Mardy Fish and Mark Knowles fought back in the final of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic overcoming Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek 4-6,7-6,10-7 to bag their second title as a team.

Berdych and Stepanek sprinted to a 3-0 advantage by breaking Knowles and Fish twice in the first set.  Then, with a love hold, Stepanek further extended their lead to 4-0.  Knowles and Fish managed to break once. Nevertheless, with the insurance break, the Czechs took the set.

Knowles and Fish have been a tandem since February 2008 while their Czech counterparts usually play doubles only in the Davis Cup.  Moreover, for Berdych and Stepanek, this was their first ATP doubles final as a team.  Thus, Knowles and Fish called upon their experience to weather the storm especially after Knowles double faulted in the second set to give their opponents a 3-2 edge which they consolidated for 4-2.  Later though, with Berdych serving at 40-30, Fish struck a forehand down the line winner to force a deciding point.  With Berdych double faulting, the set was squared at 4 all.  Ultimately, a tiebreaker was played.

Off a sensational forehand return by Fish, Stepanek dumped the forehand volley in the net.  Down the road, Fish made another volley winner to give his team a double mini-break for 5-2.  Next, on a miscue from the Czechs, Knowles and Fish had three set points.  Stepanek and Berdych battled back for 6 all.  Subsequently, on an error, Stepanek and Berdych were at 7-6 and championship point.  Again, Fish and Knowles produced some remarkable shots to stay afloat and steal the tiebreaker.

In the super-tiebreaker, with Berdych’s backhand sailing long, Knowles and Fish had a mini-break for 1-0.  On a Fish forehand error, Berdych and Stepanek got back on serve for 3-4.  But, with a net court favoring Fish and Knowles, that pair regained a mini-break for 5-3.  Again, the Czechs climbed back to make it 7 all. Soon, on a superb return by Fish, Stepanek flubbed the volley giving Fish and Knowles championship at 9-7.  The pair won the next point to capture the trophy.

After the match, MiamiTennisNews and one other media outlet sat down to talk to Fish and Knowles.  For 38 year old Knowles, this was his 53rd doubles title.  Therefore, MiamiTennisNews wanted to know:
Q. At your age, what keeps you still motivated and what has been the key to your success?
Knowles:  I still enjoy playing and competing . . . It’s a challenge competing against the current players.  I’ve seen the game evolve a little bit from when I first started.  It still gives me a high to compete at this level and win.

Q. Is it more difficult though with having a family?
Knowles: I play less now because of a wife and two kids.  This year was a little difficult.  I was injured at the start of the season and I was out for three months.  Mardy and I have agreed to play doubles this year which is an exciting prospect.  Things have taken a while to develop because of my injury but things are going well now.

Next week in Toronto, with Fish concentrating on singles, Knowles will partner with Stepanek. Thus, MiamiTennisNews asked:
Q. It must be strange having to play with Stepanek since you’ve beaten him today.  How does one deal with that? Also, you’ve had a few partners, how do you select the person you want to play with?
Knowles:  I look for a guy who will complement me well.  Someone I get along with on and off the court.  Radek is a phenomenal doubles and singles player.  A big part of doubles is finding the right partner.  It’s kind of awkward that we competed against each other today and play together tomorrow.  But, we are all professions and get along well.  We understand the nature of the business so it will be exciting next week as well.

With Andy Roddick falling in the third round at this event, for the first time since 1973, on Monday’s ranking there will be no American male in the top ten in singles.  Thus, MiamiTennisNews questioned Fish about his thoughts on the matter after winning his 8th career title in doubles:
Q.  What’s your feeling on that development?
Fish:  It’s only going to last for one week since [Jo-Wilfried] Tsonga is injured and not playing in Toronto.  So, Andy will go back to [number] 10.  [Therefore], I think it’s sort of ridiculous.  But with that being said, it’s such a worldly sport now, so deep.  There are guys coming from all corners while [U.S.] athletes are going to play more popular sports, football, basketball.  [On the other hand, with the other countries], tennis is just as big as soccer, so it’s tough.

Q. So do you feel that the state of American tennis is still healthy?  Any good prospect? Ryan Harrison has been a name which has come to the surface lately?
Fish: [Harrison] is extremely young and talented.  But, he has a long way to go. He has the [hunger] which is certainly a good thing. Still, Sam Querrey is playing great.  Surely, Roddick would have something to say if you said he is done, he has a few years left for sure.  We are all trying as hard as we can.  Besides Spain, there’s no other country which has too many guys at the top. And for Spain, there’s only one in the top ten.  There aren’t many spots in the top ten, so it’s hard to get there.

