Wk.1- The New Nole, Same as the Old Nole

Hey, all. Galileo here.

The Hopman Cup is something this BACKSPINNER looks forward to annually. The talent it has had in its years, especially recently, is fantastic. It is a modern, fun event where players can play points that are serious, but also have an exhibition feel. Remember Fish/Williams from 2008? What a pairing that was.

This year, Roger Federer paired with Belinda Bencic. And the backhands on display. Amazing. The France versus Switzerland clash was the best in the group stage, with Federer and Richard Gasquet exchanging backhands crosscourt in a display that had the crowd on their feet.


Australia disappointed, with Dasha Gavrilova unable to give Nick Kyrgios quite enough support, though she had her moments. The Americans played the role of dark horses perfectly, rolling to the final and coming within an inch of taking it. Gasquet dominated the opening set of the final, winning it 6-3, and then continued to roll. But Jack Sock slowed his momentum, then nicked the second set 7-5. Gasquet was set for a classic French collapse. But it never came. In fact, he came back from 4-1 down in the breaker to win it and give France a 1-0 lead. It was a beautiful clash of different styles, with the heavy topspin of Sock going up against the wily defense of Gasquet. The Frenchman covered so much of the court.

Kiki won a crucial rubber against Bencic in her last round robin singles match, but was manhandled 6-4, 7-5 by CoCo Vandeweghe in the final. But Gasquet, winner of the French Open with Tatiana Golovin and a Bronze medalist in doubles, is a superb dubs player.


And Mladenovic is the world's best doubles player right now. At worst, she is in that discussion. As the final rubber wore on France got better and better. Mladenovic was the X-factor once again. She and Gasquet worked beautifully together. Ritchie's backhand did in CoCo at the net. The Bannerette never figured out how to deal with its versatility.


Andrea Petkovic is back and playing decently. Alexander Zverev had a great tournament and even unseated Federer in three breakers. So, for Germany it was a good tournament.

=RANKINGS WATCH=
* – We start the year with Kohl, Querrey and Busta at spots 32-30
* – Nadal, Berdman and Goffin sit at 9, 10 and 11
* – Cilic leads Thiem by less than 200. They are at seven and eight.
* – Monfils just swapped with Cilic for sixth place. Wawrinka could lose his top four ranking to Kei. He leads by around 100. Djokovic and Murray will be fighting for the top spot all year. Raonic is not safe in third.

Seeing as this is the first post, we should ease ourselves in. The Player of the Week should be a familiar name to you all...

*WEEK 1 CHAMPIONS*
DOHA, QATAR (Hard)
S: Novak Djokovic def. Andy Murray 6-3/5-7/6-4
D: Chardy/F.Martin d. Pospisil/Stepanek
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA (Hard)
S: Grigor Dimitrov def. Kei Nishikori 6-2/2-6/6-3
D: Kokkinakis/Thompson d. Muller/Querrey
CHENNAI, INDIA (Hard)
S: Roberto Bautista Agut def. Daniil Medvedev 6-3/6-4
D: Bopanna/Nedunchezhiyan d. Raja/Sharan
HOPMAN CUP (Perth, AUS/Exhibition)
France def. United States 2-1

Fun fact: #Djokovic, #Federer and #Nadal all had won 67 titles aged 29 years and 229 days old pic.twitter.com/layTbQbV4m

— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) January 9, 2017

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: NOVAK DJOKOVIC, SRB
...Look, I know. Not original. But he is the world's best player. Nole had his usual early season escape, blew out a couple of players and finally faced off against Murray. This was a crucial match-up. It sets the tone for how the early part of the year will go. And it turned out to be almost a reverse of their famous Shanghai final. But Djokovic led the winners count by 26-16, up 5-3 in the third. It was a scratchy kind of match, low on quality and high on drama. Muzza, apparently the world's best player, down break point at 3-4 in the third, double faulted. And the Djoker should have been called for multiple time violations. He took outrageous amounts of time to serve, so much so that the commentators started to make funnies at his expense.

