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.

Turn of Phrase - Federer Receives Death Threat

"On October 6, I plan to assassinate Federer for the purpose of tennis extermination." 

- From a threatening message posted on baidu.com under the name Blue Cat Polytheistic Religion Founder 07. 

The message, which was published on a popular Chinese website, was accompanied by an image showing a decapitated Roger Federer on his knees on a tennis court, with a masked executioner holding an axe next to him.

Federer and his family recently arrived in China in advance of the Shanghai Masters tennis event. In light of the threat, tournament organizers have stepped up security around Federer, as well as other players. 

Why anyone would want to assassinate Roger Federer, a gracious and well-liked international tennis star who is essentially a-political and non-controversial, is beyond me. I have to assume there is some heavy-duty lunacy afoot in China.

Notes and Photos From the Western & Southern Open (Men's Draw)

Marin Cilic from Crotia

The addition of the Summer Olympics into the middle of an already overbooked and grueling tennis season has taken its toll on the men's draw at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.

Four of the top 16 players in the world (Nadal, Isner, Simon, and Tsonga) withdrew prior to the start of the tournament. World #3 Rafael Nadal continues to suffer from tendinitis in his knee, an ailment which he announced today will keep him out of the U.S. Open as well. Top American John Isner and Frenchman Gilles Simon also withdrew due to recent injuries. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the 6th ranked player in the world, hurt himself off court last week, colliding with a fire hydrant in Toronto and getting several stitches in his knee as a result.

4th seeded David Ferrer of Spain

When you add to that list of wounded tennis warriors - the No. 4 seed David Ferrer appeared not exactly weary, but less like a hyperactive jack rabbit than usual in a straight sets loss, and the No. 7 seed Janko Tipsarevic was forced to retire from his second round match - you can only draw one conclusion: men's professional tennis is seriously banged up.

As we head into the round of 16 on Thursday, an abundance of talented tennis players are still in the hunt for the title in Cincinnati though, and there are still a few things, or a few players rather, who have proven themselves to be as dependable as death and taxes. Federer, Djokovic, and Murray are all through to the next round without dropping a single set in their opening matches.

But enough of all that, here is the first installment of photos from various men's matches and practice court sessions so far this week. I'll publish more pics of the top guys in the game, and of course photos of the best women players in the world, later in the week. Enjoy!

Serious-looking Tomas Berdych, world No. 7 (Czech Republic).

Richard Gasquet (France) showing off his contortion skills.

Stan Wawrinka (Swiss) streeeetttching.

Viktor Troicki (Serbia) advances to the round of 16.

Santiago Giraldo (Colombia) playing frisbee.

Nenad Zimonjic (Serbia) - my favorite doubles guy.

Bernard Tomic (Austalia) - bit blurry but an awesome shot.

Headed to a doubles match - Mikhail Youzhny (Russia),
Philip Kolschreiber - barely pictured (Germany),
Jarkko Nieminen (Finland), and Stan Wawrinka (Swiss).

Milos Raonic (Canada) - note the 132mph on the
serve speed. He hit 140 mph later in the match.

Andy Murray (Great Britain), Olympic Gold Medalist

Roger Federer (Swiss) - G.O.A.T
Greatest Of All Time

A Short Guide to 2012 Olympic Tennis

2012 Olympic Tennis at Wimbledon

The 2012 London Olympics are underway and the tennis competition begins on Saturday, July 28 at Wimbledon.

Here are five essential facts and a few corresponding links to help you make the most out of the time you spend watching Olympic tennis.

(1) Who's playing? All the top-ranked men and women are playing, with the exception of Rafael Nadal who was forced to withdraw due to injury. Fresh from their Wimbledon wins, Roger Federer and Serena Williams are of course the favorites. Complete draws for the men's and women's tennis competitions were announced on Thursday. You can find draws for singles and doubles here, and you can see all the players listed by country here.

(2) Where and when can you watch Olympic tennis? The complete TV coverage schedule for the U.S. is here. In a nutshell, starting Saturday July 28 Bravo will broadcast 56 hours of tennis coverage from the first round through to the semi-final matches on Friday. Finals matches the weekend of August 4-5 move to various other NBC networks.

(3) Which tennis players will be flag bearers for their countries? In 2012, a total of eight tennis players have been chosen to carry their nation's flag during Friday night's opening ceremony (by contrast, in 2008 only Federer - Switzerland and Fernando Gonzalez - Chile were flag bearers). Here are the eight tennis players who will proudly carry flags in London.

1. Marcos Baghdatis - Cyprus (CYP)
2. Novak Djokovic - Serbia (SRB)
3. Max Mirnyi - Belarus (BLR)
4. Agnieszka Radwanska - Poland (POL)
5. Maria Sharapova - Russia (RUS)
6. Horia Tecau - Romania (ROM)
7. Stephanie Vogt - Liechtenstein (LIE)
8. Stanislas Wawrinka - Switzerland (SUI)

Bonus Trivia - Why isn't Federer carrying the flag again for Switzerland? Federer carried the Swiss flag at the Olympics in 2004 (Athens) and 2008 (Beijing). He was offered the opportunity again this year, but declined so that his doubles partner Stan Wawrinka could have the honor.

(4) Who were the 2008 medal winners in tennis?

• Rafael Nadal won the men's singles gold medal and Elena Dementieva won the women's singles gold.
• Federer/Wawrinka won men's doubles and the Williams sisters won women's doubles. 

The complete list of 2008 tennis medalists is here.

