A Day At Indian Wells In Pictures

Posted By: Jeff McKown

The SoCal Desert right
outside the tennis center

A post for my fellow tennis geeks....

Paul and I made a whirlwind road trip this week to visit friends in Southern California and to stop by the BNP Paribas Open.

We drove from NorCal on Sunday and played tennis in the afternoon before enjoying a phenomenal Cuban dinner. On Monday, we left LA and headed to the Indian Wells Tennis Center.


The weather for our drive was amazing. Things were sunny and warm in the valley, but snow-capped mountains lined the horizon.

SoCal springtime as seen from I-5

Snow-capped mountain peaks
 (with a little bug smear on the windshield).

Indian Wells is an oasis in the middle of the desert near Palm Springs. The setting is gorgeous for tennis, or anything else for that matter.

Practice courts

Stadium 1 and the mountains beyond

The world's best tennis players participate in the tourney at Indian Wells (excepting a Williams sister or two), and we saw loads of tennis stars on both practice courts and in match play. Some highlights for us:

• Big guns - Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and relative newbie Milos Raonic
• Gifted up-and-comers - Sloane Stephens, Ernests Gulbis,  and Jerzy Janowicz 
• Talented Frenchies - Marion Bartoli, Richard Gasquet, Gilles Simon, and Benoit Paire

American men's tennis is in a bit of a slump right now. Depending on the performance of Sam Querrey this week, it's possible that no American man will be ranked in the top 20 for the first time in 40 years. If there's a bright spot on the horizon though, it may well be twenty-year old midwesterner Jack Sock.

Jack Sock practicing his backhand.

As one of the bigger tennis events in the United States, Indian Wells attracts a celebrity crowd. Who knew Gladys Knight was a big tennis fan? (Yes, she did do a couple of verses of Midnight Train to Georgia.)

Gladys Knight taking questions during lunch
in the tennis center food court.

One last photo - Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez was there. He sends his love.

Spanish tennis player Feliciano Lopez.

BONUS: The organizers of the BNP Paribas Open put on a phenomenal event for both tennis fans and players. Here's a fun video clip they put together of the top five ranked men being quizzed on how well they know each other.

New Wimbledon Pics and Best Video Clips

Many readers of The Way Things Turn have at least a passing interest in professional tennis, and a few of you are as obsessed as I am with all things related to the sport. That's my basic rationale for focusing several recent blog entries on tennis, and for those who couldn't care less about the sport, that's my apology for this post. But come on people, it's Wimbledon!

Two weeks ago we featured some unusually casual pre-Wimbledon photos of favorites like Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal, including this picture of the Spaniard, which is actually a wax statue from Madame Tussaud's.

Then, we moved on to some interesting video clips from the Wimbledon fortnight.

Did you see the wicked 118-mph Mardy Fish serve that hit a line judge in the face, or the playful antics of Viktor Troicki, who took a fan's mid-match advice on how to win a point off Djokovic?

And don't forget - with Federer still on track to win his seventh Wimbledon title, a dead man may win $150K for charity with a nearly decade-old wager.

With finals weekend fast approaching, I couldn't resist the urge to share a few more incredible pictures. Some of the most compelling photos from the last week at Wimbledon are below. You can see 60 additional pics here.

The biggest shocker of the week - Rafael Nadal, a finalist from last year, was knocked out in the second round by 100th ranked Czech Lukas Rosol.

Photo: Reuters / Toby Melville

Andy Murray slips on the court during a winning effort. The Scot advances to the semi-finals on Friday and hopes to be the first Brit to win Wimbledon since 1936.

Photo: Reuters / Dylan Martinez

Even with a helping hand from a friendly ball boy, American Mardy Fish could not overcome the power of Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Photo: Reuters / Dylan Martinez

After his defeat of Fish in the fourth round, a triumphant Tsonga took a flying leap ahead to the quarterfinals.

Photo: Reuters / Suzanne Plunkett

Last year's Ladies' Champion Petra Kvitova failed to defend her title, falling in the quarterfinals to a resurgent Serena Williams.

Photo: Reuters / Toby Melville

 With a win on Thursday over Vika Azarenka, Serena advances to the finals on Saturday where she faces first-time Grand Slam finalist Agnieszka Radwanska.