Knowles and Fish will reunite in Cincinnati next and plan to play at the U.S. Open.  The two are currently ranked 30th and will move up after this win.

One week after being routed by Rafael Nadal in the finals in Monte-Carlo, Fernando Verdasco was all smiles today.  Verdasco prevailed over Robyn Soderling 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the finals of the Barcelona Open BancSabadell, an ATP 500 tournament, for his 5th and mightiest career title.

Following a love opening game, Soderling faced break point his second time out when Verdasco’s return clipped the net and dropped for a winner.  Although Soderling held for 2-1, he was having difficulty getting free points on serve.  A few games later, with a forehand crosscourt winner, Verdasco arrived at triple break point and cashed in when Soderling netted a forehand.  Then, with a second serve ace, the Spaniard consolidated for 5-3.  Next, with Soderling’s backhand down the line miscue, Verdasco had his fourth set point.  The Spaniard sealed the first set with a forehand up the line winner.

By forcing mistakes from Verdasco, Soderling opened the second set with a break.  However, with a couple of nonchalant forehand strokes, Soderling stared at break point.  With a forehand up the line winner, Verdasco got back to 1 all.  After Soderling netted an easy forehand to give Verdasco 30-40, a forehand initially deemed long was reversed.  Soderling won the next three points to equalize the set at 3 all.  Later, with an overhead winner, Soderling arrived at break point.  With Verdasco dumping his backhand into the net, Soderling secured the break for 4-3.  A couple of games down the road, at double set point, Soderling connected on a forehand volley winner to send the match into a third set.

After a comfortable hold by Verdasco, Soderling looked at 0-30.  In part, thanks to Verdasco’s pass clipping the net and sailing long, Soderling eventually held for 1 all.  Still, with two straight backhand errors his second time out, Soderling was again at 0-30.  Subsequently, with another backhand error, Soderling stared at a double break point.  Once again, with a net court going in his favor, Soderling put away a forehand volley to save the first break point.  Yet, with a forehand crosscourt mistake, Soderling handed Verdasco the break for 3-1.  By readily consolidating, Verdasco extended his advantage to 4-2.  Despite Soderling holding easily, Verdasco never allowed him a bite on his service games.  Thus, with Soderling netting a backhand return, Verdasco arrived at double championship point.  As Soderling’s next shot, a backhand, traveled long, Verdasco captured the trophy.  With this victory, Verdasco continues the Spaniards domination of this event with 10 successive wins since 2001.

The doubles team of Nenad Zimonjic and Daniel Nestor follow up their triumph in Monte-Carlo by defeating Lleyton Hewitt and Mark Knowles 4-6, 6-3, 10-6 in the finals for their fourth title this season.

With five time defending champion Nadal citing fatigue and opting not to aim for an historic sixth consecutive trophy for the second week in a row, the door was left wide open for the other contestants.  Verdasco, the fifth seed and a wildcard entrant, made the most of his opportunity. Tested in the third round by Jurgen Melzer, after losing the first set, Verdasco took a tiebreaker to push the match to a third set.  After coming through a tough quarterfinal versus Ernests Gulbis, countryman David Ferrer forced Verdasco to carry the last two sets after stealing the first in a tiebreaker.  This represents Verdasco’s third career trophy on clay and his second title this year.  The Spaniard defeated Andy Roddick in San Jose back in February.

The Sony Ericsson Open, Florida’s most prestigious tennis tournament and the world’s “fifth major”, turns 25 this year. From March 25th thru April 5th , an A-list of competitors will descend upon the Tennis Center at Crandon Park to mark this milestone birthday.

From the ATP, Rafael Nadal, the reigning Australian Open champion, world number one and 2008 Sony Ericsson finalist, will honor South Florida with his presence. The supporting cast will include Roger Federer, world number two and dual Sony titleholder, and Serb Novak Djokovic, the 2007 Sony champion. Brit Andy Murray and American Andy Roddick who have had spectacular seasons to date will be counted on for the festivities. Russian Nikolay Davydenko, the defending champion, has been out of commission for weeks due to injury. Hopefully, Davydenko will recover in time to take a stab at a second consecutive title.