(5) Of the six players who earned Gold/Silver/Bronze medals in singles in 2008, how many are playing in 2012? Novak Djokovic (2008-Silver) and Vera Zvonareva (2008-Bronze) are the only 2008 singles medalists returning to the Olympics this year. The other four players are either injured (Rafael Nadal), retired (Elena Dementieva, Fernando Gonzalez), or didn't qualify (Dinara Safina).

You can find lots more info including live/daily scores, photos, and a link to the ITF Olympic Tennis Mobile App here.

Enjoy the 2012 Olympic Games! 

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

Dead Man's Bet and Federer Win At Wimbledon Will Earn $155K For Charity

Fed at Wimbledon 2012
Photo: Tim Hales / AP

Back in 2003 a British gambler wagered nearly $2500 that Roger Federer would win seven Wimbledon Championships by the year 2019.

Nick Newlife, who placed his bet at 66:1 odds, stood to win $155,000 if the Swiss tennis player could match Pete Sampras' record seven Wimbledon singles titles.

Nine years later, the wager is still in play as Federer, who has now won the Wimbledon championship six times, is in hot pursuit of his seventh title. Newlife, however, will not collect his winnings, even if Federer wins. Newlife died in 2009. 

Before his death, the British gambler and bachelor stipulated in his will that any earnings from the wager be donated to Oxfam, an international charity which fights poverty and works to ensure basic human rights for people of all nations.

It's not likely that the wager is motivating Federer's stellar early round play, but it certainly gives me one one more reason to pull for the all-time tennis great.

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).

Federer Receives Odd Gift From Will Smith

Tennis trophy presentation ceremonies are incredibly rote affairs. Usually.

Upon completion of the finals match, the tournament director and CEOs from the event's major sponsors take the hastily erected stage at center court, and they proceed to spout off about what a great week everyone has had. Next, the bigwigs present crystal or silver something or others to the losing finalist and the champion, and then the players take turns at the mic thanking their respective teams, the sponsors, ball boys, and most importantly, the fans.

That's pretty much how it goes at tournaments from Cincinnati to Shanghai, everywhere professional tennis is played, except apparently, in Madrid.

Djokovic was not a fan of the blue clay.
Photo: Reuters

As we learned last week, Madrid begs to be different in every way.

Fans debated the merits of the unique blue clay courts, players lamented the unexpected slipperiness of the surface, and event organizers struck a bizarre marketing deal that resulted in actor Will Smith being on stage to promote his new movie during the trophy ceremony.

On occasion, other tournaments have invited the rich and famous to join the lineup of dignitaries on the trophy stage as a means of glitzing up the proceedings, but the typical luminaries are former tennis stars, national royalty, or celebrities who love the sport. They are not usually actors who attended the match primarily to garishly promote the release of an upcoming film.

Tennis gets very little television respect, so it probably doesn't hurt that big Hollywood types show up to watch a final. Viewers see a famous face in a crowd shot or two, broadcasters mention the celebrity's latest "project," and everyone wins. But for Ion Tiriac, the Romanian billionaire, publicity hound, and former tennis player who runs the tournament in Madrid, that wasn't enough.

Federer, Smith, and the "gift."
Photo: AP

At Tiriac's tournament, Will Smith attends the match, mugs adorably for televised crowd shots, appears on stage during the trophy ceremony, and then presents tournament winner Roger Federer with a "gift" - a glass-framed Men In Black suit, presumably worn by Smith during filming.

Nothing says "congratulations" like a tacky unusable gift that promotes the giver's self-interest, right?

I like Will Smith and I've enjoyed much of his film work, but his presentation of that suit to Roger Federer on the center court in Madrid makes about as much sense as Ron Popeil presenting Sally Field with a RonCo Pocket Fisherman after her win at the Oscars.

As I moved beyond the surrealistic image of Will Smith's presence on the tennis dais, I began to obsess even more on the awkward worthlessness of the gift itself.

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.

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.

Roger and Rafa - An Epic Night in Aussie Semis

If you haven't followed tennis' Australian Open closely, you might not be aware of the Federer-Nadal rematch scheduled for 3:30am (Eastern) on Thursday. The two tennis greats meet for the 27th time in their careers, facing off in an eagerly anticipated semi-final match that fans and analysts expect to be an instant classic.

Throughout their careers, Roger and Rafa have approached their sport with unimaginable intensity and grit, constantly enduring the pressure of enormously high professional expectations, and equally challenging personal aspirations.

Tonight's match, while only a semi-final, carries incredible weight for both players. As Federer works to ensure his continued relevance in the top tier of the sport, Nadal is striving to recapture the element of invincibility he brought to tennis, prior to the shocking string of defeats he suffered last year at the hands of current world #1 Novak Djokovic.

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 Wins Third Straight Title

Photo: UK/Reuters

Roger Federer prevailed over France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga today in the ATP Tour Finals today in London. With the top three seeds failing to make the semi-finals, only Tsonga stood between Federer and his third title in as many weeks of play.

I hate to say I told you so (see last week's blog post - Federer Poised For End of Season Sweep), but I did.

The ATP Tour Finals tournament concludes the professional tennis "season," and now players will have six-eight weeks off before they have to kick it in gear again and head to Australia. Hopefully, the nearly two month break will allow the younger players to rest up and be prepared for next year. With three consecutive victories to close out the 2011 season and many of his younger challengers suffering various ailments and injuries of late, it seems the 30 year-old Federer may not be finished with his domination of the sport.