Rogers Cup Photos and Recap: Qualifying Day 1

Back home from my first day of covering the Rogers Cup in Toronto. I'll be at the tournament every day this week, so check back often for photos, videos, and news. As expected, there were not many big name players on the practice courts today, as they either withdrew (Federer, Nadal, Roddick, Ferrer, Wawrinka, Almagro, and most recently Feliciano Lopez) or they're still at the Olympics (Djokovic and Murray). However, I did get a chance to see lots of great players sweating it out in the ridiculous heat of Toronto.

First up on Court 1 was Italian Fabio Fognini who defeated Canadian Pavel Krainik in the first round of qualifying.

I heard Milos was on the practice courts so I quickly ditched the Fognini match and headed over to watch everyone's favourite Canadian. He was practicing with fellow Canadian Peter Polansky.

Then Milos stated telling his coach some crazy story where he made monster-like movements with his arms.

While watching Milos on the practice courts I turned around to catch Bernard Tomic posing for photos with a bunch of fans. Made me like him a little more.  

The Final Four: Men's Olympic Tennis Semifinals

Only four men are left in the London 2012 Olympic tennis event: Federer, Djokovic, Murray, and Del Potro. All great players. All deserving of an Olympic medal. And by tomorrow evening we'll know what colour medal they'll each be fighting for.

Roger Federer vs. Juan Martin Del Potro

First up on Centre Court on Friday we'll have the winner of 17 Grand Slam titles versus the winner of just one Slam. But let's not forget who Del Potro defeated in the final to win his one and only major at the U.S. Open—Mr. Roger Federer himself. Del Potro might not be the same player he was in 2009, but he is very powerful and always dangerous, and Federer will have to play well to defeat him.

On the other hand, Federer has beaten Del Potro five times this year already, and I can't see him losing this match. He'll be playing on his favourite surface, at his favourite tournament venue, at the place where he's been most successful, and the place where he just won his seventh Wimbledon title a few weeks before. Federer wants this gold medal badly, and I think he'll take Del Potro down in straight sets.

Novak Djokovic vs. Andy Murray

Now here's where it gets interesting. Djokovic and Murray both have a lot to prove in this match. Djokovic loves competing under the Serbian flag and he seems to do his best when he's trying to win for his country. He also recently lost his number one ranking and a win here would get him one step closer to proving that he is still the best.

And then you've got Andy Murray—who gained many new fans after his heartbreaking loss to Federer in the Wimbledon final last month. The British crowd supported him at Wimbledon and they're supporting him more than ever at the Olympics. Although he is still without a Slam, Murray played really well at Wimbledon, and he should be feeling confident that he can reach the final on the same surface he did a few weeks ago. I think this will be a really exciting match, and I'm going with Murray upsetting Djokovic in three close sets. 

Day 4: Olympic Tennis Matches to Watch

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Milos Raonic
GO CANADA!!! I feel like this match is either going to be a blow-out match with Tsonga winning in straight sets, or a hard-fought three-setter with Milos winning. I wish I believed that Milos could take Tsonga out and keep Canada in the running for a singles medal, but I think the Frenchman will prevail.

Andy Roddick vs. Novak Djokovic
Brutal second round match for Andy. Just brutal. Novak is probably not loving this draw either, but you've got to think that he's going to be able to take Andy out. But who knows. Andy's had a lot of success on the Wimbledon courts in the past (not that Novak hasn't as well), so perhaps we'll see an upset. Here's hoping.

Feliciano Lopez vs. Juan Monaco
If you need to ask why this is a must-see match to watch, then clearly you haven't seen these photos before. Or these. And I guess, you know, it will also be an exciting match because Juan Monaco is on a roll and will want to continue his winning ways, and Feliciano is a pretty good grass court player and will want to make the most of his last minute Olympic entry. It will be a delightfully pretty match to watch, and I'll go with Pico winning in three sets. 

Other potentially interesting matches of the day include Gasquet vs. Baghdatis, Venus Williams vs. Aleksandra Woziak, and obviously the tag team of Federer and Wawrinka against Erlic and Ram.