Photo: Reuters / Stefan Wermuth

Tennis Extra - Wimbledon Pics and 2012 Draws

Singles draws were released today for both the Men's and Ladies' competition at Wimbledon that begins Monday at the All England Club.

Here are a few unique photos I found to get you in the mood for two of the best tennis weeks of the year. Click any pic to enlarge.

Welcome to Wimbledon
Photo: Clive Rose / Getty Images Europe

Under London summer skies
Photo: Dan Istitene / Getty Images Europe

Painting the lines
Photo: Wimbledon / Facebook Page

Novak Djokovic and team - returning to a steady grass diet
Photo: Nole / Twitter Feed

Wax figure of Rafael Nadal. Really.
Photo: Madame Tussaud's / London

Roger Federer shopping in London
Photo: Pool / Getty Images

British #1 Andy Murray, trying to relax on the grounds
Photo: Tom Dulat / Getty Images Europe

American #1 John Isner, at end of his epic three-day 2010
match. Note the scoreboard (he won 70-68 in the fifth set).
Photo: Pool / Getty Images

ESPN's Live Wimbledon Coverage Starts On Monday (And NBC Can Suck It)

I respect NBC's coverage of professional tennis exactly as much as NBC respects tennis fans - which is to say, very little.

Consequently, it was with great joy that I read how ESPN will take over complete Wimbledon coverage this year, and how the network is fully committed to broadcasting live matches.

The most recent trouble between tennis fans and NBC Sports started last summer when the network opted to show a couple of important tennis matches from major tournaments on a several hour tape delay. Avid tennis watchers raised a big stink about the shoddy network coverage (inasmuch as fans of a relatively minor sport can raise a big stink), and moved on, hoping that NBC and tournament executives had learned their lessons.

Sadly, NBC's coverage of last month's French Open served only to prove that the clamor of angry fans mattered little. During the Open, which is one of the four "major" events in tennis, NBC once again dropped the ball repeatedly, disappointing tennis fans by either cutting coverage short or broadcasting critical matches on tape delay.

First, NBC interrupted the very end of a significant ladies match upset-in-the-making (Kanepi vs Wozniacki at 5-2 in the third set) because the broadcast reached the end of its allotted coverage time. Imagine - a network cutting away from a playoff baseball game in the top of the 9th because it was time for Judge Joe Brown (who I'm sure is a competent jurist, but come on, it can wait).

Nadal Looks Solid in Clay Court Opener

Nadal stretching for a forehand.
Photo: Reuters

Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets on Sunday, winning a remarkable eighth consecutive title at the Rolex Masters in Monte-Carlo.

Nadal's reign on the red dirt courts of Monte-Carlo is unprecedented in tennis. Since he entered the tournament for the first time in 2005, his unbelievable match record is an undefeated 42-0.

With the victory, Nadal earned his record 20th ATP Masters 1000 title, giving him one more Masters shield than rival tennis great Roger Federer. Even more importantly for Nadal, the Spaniard's win on Sunday snapped a seven match losing skid against Djokovic, the world's top-ranked player.

The 6-3, 6-1 scoreline in the final was impressive, and Nadal's play was solid throughout the match. In classic clay court grinder style, Nadal ran Djokovic all over the court, and he broke the Serb's serve five times in two sets. His energetic, aggressive, and consistently high level play on Sunday looked a lot like...old Nadal.

Having said that, before we re-install Nadal on his clay court throne, there are two important asterisks that should appear next to Rafa's tournament results.

Djokovic Aces Bob Simon on 60 Minutes

World #1 Novak Djokovic

Some tennis fans, millions of them actually, love the immense outward confidence and bravado of Novak Djokovic. Others find the cocksure Serbian's emotional on-court displays of machismo and chest-pounding to be a bit chafing and over the top. What all tennis fans appreciate about the top-ranked 24 year-old is the enormous passion, skill, and commitment he brings to our sport.

For the better part of the last decade, Roger Federer has owned professional tennis, and he has served as arguably the most gracious and respected ambassador any sport has ever had. Rafael Nadal, the man who finally challenged Federer's long reign of tennis dominance, brings his own breed of beauty and gravity to the sport, only with added elements of brute strength and perseverance.