As with most of the important points, on Nole's first match point he missed the first serve. A long rally ensued with Nole finally missing when he stopped playing the percentages. Really, the serving throughout the match was mediocre. Murray saved the next match point with two big forehands, hitting back to back corners. After putting away a smash, Djokovic had another. But he blew it with a wild slice. And Murray, getting away with a couple of sloppy smashes at deuce, finally broke back. At 30-30 a long, tense point ensued. And when he lost it he slammed his racket down, getting a point penalty. Suddenly, Murray led 6-5. Could Djokovic handle the pressure? Not quite. Djokovic saved the first set point at 15-40, but then he faulted on the next point. A crushing return down 30-40 sealed the break and the set for Murray. The Scot opened the third with another double, his fourth. Down 2-3, Djokovic held on from 0-30, even saving a break point. Finally, on his advantage Djokovic, hit three incredible inside out forehands which only Murray could have gotten back. But finally the Scot could defend no more. Back to back long rallies, both ended by a huge Djoker forehand, saw him get to 0-40 on the Muzza serve. Nole took a 5-3 lead. And he held on for a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 victory. This rivalry is turning into a Federer/Nadal situation. Djokovic has the Scot's number. How he got away with this title after being down to Verdasco and trying his best to choke in the final, is beyond this BACKSPINNER.
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RISER: GRIGOR DIMITROV, BUL
...Yes, it is about time. Dimitrov has evolved, he has shed his cocoon. He has arrived again. Re-arrived, if you will. He looks, once more, as if he could make slam finals and break up the top four. His defence is better, taking on the mantra, literally, of bend but don't break. But there are other areas he has improved in. His forehand is vicious. It bites and snarls. It claws. And he broke down Nishikori with it in the final. His backhand has always been solid, but now that forehand is a big weapon. And his return of serve has improved leaps and bounds. But, also, the serve.

He has these big weapons, these cannons. He can win cheap points. And with these has come confidence. One of Todd's favourite WTA BACKSPIN followers said that Maria Sharapova breaking up with Dimitrov, while he was quite young, may have had an effect. This is not my theory, but this BACKSPINNER thinks it makes a lot of sense. Anyway, he was back in full force this week. The Bulgarian dismissed Johnson 6-2, 6-3 and allowed Mahut just one more game in the next round. The 7th seed had hit his stride. He beat Austrian Thiem 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the quarters. It was a fine match, showing off the best that one-handers have to offer. In the semi, he added another chapter to the engaging rivalry he and Raonic share. Since the Canuck won their first clash in Stockholm in 2011, Dimi has won three in a row. All of those have been in Australia. This time he won 7-6[6], 6-2, when his opponent collapsed. And in the final he and Nishikori played out what was, aesthetically, the best final of the week. Level at 6-2, 2-6, 3-3 Nishikori's game disintegrated. In fact, in that opening set Dimitrov played out of his skin. The rallies the two of them constructed were elaborate, elegant pieces of art. Who knew Nishikori had finesse? Dimi had a bit of that Safin quality during the match, where he was unplayable when he was on but he struggled mightily to stay 'on'.

What a week from a star who is back on the rise. On a more personal note, Maria Sharapova broke up with this guy?

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FRESH FACE: JORDAN THOMPSON, AUS
...Now sitting pretty at 75 in the world, Thompson has been to his first quarterfinal and final on the ATP tour. And he did it with a newly resurgent Kokkinakis, who is still contemplating whether or not to enter the Australian Open. His 6-3, 6-2 beatdown of Ymer is impressive in itself, given how many pundits are predicting big things for the Swede already. But to go out and edge Ferrer in front of a baying home crowd, with all that pressure, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 is quite incredible. It took the Aussie two hours and 40 minutes to finally get it done. And it ended like this:


Unfortunately, Nishikori crushed the American 6-1, 6-1 in the quarters. But sometimes it's all about the journey. In the doubles, he opened with a confidence boosting 6-2, 2-6, 1-0 [11-9] win over Wawrinka/Pouille. And then they beat the world's best, Mahut and Herbert, 1-6, 6-4, 1-0 [10-7]. They spanked Nestor/Roger-Vasselin 6-3, 6-1 and then capped it off with a straight sets win over Querrey/Muller. Weeks really don't get much better than that.
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VETERAN: ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT, ESP
...As a child did you read that book about the little engine that could? It struggled to mount a hill, but then it willed itself to and suddenly it was fine. He mounted the hill. Bautista Agut is the little Spaniard that could. He just chugs along, always hitting his seeding. He makes fourth rounds at slams, makes finals and is always in the Top 15. It's almost disconcerting just how consistent he is when it comes to it. He is like a metronome. The one thing he is not, however, is good in finals. He is a solid Top 15 player and a surprisingly big hitting player. But he was 4-6 in finals before this week. His last win was in February 2016. If he can win next week he will successfully defend a title for the first time in his career. Forget the easy win over Dutra Silva, it was his three set win over Youzhny 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 which was really impressive. It's that ability to avoid the upset and gut out the tough matches. That's what you need to succeed on the ATP Tour. Against first time finalist Medvedev and flashy Paire he gave up just thirteen games combined. Once more sheer depth of shot proves to be the winner. Expect at least eight more wins this month.