One of the hottest players on the WTA tour is the current Australian Open and 2008 Sony titlist, Serena Williams. Serena, the female number one, will attempt to win for the third time in a row and is also going for a record setting sixth Sony trophy. Serena will face fierce competition from Russian Dinara Safina, the world number two and this year’s Australian Open finalist, Jelena Jankovic, the Sony 2008 finalist and world number three, not to mention her own sister Venus Williams, who has three Sony Ericsson Open trophies to her credit. Maria Sharapova, whose shoulder has been on the mend, may also make an appearance, giving the field a run of its money.

On the doubles side, Mike and Bob Bryan have regained the top doubles ranking since winning the Australian Open and will be ready to defend their Sony title. The Bryan Brothers will be a prime target for teams such as Mark Knowles and Mahesh Bhupathi, who took second place last year, Max Mirnyi and Andy Ram as well as Brazilians Andre Sa and Marcelo Melo.

Already, a few interesting wildcard placements have been announced. Jelena Dokic, who rejoined the WTA tour after a long absence and was a quarterfinalist in Australia this year, has been granted a slot. Other Australian connections gaining wildcards are Lleyton Hewitt, a two time major champion from that part of the world, and Marcos Baghdatis, the 2006 Australian Open runner-up. Young Americans Melanie Oudin, who played an instrumental role in the U.S. advancing to the next round in Federation Cup, CoCo Vandeweghe, the 2008 U.S. Open juniors champion, and Ryan Sweeting have all been given a pass into the main draw. For those who will need to fight for a spot into the main field, qualifying rounds will take place on March 23^rd and 24^th

No time to waste. For further information on events commemorating the tournament’s silver anniversary, the singles and doubles draws or to buy your tickets, go to www.SonyEricssonOpen.com . Once again, MiamiTennisBlog.com will be on site bringing you updates on the action.

Written on May 2, 2008

Since 2000, schedule permitting, I have been a faithful and fervent attendee at my hometown tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida. Yet, as a devout tennis fanatic, my wish has always been to make a pilgrimage to one of the shrines of the sport, a major.

In my mind, there has always been the perception that I was being deprived of an ecclesiastical experience by not going to New York, London, Paris or Melbourne. As luck would have it, in 2006 and 2007, I ascended from the category of lowly television viewer to that of obscured spectator when I was finally able to drink in the atmosphere at the U.S Open. After spending five days at the opening round matches in New York the last couple of years and a week at this year’s Sony Ericsson, I began to view the latter through a new lens. As I surveyed the familiar vista at Crandon Park, the prism through which I evaluated the tournament was suddenly lifted. Moreover, I arrived at the realization that the Sony Ericsson Open is truly a jewel in my own backyard.

Manhattan’s bright lights and vibrant streets are comparable to an impish, unruly child with the magnetic powers to draw one in with a cunning smile. A similar attraction lures one in at the U.S. Open. On the subway, I was overcome by a wave of exhilaration from the chatter of the passengers whose destination, just as mine, was the major’s site. As the train approached the tennis center and the Arthur Ashe stadium came into view, a touch of awe and anxiety intermingled as I became conscious of the magnitude of the place. These sentiments were further accentuated as the grounds crew greeted me with their megaphones shouting instructions such as, “no backpacks allowed into the stadium”. Or as I filed through the long security lines that stretch for miles and saw my precious can of juice seized since opaque containers were prohibited entry. The shear volume of people, over 700,000 attended the tournament in 2007, and the additional security measures implemented after the catastrophic incident at the Twin Towers signify that one has to be willing to tolerate these inconveniences in order to experience the U.S. Open.

Nevertheless, my dedication was such that one day I spent twelve hours on the grounds at Flushing Meadows taking in the action oblivious of the scorching heat as I literally roasted to a crisp. Still thirsty for more, I returned the following day, while my father, my tennis buddy, decided to take a respite from the intense temperature. With a cornucopia of top ranked players to watch, I felt obfuscated at times in having to choose from such a palatable menu. Occasionally, the choice was made by a coin toss since it came down to deciding between matches from my nose bleed seat in the main stadium versus a prime location on the outside courts where I could see a lesser ranked player who might be the sports’ future star.

