Re: The "Yay, Let's Just Win 1 Match at RG, k?" Clay Season Thread
Somebody smack rocketassist in GM for me please.
I found this old post on CH's blog defending the great American Monte-Carlo skipout. Good read.
First off, Houston is considered part of the early clay court season and American men play there, as do South Americans and Europeans in pretty high numbers. And they have over the years. The notion that Houston is not a real claycourt event simply because it doesn't happen on the continent of Europe supports a Eurocentric bias I want no part of.
And two, American men take a break after Houston before Rome, much like many Europeans take a break after Wimbledon before coming to the US to play the hardcourt season. Why is it okay for them but not for us?
Double standard is why. Because Americans don't fare well at Roland Garros, we are constantly looking for reasons other than the obvious--we don't like clay, we don't play well on it, and it's really not that big a deal, really.
There is no insult to the sport whatsoever.
And speaking of Roland Garros. Roddick has never missed Roland Garros when he's been eligible to play it. Not even when he had a bum ankle last year which he sustained at a claycourt event leading up to it. The same can't be said for top players from certain countries over the years regarding Wimbledon or the US Open. (In fact, Roddick has got to be on some kind of Slam streak: when WAS the last Slam wherein he didn't compete?)
I understand the need for the American men to take a break after the first quarter of the year and I'll never criticize them for it. Grass and hardcourts have become the bread and butter for many of our top male players and they want to be rested so that they can play the tournaments before Canada and Cincy that many of the European players skip or stay in Europe to play more on the mini clay season that takes place AFTER Wimbledon (something I've never really understood, but again, don't see much discussion or criticism about.)
If Roddick were to go to Europe right now, he'd be there through July (or back to the states after an early-round dismissal in Monte Carlo and then back to Europe for Rome) and then back to to the US to begin the grueling hardcourt summer. When do you suggest he take a break?
That he goes for Rome and Hamburg, two TMS claycourt events that lead up to Roland Garros, is more than enough. In fact, in 2003, the week before Roland Garros Roddick WON St. Poelten against Davydenko in the finals (in straight sets), Roddick's first title that year, and most American "journalists" didn't cover the event and don't include it on Roddick's list of claycourt accomplishments. Now that's an insult, if you ask me.
And there was nothing mysterious about the hamstring he pulled this year in Miami against Murray which kept him out of Houston, an event he's never missed prior. The man was limping like an invalid the day after his Davis Cup match and had the Bryans not closed out the tie, he would NOT have played the fourth rubber in North Carolina.
Rafa skipped Davis Cup with his mysterious foot injury so he could prepare for defending all the points he amassed on clay, but, by and large, he gets a pass because we understand where his priorities lie at this point in his career.
The top American men, who did play Houston, and were eliminated by "real claycourters" much as they would have in Valencia or Monte Carlo, don't deserve such harsh words for choosing to skip one single TMS event in Monte Carlo so early in the European campgaign that it would negatively affect their efforts later in the season.
And there really ought not be THREE TMS events leading up to Roland Garros. Federer and Nadal only play two. Roddick only plays two. What's the difference? What gives?
So you're right, there is no excuse for American men to skip Monte Carlo and other small events before Rome. But there sure is one hulluva damn good explanation for it.
Re: The "Yay, Let's Just Win 1 Match at RG, k?" Clay Season Thread
smacking, where is there smacking?????? Just kidding - you guys crack me up with the predictions I shall be boring and say one clay court match at a time!!!!
Re: The "Yay, Let's Just Win 1 Match at RG, k?" Clay Season Thread
Let's scale down the expectations, shall we?
Andy Roddick wrote at 9:40am
hey all... i am up in nyc right now putting apartment stuff together. its such a pain in the ass!! ha ha brooklyn and i decided to do it all ourselves so we have literally been doing stuff like hauling matresses through the streets of manhattan. it has actually been a blast! we started four days ago and are pretty much done which. it's great and came together a lot faster than expected..... davis cup was great last weekend!!!! i was really happy with the way i played, and how our team came through. our friends dillon and jaclyn are flying up for the weekend so it should be fun.... hope all of u are doing great and thanks for helping me get 5000 friend on this page... pretty cool
Re: The "Yay, Let's Just Win 1 Match at RG, k?" Clay Season Thread
Andy is slowly becoming a real estate mogul - he still owns the house in Boca that his friends live in, the house in Austin, the apartment in Manhattan... Now he just needs some undeveloped land in Colorado as an 'investment' and he's all set.
I don't understand why people are still surprised by Andy not playing Monte Carlo, he hasn't done it in years. He plays the same clay schedule every year lately (well stated by Deb in GM) and this routine sort of works for him. Playing Monte Carlo would have absolutely no affect on his RG results, let someone else have the points.
Re: The "Yay, Let's Just Win 1 Match at RG, k?" Clay Season Thread
i'm over Monte Carlo, even though I wish he'd play. But it's lovely to hear about him spending days and days moving into an apartment when he should be practicing getting used to the clay
i'm over Monte Carlo, even though I wish he'd play. But it's lovely to hear about him spending days and days moving into an apartment when he should be practicing getting used to the clay
Time to raise the bar on expectations for the US players on clay. And time for them to step up to the plate.
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