Men's Olympic Tennis Predictions

The first day of men's tennis action at the Olympics resulted in some not-so-surprising results (Federer, Del Potro, and Isner winning their first round matches), some sort-of-but-not-quite-surprising results (Tipsarevic defeating Nalbandian and Istomin defeating Verdasco), and some really surprising results (Berdych going down in straight sets to Steve Darcis—a player I've never even heard of). 

The Olympics have always seemed to produce unexpected tennis medalists, and while it would seem crazy to bet against a Federer/Djokovic gold medal match, we should brace ourselves for some big upsets (a la Tomas Berdych) as the event unfolds. 

First Quarter:

Roger Federer is the clear favorite in this quarter. Yes, the best two-out-of-three format might allow for an in-the-zone player to knock him out earlier than expected, but when Isner and Tipsarevic are the biggest threats you've got to think that Roger will make it out of this quarter with ease. 

Second Quarter:

This quarter is a little more up in the air. Ferrer and Del Potro seem to be the most likely to reach the semifinals, although I wouldn't be surprised to see Kohlschreiber knock Ferrer out in round two. I'll go with Del Potro and Ferrer playing in the quarterfinals with Ferrer going through to the semis. 

Third Quarter:

At first glance, Andy Murray appears to be the obvious favorite to make it out of his quarter—especially with the early exit of Tomas Berdych. But Murray was unlucky to draw Stan Wawrinka as his first round opponent, and if Wawrinka plays his best then he could be tough to beat. Murray should win this match though, and if he does then I don't see anyone stopping him from reaching the semis. 

Fourth Quarter:

This last quarter is tough. On most days Novak Djokovic could beat any of the players in this section with ease, but at the Olympics and on grass you've got to think that if they're playing well that Tsonga, Roddick, and Raonic all have a chance. As much as I want to pick someone less obvious than Novak, I just can't. I'll go with Djokovic defeating Tsonga in the quarters. 

Semifinals:

Federer defeats Ferrer

Djokovic defeats Murray

Finals:

Federer defeats Djokovic

Gold: Federer

Silver: Djokovic

Bronze: Murray

Medal Dark Horses:

Raonic, Tsonga, and Isner

A Tribute to Federer's 17 Grand Slams

My intense love for video tributes on the greatness of Roger Federer is a tad lame. But I might as well embrace the love and present you with the ATP's latest video on Federer's 17 Grand Slams. It makes me really happy.

Federer's Triumph and Murray's Heartbreak

Roger Federer has had a pretty good summer so far: 7 Wimbledon titles, 17 Grand Slam titles, and back to his position of the number 1 player in the world. 

I don't think I've ever been so equally excited and heartbroken after a grand slam match. On one hand I wanted Federer to win another slam—something that many people, including myself, were not sure he would ever do again—but another part of me wanted to see Andy Murray silence all his critics and finally win a grand slam title himself.

As usual, Roger outplayed Andy when it mattered most, and Federer won the title 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. Murray played well, and I was happy that the British crowd enthusiastically cheered him on, but you knew that this loss was going to be devastating for Andy.

His post-match on-court interview was difficult to watch. Much like Federer after his loss to Nadal at the 2009 Australian Open, Murray broke down in tears and needed to take a few deep breaths before he attempted to speak again. His mother Judy could be seen crying onto a friend's shoulder, and his girlfriend Kim Sears looked on from the crowd with her hand over her mouth—tears streaming down her face.

Murray's past defeats in grand slam finals have often led to sub-par play for a few months after the tournament—many speculating that Andy had trouble mentally getting over the losses. But I hope that this time it's different. He's never had so much support from the British crowd before, and he's never taken a set off anyone in a grand slam final—until now. Perhaps this time he'll be able to take the positives from his results at Wimbledon and finally make a breakthrough at this year's US Open.

