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Sunday, 15 August 2010 10:18

The Rundown: Saturday

Written by  Mariya Konovalova
federer-mk-081410-artSaturday’s Fed Fed Sweetly
A brief chat with Rudi Blatter, President & C.E.O. of Lindt & Sprüngli (Canada), who came to Roger Federer’s post-match interview, revealed Federer and wife Mirka appreciate chocolate.  Mirka personally called Blatter to thank him for souvenirs Lindt left in Federer’s hotel room.
 
The chocolate maker started a partnership with Federer this year under the slogan, “Swiss Excellence.” They also joined forces with Tennis Canada to sponsor the Rogers Cup, providing free chocolate to players, media, and staff and sampling on the grounds. Blatter said he hopes Lindt will extend their partnership with tennis to other tournaments and initiatives.  And so do we.
 
Saturday’s Big Fan
Like many of us, Andy Murray knows Rafael Nadal’s game well. And just like us, it is from watching Nadal play.  Murray already confessed during Wimbledon that Nadal is his favorite player to watch.  The difference between the World No. 4 and us is that he beats his favorite, 6-3, 6-4.
 
Saturday’s Semi-Automatic Weapon
After losing to Murray, Rafael Nadal, who served  61% first serves, better than Murray’s 46%, but faltered on big points, admitted that the serve was “the worst thing in my game today for sure.” However, Nadal also shared that he was unhappy with his backhand in the match.  Tired and rusty after the long layoff since Wimbledon, Nadal said he “had to think too much in every shot when I was playing the backhand.” He wants to practice it to the point where the decisions on backhand shots are automatic.



nadal-mk-0814-art
Nadal scrambled but could not find an answer to Murray's newfound aggressiveness

Regarding the serve, Nadal shared that he does not practice it a lot during tournaments, after suffering an injury last year because of over-working his serve.  Nadal admits the serve is not his strong point in general, but believes if he is “more solid” on service rhythm, he will be at a higher level than this week.
 
Saturday’s Chemistry 101
Despite playing well and having reached the finals in the two tournaments he has played since letting go of coach Miles Maclagan, Andy Murray is not tempted to go at it alone.  The defending champion, who kept his No. 4 ranking by reaching the final, has been mentioning, unprompted, how “different” it is to not have a coach with him in the media interviews. But he is not ready to write a check just yet: “I'm not gonna rush into hiring a coach unless I feel like it's the right person, because it's a big commitment, you know. It's 30, 35 weeks of the year; you travel with them and spend a lot of time together. There's a lot of pressure, you know, at the high or the top end of sports. You need to make sure you get on with them very well. But, you know, I don't want to just pick someone or choose someone right before the US Open and make a mistake.”

murray-mk-0814-art
Despite a lack of coach Andy Murray is joined in Toronto by a large team that includes his mom Judy
 
Saturday’s From the Beginning Now
Federer ran away with the first set against Novak Djokovic Saturday night, allowing  his opponent only one game, as Djokovic kept making errors.  Things turned around when the Serbian finally found his game down a break at 2-1 in the second set and pushed hard to break back.  In the following game, Djokovic held at love for the first time in the match, and then had chances to break his opponent but Federer played a few clutch points to hold serve. After a long game on Djokovic’s serve, which the Serb finally held, Federer got broken easily, and it seemed, for a bit, that the wheels were off for the World No. 3 as the match went to a third set.  However, Djokovic was broken serving at 2-1 in the third set on a backhand error, one of many for him in the match, and it seemed the momentum shifted again. But Novak pushed through to another break on a long game on Federer’s serve, putting the match back on serve at 3-4. It was at 5-5 in the third set that Djokovic had and lost three breakpoints. It appeared Djokovic was thinking well on the court and perhaps playing with a better strategy than Federer, but his execution was off. After Federer held on his first game point, Djokovic played a distracted game to give the man in pink the match. Federer won, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5.
 
Federer, who also won in a tight third set against Berdych after winning the first set easily the night before, said he prefers starting the match well, even if there is trouble later, to coming out slowly, like in some recent matches.  The Swiss partly attributed his slow starts to a lack of confidence.

Saturday’s Lose Yourself
We hear that, understandably, Djokovic had a bit of a meltdown in the locker room after letting his match against Federer slip away. He was in much better spirits when facing the media, but still noted disappointment. “I am frustrated with the loss and upset about the loss.  Of course I am.  I am a competitor, and it doesn't matter the way I play.  If I have a chance to win and I don't, I'm not happy and I cannot be happy,” said Djokovic.

djokovic-mk-081410-09_jpg
Novak Djokovic had his chances to reach the final but lost the tight battle

Saturday’s Quote of the Day
Roger Federer had this to say to yet another question about his relationship with new coach Paul Annacone: “It's very romantic. I don't know. Look, it's… it's going okay. I mean, we don't go to candlelight dinner every night. I have a wife, you know.”

Runner-up: “I had the chance 3-All, 15-40, and he made double fault. The referee was watching another court, but was double fault.” - Rafael Nadal.
 
Saturday’s Mob Attack
The crowds at Rogers Cup this year have been much harsher than in our last visit here in 2008, especially at night matches. On Friday, someone yelled out, “Are you nervous?” to Tomas Berdych at the tail end of his match with Federer, and, Saturday night, a spectator suggested Djokovic “call a trainer” when down a set and a break. A fellow reporter confirmed the night crowd appeared more aggressive than that at the US Open, a tough feat to achieve.  During that match, the pro-Federer crowd, with loud Serbian supporters interspersed in it, was appauding players’ errors and yelling at all times. Chair Umpire Carlos Bernardes made a great and effective announcement at one point, asking the audience to always support the players, “but not between first and second serves.”
 
It was not all rudeness, however, as a group of Serbians held up a sign that said, in rough translation, “Novak, when you win, we’re buying you a drink.” With the way he lost, Djokovic may still need that drink.

More photos from Saturday's semifinal action at the 2010 Rogers Cup

Photos by Mariya Konovalova

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Mariya Konovalova

Mariya Konovalova

Mariya Konovalova is the Editor-in-Chief of ProTennisNews.net. When not watching, photographing, writing, and editing material about tennis, she enjoys buying books she won't have time to read and films she won't have time to watch, as well as not getting enough sleep. Mariya is a graduate of Columbia University and the London School of Economics. You can contact her by e-mail (mariya(at)TalkAboutTennis.com) and follow her on Twitter (@MariyaKTennis).

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