Article 30-11-06

Rooting For Rivalry
Photo By Susan Mullane	By Richard Pagliaro 11/29/2006 Tennis' most riveting rivalry pits top-ranked Roger Federer against second-ranked Rafael Nadal, who handed the nine-time Grand Slam champion four of his five losses this season. If you accept the premise that the growth of the game is rooted in rivalry then it's worth considering some other potential matches that could conceivably complement Federer-Nadal as compelling clashes.
Contrasting styles, personalites and wills as well as the ability to bring out the best in each other are all elements in creating worthwhile rivalries. In remarks that recall his own raging, rebellious past, John McEnroe insists what tennis needs now is a real rivalry and genuine tennis menace. "Anytime you are in a one-on-one sport, it's critical to have rivalries and a lot of personality whether you like or don't like the person. It's almost better when you don't like the person," McEnroe said. "You get somebody like a Federer and you can't dislike this guy. Even the players like him. We've got to find somebody who comes along and rubs some people the wrong way. Two of my greatest rivals were guys I didn't like or basically didn't like me, (Ivan) Lendl and (Jimmy) Connors. I didn't have to look too far for that. But my greatest rival was (Bjorn) Borg because we were so opposite in every way. He was actually the only guy I got along with on and off the court." Putting that personal animosity approach aside, here are just a few of the match-ups we'd like to see develop into full-fledged rivalries in the coming season: Roger Federer vs. Richard Gasquet: The reining World No. 1 vs. the world's former top-ranked junior. Based on the fact Federer has beaten the flashy Frenchman five times in a row, you might think Gasquet's best shot to slow the Swiss is to sneak up behind Federer during a changeover and transform his ever-present Nike headband into a blindfold. But despite Federer's 5-1 career edge this match between two of the game's most sensational shot makers has produced periods of mesmerizing tennis, including Federer's 7-6(7), 6-7(7), 6-4, win on the grass at Halle in June and his 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory in the Toronto final in August. A gifted all-court player who possesses one of the most brilliant one-handed backhands in men's tennis, Gasquet can hit such heavy spin you half expect to see the vibration dampner on his racquet orbit his string bed as if it were a ball bounding around a roulette wheel. Nobody on on the planet can play the type of head-turning tennis Federer is capable of producing yet Gasquet has been able to engage Federer in longer rallies and actually out hit him at times on the backhand side. Potentially, Gasquet is one of the most complete young players in the sport, but he has been slowed by questionable strength and stamina and a propensity for injury. Gasquet must improve his serve if he is to seriously threaten Federer, but he's only 20 and will continue to improve. James Blake vs. Andy Roddick: The Davis Cup teammates and occasional poker partners raised this stakes in this budding rivalry this year after Roddick dominated Blake in winning their first six meetings, surrendering just one set in that streak. Blake's dramatic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) victory over Roddick in the Indianapolis final was one of the most memorable matches of the 2006 U.S. Open Series and propelled both players into productive summers as Roddick captured the Cincinnati title and advanced to the U.S. Open final while Blake reached his second consecutive quarterfinal at the U.S. Open. This match features tennis' fastest server in the sixth-ranked Roddick, who tied Federer for the ATP lead in service game holds (90 percent) this season, against one of the most explosive returners in the fourth-ranked Blake, who was eighth on the ATP tour in return games won (30 percent). Both are at their best on hard court. Blake's superior speed as well as his ability to take the ball earlier and flatten out his forehand have helped him register two straight wins over Roddick (Blake beat Roddick 7-5, 6-4 in the Queen's Club semis in June) and surpass the former U.S. Open champion as the top-ranked American man, however Roddick's superior serve, typically higher-percentage play and his experience in major matches — Roddick has reached seven Grand Slam semifinals, including four major finals, while Blake has never advanced to a major semifinal — may help Roddick regain the upper hand. David