunday night.

* Major consensus in London was that the Williams Sisters success was due in part to the weakness of the WTA Tour. This is a debate for another time but the perception must be countered by the Tour.

* Start perhaps with Aggie Radwanska, the most impressive of the game’s young women. She has a Martina Hingis-like presence on the court that adds conviction to less-than-punishing shots. She simply doesn’t beat herself. Her lack of serve may hinder the hopes of a Wimbledon title, but the women’s game needs a player like Aggie to rise.

After all, this week’s rankings still feature Patty Schnyder, a career fourth-round player with one Slam semi to her credit, at 13 in the world. Lindsay Davenport won one round at Wimbledon and rose to 23. Tough to explain that to the sporting public.

* While we’re on that point, Serena passed Venus on the computer (reason 5,742 why I hate the concept). But my colleague, SI’s Jon Wertheim, poses a terrific question: has Venus’ career eclipsed Serena’s?

* Now we move to the hard courts and wonder whether Donald Young, John Isner (both of whom fell and are close to being out of the top 100) and Sam Querrey can make a move. Can Bethanie Mattek continue her momentum from the spring/summer and make a Robby Ginepri-like charge through the summer?

And can Rafa play well in the States, particularly the Open? Will his knees, the ones that Uncle Toni admits are so tender that the family wants Rafa to play LESS on the hard stuff, allow him to show New York his greatness?

And does Roger, whose performance at Wimbledon showed he is certainly not done, feel a little pressure to win Slams sooner rather than later?

An era was officially closed Monday as the USTA announced a new TV deal that will place the US Open on ESPN and Tennis Channel beginning in 2009.

This September will be the 25th and final Open to air on USA. The obvious disclaimer: this will be my 22nd as a play-by-play voice for USA’s coverage.

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And here’s what I have learned: no tennis event that I have been blessed to cover, which now includes 8 Wimbledons for NBC, generates more conversation than the Open.

The most frequent tennis comment I receive (after “What’s Johnny Mac really like?) is: “I plan my nights for 2 weeks around USA’s prime time coverage of the Open. I love listening to John, Tracy and you every night.”

It’s been flattering and it’s also a tremendous endorsement for the growth of the Open. Arlen Kantarian and his excellent staff have transformed the Open from a tennis championship to an EVENT. It is the only sporting championship contested on an annual basis in New York and the USTA has magnificently built that aura.

What we’ve learned is that it’s great TV. Not for USA, I acknowledge, for it’s the top-rated cable network and sports aren’t a part of that equation.

But for ESPN and Tennis Channel, partners now in the cable presentation of all Slams, it is perfect programming. And they will treat the Open well- fear not, the quality of the coverage will be high.  No time zone issues, LIVE tennis in prime time, and American players enjoying success are huge benefits.

It all pales, though, next to NIGHT TENNIS.

That is the Open’s magic, the buzz of a significant night match that can only be heard in New York. It is the two weeks every year when tennis truly matters in America. Great theater and entertainment are the byproducts of superior competition.

Writing this brings memories flooding back: Vitas Gerulaitis, truly one of the kindest and most generous people I have been blessed to call a friend, Jimmy Connors in ’91, Chris Evert’s last match, Martina Hingis waxing Anna Kournikova in a junior match, Sampras-Agassi ’01, the highest quality match I have ever called and Andre’s ’05 run.

There will be more time for these in the fall. For now, the hundreds of talented professionals involved in the USA telecasts will spend several months preparing for one more run at something we love.

* * *

There’s a severe shortage of intelligent writing about tennis. Fortunately, Paul Fein is trying to compensate, releasing his latest book, Tennis Confidential II. Mary Carillo writes the foreword and she presents Fein as a tennis version of baseball’s Bill James. Someone bright enough to address the game’s crucial debates and figures without being trapped in other eras; forward thinking, what a concept in tennisworld! I look forward to a good summer read.
 

