Sunday, August 16, 2009

Andy Murray Defeats Del Potro To Win The Rogers Cup


Both players gave it their all in the first two sets, with Del Potro claiming the first set 7-6(4). Murray held strong and in the second set proved victorious with a set score of 7-6(3).

At this point Juan Martin Del Potro hit the wall and began to fall apart physically. Near the end of the second set Del Potro appeared strong but complained to his trainer of a stiff neck and sore left shoulder. From here Del Potro's serve began to fall apart as he gave up three mini breaks, while Murray only gave up one.

During the third set Del Potro was in noticeable distress as he was suffering from severe cramps and was unable to hit a proper back hand due to his shoulder injury. It was difficult for the Argentine to move effectively on the court. Murray capitalized on Del Potro's weakness and was able to end the match 6-1.

Photo courtesy of Arturo Velazquez - Tennis Canada




Final score of the match 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-1

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Rogers Masters Day Three Highlights



Gael Monfils, ranked 13th, fell to Carlos Ferrero, ranked 29th, in the Rogers Masters today in two sets. While Monfils had crushing forehands and spectacular plays, it was not enough to knock Ferrero off his game.

Up next in the Rogers Masters was American Andy Roddick against Russian Igor Andreev. The Roddick serve was in top form as Roddick started the match with two devastating aces. In the opening set both competitors seemed equally matched as Andreev evened the score to one all in the first ten minutes of the game, but Andreev was unable to hold his ground as Roddick broke his serve in the third game. From there it grew worse for Andreev as he accumulated over 18 unforced errors and his serve fell apart. Roddick easily cleaned up the first set 6-1. In the second set Andreev seemed to gain some steam as he was able to get to 2 all without a break of serve, and even took Roddick to a tie breaker to decide the match. Roddick prevailed in the end closing the set out 7-6


Rogers Masters Day Two Highlights

It's All In The Toss

Having trouble serving? One important factor to consider is the toss. The two keys to a great toss are height and angle. You want to make contact with the ball when it reaches the height of its clime. This is the point when the ball has essentially stopped in mid air. This is the ideal time to make contact. The height you toss the ball should equal the full extension of your racket. For intermediate and more advanced players the height of the toss needs to be adjusted to accommodate the explosive jump toward the ball.

The next critical point is the angle. The ball should be thrown at a 45 degree angle relative to the front of the net and the base line. A good target to aim for is the net post. For right handed players try tossing the ball in the direction of the right net post, and vice versa for left handed players.

In order to maintain that perfect toss, your toss arm must follow the path every time. This builds muscle memory and proper technique which is crucial to the perfect toss

ATP Update

Today marks the second day of the Rogers Masters in Montreal with Tsonga and Schuettler currently doing battle on the hard court, each man playing for a spot in the third round. With the Legg Mason Tennis Classical completed Sam Querrey tops off the ranking list with 115 points followed by Juan Martin Del Potro who is tied with Robby Ginepri, both with 70 points.

US Open Series Standings

Men's 2009 Top Five

1. Sam Querrey, 115
2. Juan Martin Del Potro, 70
2. Robby Dinepri, 70
3. John Isner, 65
4. Carsten Ball, 45

The 2009 ATP Ranking as of August 10, 2009: Top Five

1. Roger Federer, 11060

2. Rafael Nadal, 9285

3. Andy Murray, 8260

4. Novak Djokovic, 7380

5. Andy Roddick, 5530

With Del Potro's win over Roddick
in the Legg Mason classic, Del Potro
moves within 400 points of
Roddick, and has the potential
to over take his position in
the next few months, especially
in the US Open.