| 24 August 2010
Can any woman make up for the absence of Serena Williams in New York? Can Roger Federer end the year as he began it, with a Grand Slam win?
It is still tough to think about Serena not being at the Open this year. I am more bummed than I thought I would be by this unfortunate occurrence, because when you look over the women's field, it looks more and more anemic.
Henin is out, Clijsters' play has been erratic, Schiavone enjoyed her 15 seconds and then some of Fame after winning the French, then probably celebrated for the next two months it seemed, because her results after were dreadful. I think she only recently won a match. Wozniacki I still find hard to take seriously. Jankovic is maddening.
What about Venus, you may be saying. What about her, I say back, feeling her presence more like that of a phantom now since she plays so infrequently. You never know sometimes which Williams sister shows up, the good one who's already in shape and practiced and ready to go, or the one who needs to "play her way" into a tournament.
There have been a number of very entertaining matches on the men's side lately, most of them delivered up by Roger Federer, who seems rejuvenated (which is not to say he was ready for embalming) by the arrival of Paul Annacone to his side. The effect seemed to be immediate, I thought, as if Federer had had his finger stuck in a light socket and off he went, squeaking out really scrumptious matches on back to back nights, first in Canada in beating Berdych and Djokovic before coming up short against Murray in the final; then in Cincinnati in making his way rather easily through a draw that included Davydenko and Baghdatis. His win over Fishcakes in the final showed Federer in really good form, with a bit of room for peaking at the Open. And congrats to Mardy for another great run, now maybe we can persuade him to do this over time. He's the best Dark Horse pick for the Open.
Personally, I like Federer's chances in New York; I still see Nadal struggling with the harder surface. I don't know if Berdy can survive two weeks of NYC; Baghdatis, on the other hand, may love it. He is playing well and looks to be motivated to have fun in the Big Apple. Robin Soderling could be winning a few more matches, but maybe he is positioned right for the Open for a guy now in 5th place.
Djoker and Laddie I always have my doubts about, especially in their longer, funnier matches where the heat index gets brutal and the guys get cranky and hyperventilate and you wonder if the next breath will be their last.
Roddick leaves me feeling more and more uncertain about his erratic play this summer. He played some terrific tennis last week in Cincy, then he played a few bad points in the match with Fish. Shades of the old Roddick creeping out? I just don't know how settled he is in his game right now.
So I like Federer, and I think his goal of four more slams is realistic and will, god willing, keep him around for at least a few more years. Annacone has definitely stirred the kettle.
But the women at this year's Open seem churned beyond belief now with the key withdrawals and the erratic play of the pack as a whole. So for them - and us - this could be a forthcoming adventure in chaos. I haven't a clue who will emerge from the formless mass. Shudder shudder.
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