And as for Federer, I think he's made it pretty clear that he's going to go full out for the gold medal at the Olympic Games in a few short weeks from now. And since the matches are being played at Wimbledon—on the exact same surface that he just won his latest grand slam title on—I'm thinking the rest of the players should watch their backs.

The Roger Federer Song

To celebrate the upcoming Wimbledon final between Federer and Murray I now present you with "Grand Slam Man"—that delightfully catchy song about His Majesty R. Fed (written by the band Binge). You're welcome.

 

Wimbledon is Awesome: Federer vs. Murray picks

I am very excited for the men's final on Sunday. I haven't been this excited for a grand slam final for a long time. Not only did Federer beat Djokovic today (a feat in itself), but he's given himself a chance to win his 17th grand slam title and return to the number 1 spot in the ATP rankings. And to make things even better, Andy Murray will be his opponent in the final. I love Andy Murray! And Andy totally deserves to win a slam.

I'll be mainly cheering for Roger on Sunday—he's my favourite and it feels like forever since he won his last slam title. But it's nice to know that I'll be happy about the outcome either way. It would be great to see Andy win his first slam. All this "Andy's never won a slam" talk must be killing him, and I think he'll break down and cry if he wins, and I'd personally like to see that. I love myself an emotional winner. On the other hand, I feel like this might be Fed's last chance at another Wimbledon title and I want to see him tie Sampras in the Wimbledon category as well as number of weeks at number 1. And obviously Fed will also cry.

One thing is for sure: the Wimbledon crowd is going to be insane. They LOVE Roger. Like really really love him. But they're going to have to be behind Andy. I think the crowd (for once) will be pretty pro-Andy--even if that means they can't cheer as much for their beloved Fed.

I'm going with Federer beating Murray in four sets.

Can't wait.

What's Not to Love About Vasek Pospisil?

I love Vasek Pospisil. He might actually be my favourite Canadian tennis player. Vasek just always seems so happy and enthusiastic...and he rarely hides his excitement when he's played a great match.

For example, remember when Pospisil and Raonic played Djokovic and Nadal in a doubles match at the 2010 Rogers Cup? And the young Canadians (who were completely unknown at the time) actually won? Look how excited Pospisil is! 

And then the moment when he truly won me over—when he beat Chela in the first round of the 2011 Rogers Cup and celebrated like he'd just won Wimbledon...

Of course, part of his excitement after the Chela match was that his next round opponent would be none other than his idol Roger Federer. See him fanboying Goffin-style in this interview at the 3:20 mark:

And in this video around the 1:45 mark...

Which leads us to the recent tour of his Roland Garros apartment (which was actually the only video I'd planned on putting in this post, but clearly I got distracted), where Vasek is, of course, funny and charming.

Seriously, I need him to break into the top 50 as soon as possible, so I can watch him play all the time.

David Goffin Loves Roger Federer

Sure, the whole Goffin idolizes Federer thing probably got a bit out of hand, but it was pretty entertaining/sweet/at times awkward. Here are a few of my favourite Goffin/Federer moments from this week...

The now-famous Federer-Goffin hug

Q. Although you lost the match, is this the greatest match in your life?

DAVID GOFFIN: It's definitely the greatest moment in my life. I had never played in such a big stadium against the best player I've ever had as an opponent. This is a moment that I will not forget, and I hope I will have many more in my life.

The fatherly pat on the head by his idol

Q. Is it hard for you to believe at all what you have accomplished so far?

DAVID GOFFIN: No, I don't realize. Not yet. Not yet. Maybe next week. Now I'm playing against Roger and I can't believe it. (Smiling.) When I was young I had a lot of picture in my bedroom of him.

David Goffin and Federer's Post-Match Interview (in French, but even in French you can see the love. And of course the awkward, yet amazing, hug and head pat at the end) :

Federer Twins in Madrid

There's no denying it—this is pretty cute...

Federer Regains No. 2 Ranking, Wins Madrid

Federer beat Berdych 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 in Madrid to take back his No. 2 ranking from Nadal. Who would have thought that Nadal would drop in the rankings during the clay court season? Certainly not me.