One afternoon, perched from my assigned seat in the main stadium, I had an epiphany. Although I was thoroughly enjoying the matches, unless, I was willing to pay top dollar for a closer seat, I would never have the opportunity to get a decent photograph of Federer, Nadal, Henin or Serena. With the excessive amount I had already allocated to this venture, I would have to conform myself with what I was getting. After attending the Ericsson Open a few weeks ago, I finally realized the element that was lacking from my New York experience, intimacy.

Entering Crandon Park, there was not the same perception of being lost, overwhelmed with too much sensory information, as was the case, as I made my way inside the U.S. Open facilities. Instead of nerves of steel, nerves of aluminum were sufficient in dealing with the proceedings in Miami. The main drawback at the Sony was the distance between the parking grounds and the stadium. Since at times I was unwilling to cough up the extra bucks to park closer, I was forced to ride the shuttle buses, thus, resulting in a little wasted time. But, once that unpleasant detail was disposed of, the short walk to the stadium was swift, the lines at the ticket counter manageable and the security measures bearable. After going through the gate, the tough task started in terms of which initiative to take: sit down to view a match, stroll the premises or make a beeline to the practice grounds. As I crossed the threshold of the entrance, my dilemma became greater since within a few steps, I stumbled upon the player’s eating area which itself was a feast for the eyes. Player watching became a new past time because it was not uncommon to spot Lindsay Davenport having lunch with friends or accidentally trip over someone, as it happened with Arnaud Clement who was gracious enough to pose for a picture. Miami’s relaxed setting perhaps gave the athletes a homelike feeling because countless competitors were seen roaming the grounds without an entourage. As they sought the sanctuary of the players’ area, a group of fans simply stopped Andy Murray and John Isner for autographs and photos, they politely obliged them. I ran into doubles specialist Mark Knowles who was kind enough to chat with admirers as they picked his brain about the game.

The primary bonus that the Sony offered was the access to the players’ practice sessions. Although I could not get choice seats inside the big stadium, on the side courts, I was front and center observing the best players in the world fine-tuning their game for upcoming matches. Indeed, when Jelena Jankovic says that she does not like to practice and would rather play, she means it. Jelena spent less than one hour on the court before ceding the space to Roger Federer and Kevin Anderson who were scheduled next to practice. Few places will provide the opportunity to witness Federer at work within arm’s length. Amazingly, even after hours of practice, Federer looked as if he had just rolled out of the shower, not a bead of perspiration in spite of the thermometer registering 85 F and the humidity being off the scales. It was well worth the price of admission to see Roger’s dad carrying his gear back to the player’s section. While Roger himself, with tinted shades looking like a rock star was escorted back by a couple of policemen in an attempt to control the mob of adoring spectators. Indeed, another unique moment was when I became an unplanned participant at the running of bulls Miami style, as Rafael Nadal strove to maneuver pass the herd of doting fans still requesting photos and autographs, after he had already spent a considerable amount of time appeasing their request.  Occasions at other events are sparse where I, as a spectator, would find myself within steps of a player such as Gael Monfils, as he sauntered in with iPod in hand to check out the match of compatriot Alize Cornet.

At the US Open, the top competitors always played in the bigger stadiums out of reach of my measly camera. Yet at the Ericsson, on the side courts, I had a perfect seat to see Venus Williams, David Nalbandian, Daniela Hantuchova, and Justine Henin take on their opponents. Outside the majors, the Sony Ericsson Open trophy is the most coveted in the sport. In fact, tennis connoisseurs and aficionados consider it the fifth major. Other than the bye accorded to the 32 seeded players and the first two days dedicated to the qualifying rounds, this tournament is identical to the majors with the fifth biggest purse. Attendance peaked at over 297,000 this year at Crandon Park. Thus, the ‘smallness’ of the event is its grandest attribute. It can best be described as having the allure of a major with a hometown ambience.

If all these outlined virtues do not convince one of the invaluable worth of the Sony Ericsson, perhaps, this will. With the budget I expended in going to the U.S. Open, I could have attended Miami’s tournament in style with excellent seating and with maybe a little money left over.

In conclusion, would I trade off my U.S. Open experience for anything in the world? Not a chance! Am I willing to go through the hassle and fork over the expense given the opportunity again? One can bet the bank on that. But, going to a major is analogous to venturing to the Vatican. Although your chances of observing mass celebrated by the Pope are great, it is highly unlikely that you will be invited for an audience with him. While the Sony Ericsson is akin to your local parish or cathedral, by going to the services, the possibilities of conversing with your priest or bishop are infinitely better.