Nalbandian vs. Marat Safin: Though there is a tendency to label this as a clash between the cranky and occasionally crazy on-court personas, the truth is this match pits two of the best pure ball strikers (outside of Federer) in the sport. When they are fully fit and committed to the cause, both men can play tenacious tennis: two-time Grand Slam champion Safin owns a 24-11 career record in five-set matches and two-time Grand Slam finalist Nalbandian is 12-8 lifetime in five-setters. In a match pitting two of the best two-handed backhands in tennis, Safin serves bigger and can produce more expansive tennis, but Nalbandian generally plays more controlled tennis and is unerringly accurate in his returns that benefit from his compact strokes. Both men showed their ability to elevate their games by scoring five-set victories over Federer in 2005 as Safin saved a match point to edge Federer, 9-7 in the fifth set, in one of the great Grand Slam matches in recent history in the Oz Open semifinals and Nalbandian fought off Federer in the 2005 Tennis Masters Cup final. Safin has been rewarded for playing more ambitious tennis in registering a 6-2 lifetime record over Nalbandian, including blowing a two-set lead before recovering to edge the fourth seed, 6-3, 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 7-6(6) at the U.S. Open.They will likely meet again this weekend in what could be another dramatic duel when Russia hosts Argentina in the Davis Cup final in Moscow. Novak Djokovic vs. Gael Monfils: Monfils' leaping, loose-limbed style of play can make it look like he's striking shots while bouncing around on a trampoline; Djokovic, well-balanced off both forehand and backhand, plays more patient, probing tennis and their contrasting styles have made for two entertaining matches between two of tennis' talented young players. Djokovic, took a page from the Mary Pierce playbook in calling for a lengthy injury timeout in the latter stages of his 7-5 , 4-6, 7-6(5), 0-6, 7-5, victory over Monfils in an outer-court extravaganza at the 2005 U.S. Open then scored a 7-6(5), 7-6(5), 6-3, triumph in the fourth round of the 2006 Roland Garros. Should the 46th-ranked Monfils, who is currently recovering from strained ligaments in his right ankle, regain his health and refine his shot selection these two could be in for many more memorable matches in the future. Rafael Nadal vs. Tomas Berdych: Berdych's bold blasts from the baseline have helped him master the two-time Roland Garros champion in all three of their Masters Series matches. The 6-foot-5 Czech, who has won three of his four career matches against Nadal, unleashes an aggressive campaign based on his piercing serve and penetrating forehand that has forced Nadal into defensive positions in their hard-court meetings. Though Nadal is much quicker around the court and is typically a mentally tougher competitor, he has yet to solve the problems posed by Berdych's fast, flat strokes. It's unlikely the pair will be exchanging Christmas cards as Berdych beat the 2005 Madrid champion, 6-3, 7-6(6), in the Madrid quarterfinals in October then incurred the wrath of Spanish fans with a celebrator, which will undoubtedly amp up the adrenaline level in a rivalry already infused with intensity. Marcos Baghdatis vs. Andy Murray: Though they've only played once, with Baghdatis overwhelming an uncharacteristically flat Murray in straight sets at Wimbledon after Murray's rousing win over Roddick, this could develop into a rivalry to watch between two young talents who each possess a shrewd sense of point construction and a instinct for altering the pace and playing subtle shots which is increasingly rare in today's power-based game. Temperamentally, they often exist at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum: Murray can compete with such a caustic edge at times it looks like he's painfully plagued by a mind-numbing migraine. Sporting a scraggly beard and shoulder-length hair flowing freely beneath a head band that frames the expressive face of an adventurous spirit, Baghdatis often has a perpetual smile plastered across his face as if he'd just staggered out of the ultimate tennis toga party. Rivalry can resemble revelry for Baghdatis. They are two true crowd-pleasing players with a wide range of shots at their disposal who are often at their best against the best players: Murray is one of only two men to beat Federer this season and Baghdatis took a set off the World No. 1 in the Australian Open final.

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