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Tennis in 2010: Heroics, not headlines
By Martin Rogers, Yahoo! Sports Dec 8, 1:33 am EST
credit: sports.yahoo.com
This time, there were no drug revelations or lurid autobiographies and there were no explosive meltdowns on the biggest stage. And there were fewer tears and, in general, controversies and drama.
For the tennis world, 2010 was more about heroics than headlines, with Rafael Nadal’s brilliance over the second half of the campaign providing the most meaningful moments. However, plenty of incidents pushed tennis into the spotlight as well, setting the scene for what should be an intriguing 2011.
Let’s look back at what got the tennis public excited over the past 12 months.
10. Change of schedule
At long last, the ATP took some steps to ease the physical burden on its players by agreeing to condense the season and increase the winter break.
From 2012 onwards, there will be a seven-week rest at the end of the campaign, a move which was met with widespread approval among players and should help cut down on the injury problems that have plagued the men’s tour in recent years.
9. Serbia wins the Davis Cup
The Davis Cup might not have the significance it once did, with many leading players consistently dropping out to concentrate on individual pursuits. But try telling that to the fans at the Belgrade Arena in early December, as Serbia clinched the event for the first time in its history.
Novak Djokovic set things up with two singles wins against France, but it was unheralded Viktor Troicki who was the unlikely hero. He stepped in for the decisive fifth match and destroyed Michael Llodra in straight sets.
8. Should Sweet Caroline be No. 1?
The issue of how a player could top the rankings without having won a Grand Slam raised its head last year when Dinara Safina reached No. 1 before suffering a monumental meltdown.
This year, it was the turn of Caroline Wozniacki, whose strong performances throughout the course of the year enabled her to lead the rankings from October onward even though her Slam results were unspectacular.
As usual, there were calls for a revision of the system. But all of this was a little unfair on Wozniacki, whose class and consistency make her a credit to the sport.
7. Clijsters crowned queen of Queens again
It didn’t have the drama of her incredible run in 2009, but Kim Clijsters’ U.S. Open triumph was just as worthy of praise after she dominated the field and took apart Vera Zvonareva in the women’s final.
Clijsters’ toughest test came against Venus Williams in an exciting and high-quality semifinal. The Belgian scraped by in three fierce sets.
After cruising past Zvonareva, Clijsters celebrated by what is now becoming a tradition: enjoying the moment on court with her husband and baby daughter Jada.
6. Agassi and Sampras square off
They didn’t like each other much when they were both on the pro circuit, but in retirement Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras have sent their feud into overdrive.
Things came to a head in a charity event at Indian Wells in March, when the pair exchanged verbal barbs during a doubles exhibition also featuring Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Sampras imitated Agassi’s walk, Agassi accused Sampras of being a bad tipper and, with the players wearing microphones, it all got a bit ugly and embarrassing.
5. Federer in gambling furor
The closing weeks of Roger Federer’s season were marred by stories linking him with a betting scandal involving Ted Forstmann, the chairman of IMG (which represents Federer).
Forstmann was accused of placing bets on Federer to beat Rafael Nadal in two French Open finals after having spoken with the Swiss master. Federer spoke of his “disappointment” at being dragged into a matter over which he had no control, but he was supported by both the ATP Tour and the sport’s gambling watchdog.
4. Serena puts her feet up
Serena Williams blasted her way to the Wimbledon crown with no fuss, clinching the title without dropping a single set. And then we didn’t see her again.
A mystery foot injury kept Williams out of action for the remainder of the year and will also cause her to miss the start of the 2011 campaign.
Williams’ team has been ultra-secretive about her condition, but there is no question that women’s tennis needs her back.
3. Federer falters at Wimbledon
Roger Federer lost his amazing record of reaching 23 straight Slam semifinals at the French Open a few weeks earlier, but no one expected that slipup to be repeated on his beloved Wimbledon lawns.
Tomas Berdych had other ideas, though, producing the match of his life to stun the six-time champion in four sets and drop Federer to No. 3 in the world rankings.
Hopes of a Federer-Nadal matchup were dashed once more and tennis’ Big Two would meet only twice during the course of the year, neither of them in Grand Slams.
2. The marathon men
It was a match we weren’t supposed to pay any attention to – a first-round Wimbledon encounter tucked away on Court 18.
But by the end John Isner vs. Nicolas Mahut had the tennis world captivated, as it shattered all records of longevity by going into a third day.
Isner eventually prevailed 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68 after 11 hours and five minutes of play. By the time the men embraced at the net, their match was the longest in history in terms of time and games, contained the most aces and featured the longest set.
1. Nadal completes career Slam
So many times Rafael Nadal had turned up in New York tired and jaded and failed to live up to expectations at the U.S. Open.
Not so this year, as the Spaniard produced a spectacular display over two weeks to join Roger Federer and a select handful of tennis greats in completing the career Grand Slam.
Nadal dropped only one set the entire tournament – in the final to Novak Djokovic, who ousted Federer in a dramatic semifinal.
[ATP] Year in Review 2010 : "Best Matches Of The Year "
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