At Key Biscayne for the first time, the tournament regarded by many as the “Fifth Slam,” and I can see why this event has earned that title.

A terrific tennis center with spacious grounds for fans to roam. Justin Gimelstob, my broadcast partner, says it’s too big, that the grandstand court feels as if it is in a neighboring county.

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First-class operation headed by IMG. This is nearly a Slam, 96 draws for men and women, full doubles and qualies. Working it all smoothly at “spring break” time in South Florida is a challenge well met.

Proof? The attendance. Only Maria Sharapova and Marcos Baghdatis are MIA among the top 20 men and women.

So there are quality matches every day and the argument grows that winning here is as challenging as a Slam, given the depth of field and fewer rest days. Certainly Roger Federer’s double of Indian Wells-Key Biscayne is outstanding, twice is astounding.

Tidbits from Saturday:

Daniela Hantuchova was up 6-0, 2-0 on Ana Ivanovic and you could feel the depression oozing out of my TV all the way from Melbourne.

I’ve been there. Endless hours of early round matches are tolerable because you know there is a payoff… the money rounds.

Then, you have a semifinal wipeout and the letdown is evident.

Maria Sharapova continued to steamroll the field although her win was less about her play and more about Jelena Jankovic appearing physically unable to handle the moment.

Jankovic is a fighter who scraps for everything. Add to that her relentless scheduling and the worry is that her stay at the top of the game could be brief. Except for her 2006 Open semi against Justine Henin, Jankovic has hit a wall in the final rounds of majors. Does she pay a steep toll for her lack of physical strength? Does her meek serve place too much stress on the rest of her game?

Martina Hingis and Henin are champions without size. Elena Dementieva has reached Slam finals without a serve. So, the thought is that Jankovic needs to show she can handle the moment, the last defining quality of a tennis champion.

Sharapova didn’t have to play her best to win but she can be excused after the demolition of Henin and Lindsay Davenport in earlier rounds. She showed her first signs of nerves, tossing in multiple doubles when trying to close the first set.

But Jankovic cooperated by serving 3 doubles in the first game of the second set and the rest of the match was about Jankovic determined not to pull a Henin and quit a match she was surely going to lose.

So when Ivanovic completely locked up in the first set against Hantuchova, we were wondering if the lone women’s match of the fortnight was going to be Maria-Henin.

Then, if quality wasn’t paramount, drama took over in the second set. Ivanovic held to win her first game and then seized the momentum with a break. After a Hantuchova hold, the key game of the match was played. It was game 6, second set and Ivanovic fighting for survival, finally playing with the necessary force, needed seven deuce points before holding. The flurry of tennis, much of it played for Ivanovic without a safety net, seemed to bring the Serb into the match.

The third set had no real swings, just the growing feeling that Hantuchova’s nerves were let her down. The bright young Slovak has rebounded from a meltdown that saw her cry on court at Wimbledon, suffer through an eating issue and slowly rebuild her game that once drew raves from the likes of Billie Jean King.

Slam finals have eluded Hantuchova and the thought of a finish line seemed to unnerve her. In fact, Ivanovic is no steely player herself, but she had the one advantage of having reached a final (RG ‘07.)

Hantuchova made her fatal mistake in game 9 of the third set smacking a volley into the net on break point. Ivanovic had no trouble finishing a match that made me think of Boris Becker.

The great Becker once said that the fifth set was not really about tennis but about the heart and the head. An exaggeration no doubt, but I get his point. And I believe it. And I think it holds true in many Slams within the last 8 women. Few have the hardened confidence of a Sharapova or Henin, most wobble on their way to becoming a champion.

Three of the four women in these semis are still wobbly in the biggest matches. And that’s why Sharapova should win her third Slam Saturday.

Watching the Hopman Cup on Tennis Channel and I’m wondering what happened to the “off-season?”

Novak Djokovic was just seen slinking away from Shanghai weary from an intense year that shot him into the upper echelons of the sport.