Novak Djokovic is different. In his ascension to the top of men's tennis, he has clearly brought weapons that rival those of Federer and Nadal, but his arsenal is unique. His game has no flaws, and his athleticism and flexibility are marvels of sport. So long as his iron will is working with him and not against him, he is virtually unbeatable.

Beyond his tennis prowess and talent though, Novak brings new personality to the game. He laughs, he yells (mostly at himself), and he applauds with a few taps of his racket when an opponent executes a remarkable tennis shot to beat him. Intentional or not, he allows fans to glimpse what's happening inside his heart and mind, even as he works to rein in and harness his emotions.

Roger brings grace to the sport, and Rafa brings power. Novak brings fire.

Djokovic told his personal story to journalist Bob Simon this week on CBS' 60 Minutes. His journey from war-torn Serbia to the pinnacle of men's professional tennis is remarkable and inspiring. From the woman who first recognized 5 year-old Novak's talent to the dark basement where his family hid during seventy-eight consecutive days of bombing in Belgrade - we begin to understand how winning tennis championships has transformed not only Novak Djokovic, but the entire nation of Serbia.

You can see Novak's full 60 Minutes interview here and gain insight into the personality, character, and wit of the tennis great.

And you can enjoy a little of Novak's sense of humor in the short clip below, where he takes 60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon on to the tennis court for a little lesson in returning serve.

Nadal's Grasp On the Clay Court Crown

Rafa - 2011 French Open
Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Europe

Springtime is clay court season in men's tennis with four key clay court tournaments and a host of smaller events taking place throughout the months of April and May.

After March visits to big prize contests in Indian Wells and Miami, top ATP players cross the Atlantic to compete at Masters 1000 level tournaments in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, before heading on to the French Open at Roland Garros, the event that marks the pinnacle of the clay court season.

Europe is the domain of the clay court season, and for the last seven years, Rafael Nadal has been its undisputed king.

Tally championships since 2005 at the four main clay court events, and you will find that Nadal has taken home the trophy 20 of 28 times. Reduce your scope to just the last three years, and things looks much the same with Nadal owning 8 of 12 titles. Not surprisingly, the handful of trophies Nadal hasn't hoisted at red clay masters-level and major events since 2009 belong to Novak Djokovic (2) and Roger Federer (2).

It's only when you narrow your view to look through the lens of the last twelve months that you see Nadal's prowess on clay begin to be challenged.

Federer Taking Charge Early In 2012

Federer in top form in Dubai.

Roger Federer claimed his second title of this young tennis season on Saturday night, beating Britain's Andy Murray in straight sets at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Federer, currently ranked third in the world, delivered an absolute clinic in the final versus the fourth-ranked Murray, and in doing so collected his fifth career tournament trophy in Dubai.

On route to his 72nd ATP title, Federer executed his game plan flawlessly, punishing Murray with blistering inside-out forehands, textbook backhands, and a dominating serve. Murray, who mounted an impressive semi-final victory against Novak Djokovic on Friday, never looked comfortable or in-command in the championship match against Federer on Saturday.

After winning a closely contested first set, Federer broke Murray's serve and gained the lead early in the second set. Murray continued to battle and, to his credit, managed to level the match by breaking right back in Federer's subsequent service game. While that break snapped a streak of 66 consecutive service game wins for Federer, it wasn't enough to push Murray into the winner's circle. Federer continued his shot-making clinic, at one point hitting an unbelievable no-look, backhand, passing shot, before eventually breaking Murray a second time and serving out the match.

After closing out the 2011 season with three consecutive tournament championships, the opportunity for a resurgent Federer to take charge in 2012 loomed large. With the notable exception of a surprising Davis Cup defeat at the hands of American John Isner, Federer appears to have seized that opportunity, returning to top form thus far in 2012.

Since the U.S. Open last September, Federer boasts a 33-2 match record, and the Swiss tennis master has hoisted the championship trophy in 5 of the 7 tournaments he has played. He has accrued more ATP rankings points than any other player since the U.S. Open, and he is within striking distance of Rafael Nadal and the #2 ranking.

Djokovic/Nadal Barely Upright After Heroic Final

Nadal - defeated and empty

After a 5 hour and 53 minute heavyweight slugfest, Novak Djokovic eventually triumphed over Rafael Nadal in the men's singles final of the Australian Open (5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5).

