Roddick comes full circle

Jul 24, 2012, 3:55:43 PM

Roddick comes full circle
By winning in Atlanta, the 32nd tournament victory of his career, the American made this week one for the nostalgics. Eleven years earlier, again in Georgia, the Texan won the first tournament of a storied career....

By winning in Atlanta, the 32nd tournament victory of his career, the American made this week one for the nostalgics. Eleven years earlier, again in Georgia, the Texan won the first tournament of a storied career. Time for the Olympics now…

 

The number: 11

They are not many on the tour to be able to boast of having won the same tournament eleven years apart. By winning in Atlanta on Sunday, good old Andy Roddick has been able to provide a sort-of book-end to his career. On the 23rd of April 2001, the Texan came to Georgia a won the first tournament of a long journey that has seen him lift 32 trophies to date. Eleven years of high level tennis that will soon have to be called off due to a painful right shoulder which is not going away. We told you to serve normally, Andy...  

Polona loves Sweden

There are love stories that just can’t be explained. The one between Polona Hercog and the tournament in Bastad is one of them. In love with clay, but unable to advance beyond the last sixteen at Roland Garros, the Slovenian finally made it happen this week by winning back-to-back titles in Bastad, defeating the Frenchwoman Mathilde Johansson in the final. The Swedish tournament, one of the favourite stops on the men's tour, has found its little queen. A princess who takes the opportunity to make a nice jump of 24 places in the WTA rankings, checking in at a heady 62nd position.  

The winners of the week

This week was the last before the Olympics. Ladies first, where, in California, at the Carlsbad tournament, the lovely Dominika Cibulkova took the second title of her career, beating Marion Bartoli (6-1, 7-5).   Besides Andy Roddick, the other two winners of the men's tournaments of the week are Juan Monaco, who came out on top against Tommy Haas in Hamburg, and Tomaz Bellucci, winner in Gstaad against Janko Tipsarevic who was unable to follow up his victory in Stuttgart with a second victory in as many weeks.  

The ranking

Boom. He’s there. Football fan, the Argentine Juan Monaco has been number 14 for a while, a number dear to Cruyff or Thierry Henry. However, after his victory in Hamburg, Mr. Consistency on the men's tour has finally made the jump on Monday. For the first time in his career, the man with the bandana is part of the prestigious Top 10, the American giant John Isner having to make way.  

The useless, but classy info

It's been a while now since Roger Federer has ceased to be the bad boy he used to be. Converted into a great player and ideal son-in-law, the Swiss flag-bearer of the Helvetian delegation in 2004 and 2008, decided to step down for the London Olympics. Requested again by the Olympic Committee of his country, the man from Basel diplomatically declined the honour, and made a happy man of a tour compatriot. Indeed, it's none other than Stanislas Wawrinka, with whom Roger Federer won the doubles four years ago in Beijing that will have the honour to carry the Swiss banner this summer.  

The picture: Janko Tipsarevic doesn’t like cold baths

Somewhere between a gay-friendly calendar pose and the advertisement for a perfume… Very busy these last few weeks, in which he has won a tournament and reached a final of another, Janko Tipsarevic has not escaped the dreaded ice-bath. And obviously, it's hard to get into it…

Grey skies above France

To have two Frenchwomen in tour finals in the same week is a rare thing indeed. Two French defeats is a sad thing too. That’s not too say that Marion Bartoli and Mathilde Johansson didn’t have their chances… Facing Dominika Cibulkova and Polona Hercog respectively, the French lost in classic style – particularly the younger of the two who, still without a WTA tournament victory to her name, managed to convert a 6-0 first set victory into a 6-0, 4-6, 5-7 defeat…  

And over Monfils...

Gael Monfils has disappeared from the scene since May 23. No Roland Garros, no Wimbledon and finally, no Olympics. With his right knee injured, "la Monf '", as the French call him, preferred to skip London's party, the consequence of a complicated return to the court: "I couldn’t really move on the court" he confided this week. Replaced by Julien Benneteau in London, the Frenchman is unsure when he will return to the courts...  

The tweet: Benoît Paire in love

Benoît Paire is the kind of guy who loves to share. Pictures of travel, meals shared with friends, fishing expeditions, nothing can escape the followers of this member of the Top 50. This week, the handsome Apollo from Avignon has broken the little hearts his female admirers by publishing an odd tweet: "I like this girl a lot." All we need now is to find out who’s the lucky girl...   https://twitter.com/benoitpaire/status/226086945921572865  

The quote:

"Me, I came here for the fun. The Olympics, it's like a holiday. The village is like a human zoo, we saw a guy of 1m50 passing by, we thought he was a wrestler, then a woman of 1m90, we thought she was a high jumper. When there were some medals, it turned into giant night club. "   Who other than Marc Rosset could come out with that? Nobody. Besides, he also added that if tennis was an Olympic sport, darts should also be one. For sure it would have given Great Britain a good shot at a medal.   By Swann Borsellino