Check out the Madrid award ceremony and Federer's acceptance speech below:

Federer vs. Raonic Highlights in Madrid

Milos Raonic played a highly entertaining match against Roger Federer yesterday in Madrid, and although Federer won, it was very very close. People were already talking about how great a player Milos is, and I think this match proves that it's only a matter of time before he's in the top ten.

Check out highlights from the match below:

Milos Raonic's Harry Rosen Ad Campaign

I posted the behind the scenes video from Federer's Jura commercial yesterday, so I definitely have to post the behind the scenes video from Milos Raonic's Harry Rosen for Lacoste ad campaign. Canada represent!

Federer Cheering for Basel's Hockey Team

So Feds, you might want to come to Canada more often because you really seem to like hockey, and we love ourselves some hockey around here. No, I'm serious. We REALLY love our hockey. Like a crazy amount. Like in a "Vancouver tried to burn itself to the ground last year after their team lost the Stanley Cup" kind of way. And yes, that really happened.

Super excited by something that no one else seems to be watching...

Intensely gripping/groping Severin Luthi's leg  

Nooooooo! (I'm going to assume the other team scored)

To see the rest of the photos click here.

Making of Federer's Jura Commercial

Roger posted the following message on his facebook page yesterday: "Looking forward to the JURA commercial. Have a look at the making-of. Will show you the final result on Tuesday."

Alright, Rog. If you say I should watch, then I most certainly will. 

Nadal Wins Eighth Straight Monte Carlo Title

Rafa won his eighth straight Monte Carlo title after beating Djokovic 6–3, 6–1 in the final yesterday. Nadal hadn't won a match against Djokovic in quite a while, so this was a much needed win for him. 

Although the score suggests a fairly one-sided match, Djokovic was certainly not at his best after learning of his grandfather's death during the tournament, so I'm not sure this is necessarily an indicator of what's to come for the remainder of the clay court season. However, regardless of the situation, eight years in a row of winning the same event is pretty awesome, so good job Rafa...and I really hope Fed doesn't wind up in your half at the French. 

Roddick Destroyed by Monaco in Miami

Less than twenty-four hours after beating Roger Federer, Andy Roddick went down in straight sets to Argentina's Juan Moncao. Really, Andy? You knock out a player who could very well have won this title and then you lose to someone who has a zero percent chance of making it to the finals? You frustrate me Andy Roddick.

Watch Andy's press conference after his loss to Juan Monaco...

Roddick Stuns Federer in Miami

In a surprising turn of events, Andy Roddick overpowered Roger Federer to win their third round match at the Sony Ericsson Open. This is only the third time in 24 meetings that Roddick has managed to beat Federer, and you could tell the win meant a lot to Andy. It's been a long time since I've seen Roddick look that good, and I hope he can keep it up for the rest of the tournament. 

Photo Credit: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Federer and Roddick to Play in Miami

Roger Federer and Andy Roddick are scheduled to play in the third round of the Sony Ericsson Open on Monday. This will be the 24th meeting between the two, with Federer leading the head to head 21–3. Below are some quotes from their press conferences in Miami on how they feel about their upcoming match.

Roddick on playing Federer: 
"I know the name value for a third round is certainly there if I play Roger. We've played a ton; there's no secrets. I know I have to execute really, really well. There's a small window of percentages where you have to be right, you know. What he does is he shrinks that window with his strengths. We have had a couple really tight ones here before at night. I'm guessing that's when it would be. I think we played here twice. I won one four in the third and lost one four in the third. It's always fun. It's always fun."

Roddick on his win over Federer in Miami '08: 
"I mean, there's no getting around the fact that it's been he's been the biggest obstacle in my career, and, you know, his game matches up well against mine. You know, just the Xs and Os of it, I have to be really good to give myself a shot against him, better than against most. So it's rewarding. When you beat a guy who's the best ever at his sport, it's a big deal. Doesn't matter where it is. So I was obviously very happy with that."