0 comments by Matt Zemek on 4/18/2016
Anyone who has ever loved tennis knows the sport possesses a singular quality, a uniquely combative nature which resonates across much of the globe. This is a violent sport. It’s anything but the longstanding and laughably empty stereotypical image of a “sissy” or “genteel” activity. Yet, the competitors don’t suffer black eyes, fractured jaws, or […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 4/4/2016
The 2016 Miami Open might become something very different in the course of time… and that’s part of what made it such a fascinating tournament to observe. We could look back on the past week and a half in Key Biscayne, Florida, and realize that the journey led to predictable endpoints in 2016: Novak Djokovic […]
Roger Federer of Switzerland wipes the sweat from his face during his semifinal match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016.(AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 1/28/2016
Roger Federer, being 34 years old, could be viewed as a tennis player who is stepping into the twilight of his career. Whether or not that view is supremely fair or substantive is another question, but the idea that a 34-year-old tennis player stands in or near the twilight realm of his (her) journey is […]
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 28: Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates match point in his semi final match against Roger Federer of Switzerland during day 11 of the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 28, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
0 comments by Yesh Ginsburg
When a remarkable athlete performs at his best, a turn of phrase which most readily comes to mind is “a cheat code.” That’s what Novak Djokovic has become. He reminded us of this reality on Thursday night in Melbourne. In 2011, Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon final in four sets. With the […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 1/24/2016
One relatively common, pervasive and durable component of tennis analysis — especially in relationship to the practice of predicting outcomes — is the citation of a player’s form. He’s the more in-form player at the moment. Based on current form, she should be the favorite. The idea is easy enough to understand, and it’s not […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 12/10/2015
(NOTE: A story on Novak Djokovic’s 2015 season was originally posted here after Mr. Djokovic won the 2015 ATP World Tour Finals in late November, days before the Davis Cup. It was accidentally deleted and unable to be retrieved. It was not scrubbed or purposefully removed. Life just happened. What follows is therefore not a […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 11/29/2015
If you traveled 80 years into the past, you would have traveled into a world which — in tennis terms — featured Great Britain as a foremost tennis nation, not a peripheral player on the scene. In 1935, the part of the world which birthed the sport of tennis was also the best at playing […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 9/14/2015
One set all. 4-4 in the third set. The U.S. Open final. The two best ATP stars in the world, playing their hearts out before 23,000-plus spectators (many of them poorly behaved, but that’s another story). This is the moment every professional tennis player dreams of. It’s the moment every tennis pro tries to reach. […]
NY 29Aug2015 Roof scaffolding Ashe Stadium wide angle view from top on Art Ashe Day with shadows.
0 comments by Matt Zemek
BLOGUIN NOTE Before we begin, a reminder for readers: Attacking The Net is a major-tournament tennis blog, not (yet) a full-service year-round tennis blog. You’ll get coverage of the Davis Cup semifinals and finals; the WTA Finals; and the ATP World Tour Finals, with perhaps a wrap-up of the Masters 1000 events in Shanghai and […]
Flavia Pennetta, of Italy, holds up the championship trophy after beating Roberta Vinci, of Italy, in the women’s championship match of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015, in New York. (AP Photo/David Goldman) ORG XMIT: USO190
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 9/13/2015
We did this last year, and we’re going to do it again right now. Without commentary or analysis, here’s how 20 notable WTA and ATP players performed at the majors in 2015. Review the year at the majors solely through the lens of results. Commentary can be found in our other U.S. Open wrap-ups and […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 9/11/2015
If ever an athlete or team felt at home — physically, emotionally, spiritually, holistically — Roger Federer at Wimbledon would rate as a top example. Andrea Pirlo in an Italy uniform, representing the Azzurri. Usain Bolt on any track at a high-stakes event. Tom Brady in a Super Bowl. The San Francisco Giants in an […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 9/10/2015
Weren’t we here a year ago at the U.S. Open? Short answer: No – a year ago, the men’s semifinals would have been played on Saturday, and there would have been a lot less shade and wind protection available for Novak Djokovic, who will play his 2015 semifinal in much more comfortable conditions. Long answer: […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 9/5/2015
Before those of us who write about sports made the decision (or were granted the opportunity) to write about sports, we were fans first. Whether as a writer or a fan, anyone who follows sports — for pleasure or for a living — remembers where s/he was when something truly remarkable happened. Truly remarkable. Epic. […]
Novak Djokovic is still looking for a first French Open title, and he’s also searching for a second Wimbledon after losing to Andy Murray last year. The losses in major finals have piled up for Djokovic since June of 2012. It’s time for the Serbian superstar to make a stand and show a level of resilience that was missing in the 2012 Wimbledon semifinals against Federer.
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 8/29/2015
If Novak Djokovic fails to win the 2015 U.S. Open, he still has two majors in the bag this year; more Masters 1000 titles than anyone else; and the year-end No. 1 ranking. He successfully defended a major title outside Australia for the first time in his career. He is, by any measure, the best […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 8/27/2015
The U.S. Open men’s draw is out. Here’s your bracket sheet. * See the cover image above? That’s the new look this year for Arthur Ashe Stadium. The roof which will cover the court in future years is not in place, but the outer portion of the structure has been erected. This points to the […]
