The weeks after Roland Garros are often transitional stages. Yet, David Nalbandian achieved a rare feat in losing the Queen's final by disqualification. This guy deserves a statue.
Bizarre
What do Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova have in common, besides the fact that all of them have been, for at least one week in their life, world No. 1 of their discipline? This summer, at the Olympic Games in London, the gang of four will have the honour to be the flag bearer for their respective countries. So, Spain, Serbia, Russia and Switzerland gave their banners to these superstars of tennis.
The number: 49
Before his defeat against Tommy Haas (7-6 [5], 6-4), Roger Federer had recorded 49 consecutive victories against German players. He was only one victory away to show a round figure, close to perfection. But instead, the former world No. 1 fluffed his lines and sees his series start again from scratch. Tough.
The quote:
"
Oh, no! Stop exaggerating. I am not in such a state that I am no longer able to play with Jada or with my dogs..."
The confession is signed Kim Clijsters, the former world number one (and only one to achieve this as a mother, ed.) who is expected to return to the tour after a two-month absence due to an injury. Twist of fate or not, for her comeback on the tour the Belgian will find herself staring over the net at Romina Oprandi (a Swiss-Italian, ed.) against whom she injured herself in 2011 - an injury that ruled her out of Wimbledon. Nevertheless, the Belgian player was keen to reassure the sceptics about her fitness. Knowing her, she should give it a real crack.
The video:
Before being walked on badly in the final in Halle, Roger Federer gave a lesson to the Russian Mikhail Youzhny. A feast of serve-and-volley and of golden touches. To be convinced, you are less than four minutes away to happiness:
http://youtu.be/LCH4f2iP-tY
Bad Gastein: Cornet, four years later
We placed very early - probably too early, actually - this French girl amongst the next big things of tennis. That was in 2007. Since then, Alizé burned out. So it took time for the former sapling to become a warrior again. With her new coach - Georges Goven - she has made 2012 a landmark year, a year of re-conquest. To do this, she had to win games and, six months later, she seized victory at Bad Gastein on her favourite surface, clay. It was also on clay that she had registered her only previous tournament victory (Budapest in 2008, ed.) During her week, the Frenchwoman did not lose a single set, not even in the final, where she had to push hard to overcome the Belgian Wickmayer (7-5, 7-6 [1] in 2h13, ed.) On Monday, the world n°73 worldwide should find herself knocking on the door of the Top 50. Admittedly far from her break-out year in 2009, where she rose to a promising eleventh place but, hey, she is in no hurry. She's only 22.
Halle: Tommy Haas causes a sensation
Since Fabrice Santoro and his hold-up in Newport in 2008, no player over 34 years old had won a singles title on the ATP tour. So imagine the mountain Tommy Haas, 34 summers on the clock, had to climb. Especially since, to do it, the German had to take the scalp of Roger Federer. On grass, if you please, at a tournament Roger has already won five times and where a street is named after him. Naturally, the coronation of Tommy - former world number 2 in 2002 - was a big surprise. Ravaged by injuries since his professional debut in 1996, Haas took advantage of a moment of grace to seize the trophy. In this regard, his last tournament victory dated back to 2009, here in Halle. Strong in the service and taking full advantage of his break points, the German can be proud of his final (7-6 [5], 6-4 in 1h35, ed.) With 483 victories notched up since his debut, Haas would like to stop at 500. Come on, just a little effort.
Queen’s: Nalbandian’s madness
2002 - David Nalbandian, 20, comes from nowhere to make it to the final of Wimbledon .
2012 - The Argentine is back in a final on grass after an 18-month drought . Against the Croatian Marin Cilic, he made a solid start, seizing the first set on a tiebreak. Going into the second, he is neck-and-neck with his opponent. Everything seems to be going well, but, in the seventh game of the set, he completely misses his return, allowed Cilic to lead 4/3. This was apparently a point too much. Nalbandian loses the plot and disengages his brain. He confuses a line judge’s chair with a football and smashes the billboard below it with a raging kick. The linesman collapses in pain. For his act of madness, Nalbandian was disqualified immediately. Cilic leaves with the trophy and Nalbandian is left all sheepish and apologetic. What a genius.
http://youtu.be/vy1tBbQHzvU
The ranking:
In one week, David Goffin has climbed 45 places in the ATP rankings following his performance at Roland Garros and his place in the last 16 against Federer. At the moment, the Belgian is the 64th worldwide.
The tweet:
We know it, Janko Tipsarevic is a man who likes a laugh. So on Twitter, he talks about everything, a lot about nothing and incidentally a little about tennis. In fact, it’s not unusual to see the Serbian player talk about his life. And as his beautiful wife, Biljana, is also on Twitter, the lovebirds are sharing moments of intimacy. At that game, the couple made the viewing of the TV show Friends a way of life.
"Watching Friends with @BTipsarevic is one of my favorite things in life…"
By Mathieu Faure