Now, weeks later, he plays Mardy Fish in the first event of the new year and receives treatment on his right shoulder.

How can this happen to one of the sport’s bright young stars?

Fish played valiantly, falling in a final set breaker, and looked healthy. Mardy has teased before with his immense talent and likable personality. Can 2008 see him finally mold health and focus together to make a serious run?

I am an agate guy. I love the small print results page of the sports section. To me, I find and follow hundreds of wonderful sports stories on a daily basis around the world through agate.

How else can we follow the wackiness that is the tennis calendar? Multiple events on multiple continents for 10 months of every year can only be tracked with intensity.

So, this week was notable for the return of tennis results to the agate section.

I watched Sam Querrey; starting the year at 63, win one round in Adelaide before falling to an Aussie wildcard never before known outside his hometown.

I look in vain for the names of Donald Young (100) and John Isner (106) who both ended 2007 on a run and hope to maintain their momentum.

I see Andy Murray winning in Qatar and am fascinated to see how the Scot fares post-Brad Gilbert. So far, so good for another late-season charger who starts 2008 at 11 in the world.

And I see Nikolay Davydenko, winning matches while complaining about his treatment in the ATP investigation. No sympathy here for a man who bailed on a match with injury and played halfway around the world 6 days later. Just answer the questions.

Martina Hingis is suspended 2 years for a positive cocaine test. She has retired from the sport.

Roger Clemens is outed by his personal trainer for steroid use. He has retired from the sport.

Both maintain their innocence. Clemens is fighting to clear his name. The financial lure of Hall of Fame induction is an intense motivation for Clemens. That doesn’t exist for Hingis. Will she fight like Clemens? Or will she quietly accept her fate and hope time heals wounds and fades memories?

Reality crashed into the world of tennis in the last month.

Read the New York Times Saturday and the headline is “From Center Court to Off Court (and Maybe in Court.) The Los Angeles Times Sunday reports “Italian Tennis Player suspended for Gambling.”

The women just finished their year in Madrid and the men have convened in Shanghai.

But results are not the story. It’s match fixing, poisoning, cocaine, everything but the tennis.

It’s complex. Tennis is the most global of professional sports, covering most every continent and hemisphere. There are no fewer than three governing bodies, none of which has authority over the players. It also seems the ATP and WTA are out of touch with what its players face. Did anyone in the WTA know about Martina Hingis?

The Hingis file is both perplexing and sad. Inside tennis it has been whispered that she associated with an unsavory character in the early stages of her comeback. An engagement to Radek Stepanek seemed to put those concerns to rest. Is it just coincidence that her failed drug test and the end of her engagement, announced by Stepanek, were just weeks apart?

First instinct for many is to wish Hingis would fight to clear her name, especially if the report that she passed a hair test, considered so reliable that it is used in lieu of blood tests by many colleges, is accurate.

But who can blame her for not wishing to invest millions of dollars and years of her life in endless legal maneuvers?

Match-fixing and the bizarre poisoning story involving Tommy Haas all highlight one important point: the common thread is Russia.

And who is supposed to police matters in a country tilting back towards a totalitarian state? Who is supposed to tell a player like Nikolay Davydenko to report illicit offers if, hypothetically, some Russians have informed him that they know where his brother’s family lives? All the angst and outcries are powerless against such threats.

That is most troubling about this scenario. Answers are not apparent. What offends Americans is often regarded as trivial in other cultures. I repeat the story from Montreal in August when a veteran European player noted that no money was lost in l’affaire Davydenko and wondered aloud to me whether there was really a problem.

The efforts of the ATP in attacking this issue immediately are admirable. Remedies, though, are difficult.

A promise: more on the play from Madrid and Shanghai in the next few days.

We have seen this defense before. Rafael Palmeiro wagged his finger before Congress, denied using steroids and, within months, was stone cold busted. Rather than fight the results, Palmeiro disappeared.