Decline & Fall

UCL QFs

Its’ the UCL QFS this week, & the round of 16 saw a couple of shocks.
Real Madrid have now gone out in the last 16 for the 6th year in succession. In recent years they have been vulnerable defensively. The biggest mistake Real made in that time was not offering Claude Makele an improved contract. Since he left, they haven’t replaced him with a defensive midfielder of similar quality, & in fact since they sold him have never gone past the UCL QFs. Still, it defies belief to think a team with both Ronaldo & Kaka can’t get past the 1st knockout round.

Inter thwarted Abramovich's dreams of glory for another year. Once Inter had a first leg lead against Chelsea, if you were to bet on any side to keep a clean sheet, it would be a Mourinho team.

Barca & Man U, the betting favourites, are in opposite halves of the draw & I think will both get through, for a repeat of last year’s final.

Davis Cup Disaster

British tennis reached its nadir with the 3-2 Davis Cup loss to Lithuania. The contrast with the strength in depth of men’s tennis with the leading Euro nations (Spain, France, Germany) is obvious.

I don’t believe the common opinion that GB players fail as they tend to be middle class & so don’t have the hunger to succeed. Henman is from a comfortable middle class background & got to no. 4 in the world, & Murray is similar. British tennis is undoubtedly too elitist though. Two courts in the local park were taken over by the local tennis club (they can still be booked by the public through the club, but its hardly widely advertised). Widening the participation at grassroots level to reach more of those from less comfortable backgrounds cannot do any harm.

Apart from Murray, the womens side is healthier with both Baltacha & Keothavong reaching the main draw of Indian Wells this month; & the talents for the future of Laura Robson & Heather Watson (junior Wimbledon & US Open winners respectively)

Hopkins the Master

Bernard Hopkins pulled off a big upset on October 18, beating Kelly Pavlik. Betting odds of 4-1 had been offered on a Hopkins win. Hopkins record reign of 20 defences of the middleweight title had been ended by two points losses to Jermain Taylor. Taylor was subsequently KOd by Pavlik. Both Pavlik & Hopkins were ranked in the top ten 'pound-for- pound' rankings prior to the bout. Hopkins is 43, Pavlik 26, but it was the older man who was quickest to the punch & 'The Executioner' busted up & widely outpointed his previously undefeated opponent. Before the fight Hopkins had been certain of a place in the Hall of Fame, now he has cemented his reputation as one of the all-time greats.

Murray's great run

When drafting this post, there were two unbeaten streaks to discuss. Andy Murray has been in the best form of his career. His 14 match win streak was ended by David Nalbandian in the quarters of the Paris Masters on Friday. However his recent tournament record is outstanding: winning two Masters titles, runner-up at US Open, & defended his St Petersburg title. Both Henman & Rusedski won the Masters once in their entire careers. On this form Murray can become the first British Slam winner since Perry in 1936.


LFC title challenge

Having jinxed Murray, the commentator's curse struck again when Liverpool lost their unbeaten record at Spurs yesterday. However, they still have perhaps their best chance in recent years to win their first title since 1990. In recent seasons they have had a poor record v the other Big Four teams, but this season have already beaten both Man U & Chelsea. Those three look like the title contenders.

Arsenal continue to be unable to defend against set pieces & Rory Delap's long throws were their undoing yesterday. Martin Keown will discuss a coaching role with Tony Adams at Portsmouth next week, but perhaps Dixon & Winterburn could be lured out of the studio to offer some defensive tips.

Henman-an Appreciation

As had been widely predicted, Tim Henman announced today that he'll retire after next month's Davis Cup tie with Croatia.

When you mention Henman to most people with a passing knowledge of tennis, you get a lot of ignorant comments that he was no good. The fact is, he was unlucky to be playing at the same time as one of the greatest, arguably the best, grasscourt players of all time, Sampras. Pistol Pete got the better of him 3 times at Wimbledon: '95 R2 (3 sets), & SFs in '98 & '99 (both 4 sets) . Samp also beat him in the final of the Stella Artois. Henman's record at SW17 was excellent, of course-4 semis, 4 QFS & a R4 is not be sniffed at. He also made the semis of the US & French. Most people are also unaware that Henman has the rare distinction of having beaten Federer at Wimbledon (QF 2001). That was the year of his rain-interrupted semi with Goran, which many experts believe was best chance of reaching the final.

Henman is one of my favourite players to watch, aesthetically (although nerve-shredding to watch if you're rooting for him in one of his typical rollercoaster performances-eg v Moya Wimbledon 2007, where he won 13-11 in the 5th) . His attacking serve-volley game makes a refreshing change to the baseline grinders. His attacking game, being suited to grass, has not been helped by the slowing of the courts. You could argue that these slower courts have gone too far the other way in favour of the baseliners. Djokovic's R4 & QF matches at this year's Wimbledon, v Hewitt (R4) & Baghadtis(QF) lasted four & five hours respectively & featured numerous rallies of more than 20 strokes. But I digress...

I hope Tim comes out of retirement next year to have one last crack at the Stella & Wimbledon, but he seems to have ruled it out.

My favourite classic Henman wins at SW17:

'96 R1 bt Kafelnikov 5 sets '97 R3 bt Haarhuis (14-12 in 5th)

'01 QF bt Federer 4 sets '03 R4 bt Nalbandian 4sets

& last but not least this year when he beat Moya in the first round, 13-11 in the 5th.