The nearly six-hour match, which ended near 2:00 am local time in Melbourne, clocked in as the longest grand slam final in history.

With the win, Djokovic secured his fifth grand slam title and cemented his place at the top of the men's game, while Nadal, despite a brilliant effort, is now the first man to lose three consecutive major finals.

To gain a better idea of the physical toll taken on these athletes during a five-set, six-hour tennis match, check out this short video clip of the post-match trophy presentation ceremony. Both men, clearly exhausted, begin to stretch, cramp, and nearly collapse, in what appears to be (for Nadal at least) sheer agony, before an intelligent and thoughtful tournament official provides relief around the 3:05 mark in the clip.

Related Post: Roger and Rafa - Epic Night in Aussie Semis

2012 Tennis Season Opens and a Resurgent Roger Federer Could Dominate

Djokovic and Federer at the Barclays in London.

The 2012 professional tennis season is officially underway this week, and the top-ranked players in the world are interspersed at three different venues across Asia and Australia. This year promises to deliver excitement from the start, as we pick up immediately on several dramatic storylines that were left open when last season ended, just a few short weeks ago.

In 2011, we witnessed an astonishing juggernaut performance from Novak Djokovic, who were it not for Roger Federer and a bum shoulder, could have easily posted an undefeated season. We saw Rafa Nadal struggle, by his standards, while continuing his French Open and Davis Cup domination. Many of us expected to see Andy Murray finally hoist a trophy at one of tennis’ four majors in 2011. Alas, he made the semi-finals in each event, but won none of them. The anticipated decline of our sport’s greatest player, Roger Federer, appeared to be on schedule last year, until his torturous title drought ended with a fantastic finishing sweep of the final three tournaments of the season.

Monfils and Tsonga

Last year also gave rise to a bounty of talented challengers. The pair of French showmen, Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, hardworking Spanish veteran David Ferrer, rebounding Argentinian Juan Martin del Potro, and late-blooming American Mardy Fish significantly raised the level of their games. Each of these fierce competitors edged ever closer to the level of play required to firmly position themselves among the elite group atop the sport, but none of them actually did so. By the end of 2011, the fantastic foursome – Novak, Rafa, Andy, and Roger – held tight to their stranglehold on tennis’ premiere events, winning all nine Masters level tournaments and all four majors. It seems likely that this trend of domination by the top four will end in 2012, but with so little separation between the second tier players, it’s difficult to know who will break through first.

Federer Poised for End of Season Sweep

Roger Federer at the Western Southern Open.

Roger Federer returned to championship tennis form this week in Paris winning a second consecutive ATP tour event.

With a straight set victory in Sunday's final over mammoth Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Federer won the ATP 1000 Parisbas Masters Series event, securing his biggest tournament win of the year.

Last week, Federer ended a nearly 10-month title drought by prevailing in an ATP 500 event held in his hometown of Basel, Switzerland.

With only three tournament victories in 2011 and no Grand Slam championships, this is arguably Roger's worst year since his reign at the top of professional tennis began eight years ago. In light of his lackluster season, it would be easy to discount his chances at next week's Barclay's ATP World Tour Finals in London. Federer's late season surge, however, seems to be coming just in time as he prepares to compete next week against seven other top players in the world.

Any of the seven players participating next week can beat Federer, but only the top three players provide consistently strong opposition to him. It happens, thought, that the three men ranked higher than Federer in the ATP rankings have not been completely healthy of late.

Among the top three - Serbia's Novak Djokovic withdrew from his final match this week in Paris, citing a serious shoulder injury that continues to plague him, and Andy Murray of Great Britain has been bothered off and on by a minor hamstring pull. Rafael Nadal will return from a several week hiatus to heal various niggling late season injuries, and while he should be rested, his absence from other recent indoor tournaments may leave him a little rusty.

Federer manages his play, his body, and his tour schedule brilliantly, and even as we reach the end of another gruelingly long tennis season, the thirty year-old continues to be in excellent physical condition. With a healthy Fed, and every aspect of his game from serve to net looking crisp and sharp in the last few weeks, my money is on the Swiss master to successfully defend his ATP Tour Finals title in London next week.