The Winner of #ACO2017 Singles @BautistaAgut #ChampOfChennai. pic.twitter.com/IHF9FsgENS

— Aircel Chennai Open (@chennaiopen) January 8, 2017

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SURPRISE: DANIIL MEDVEDEV, RUS
...Meet 20-year old Daniil Medvedev. He has won five small ITF events. He is 5-5 on the tour. And he is now world number 65. Even before that he was world number 99. At Chennai, he beat Monteiro, Lu and Kovalik, all without dropping a set. But in the semi-finals Dudi Sela was ready. He served for it at 6-4, 6-5. He even had a match point. But the Russian broke and then took the breaker 7-2. He won 4-6, 7-6[2], 6-2. Quite impressive from the Russian, in the end. Even the predictable straight sets loss to Agut is more than understandable.

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DOWN: MARIN CILIC, CRO
...Does he ever change? It's not just the losses, it is the way they happen and to whom. Jozef Kovalik is now 2-0 on the ATP Tour. He is 109 in the world. He is barely a journeyman. He has only two ITF Challenger titles. How, then, did he defeat Cilic 7-6[5], 5-7, 7-5? Cilic is a slam champion. Cilic should have barely lost games. His opponent was 259 at the start of last year and has been steadily rising. But in a match lasting three hours how did the Croat not outlast his opponent?
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UPSET: FERNANDO VERDASCO, ESP
...Like some kind of ghost, this guy just keeps randomly appearing. He outclassed Goffin 6-1, 7-6[6] in Qatar and then also dealt with 6th seed Karlovic 6-2, 7-5. It was a confident performance from that Spaniard, who has all of a sudden found that forehand once again. The loss to Djokovic after having match points is the kind that can really haunt a player, though. Like last year, Verdasco is one player you don't want to see in your quarter of the draw.
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Notes from the Week...
1 – No big rises or falls in the rankings this week. As it stands no Roger in the top sixteen seeds. Delpo is not seeded at all. Nadal and Berdych are not in the top eight. Ready for fireworks?
2 – What is up with the Williams? It's the first time in a while Serena isn't a huge favourite to go in and dominate a slam. However shall I pick the upcoming Aussie Open?
3 – Tipsarevic isn't done quite yet. He won a challenger in Thailand this week. One more challenger than you or I will ever win.


1. Qatar SF - Djokovic d. Verdasco 4-6, 7-6[7], 6-3
...It is always good to see Ferver firing on all those cylinders he has. He really hit out during this match, really played well. But he crumbled, choking on multiple match points. And Djokovic escaped again. You do wonder how different his career would have been if he had been able to see off Nadal at the 2009 Aussie Open. He was the better player on that day.
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2. Brisbane Final - Dimitrov d. Nishikori 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
...The scoreline does not do the game justice. The first set, Dimitrov played the purest form of tennis you've ever seen outside of a Federer/Nadal match. He flowed, he struck, he moved like water. He was poised. And when he struck - oh, boy. But Kei gave no quarter. He fought back, and he really took it to Dimi. Watch the extended highlights of this one. Quite the match.

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3. Chennai 1st Rd. - Chung d. Coric 6-3, 7-5
...Just watch out for the Korean. He and Coric may develop a good rivalry. But the qualifier will not have to qualify for events much longer. He is coming up quickly. Top seeded in qualies, he dropped just ten games total.
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4. Brisbane QF - Raonic d. Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
...Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Raonic has slowly morphed into a very consistent top three player. But now he has to back up that big performance from Melbourne last year. As for Rada, well, he will only retire when he is totally broken.
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5. Chennai Final - Bautista Agut d. Medvedev 6-3, 6-4
...An upstart took on the steady Spaniard but could not prevail. It was a match with a surprising amount of finesse, with plenty of deft touches. The forehand in particular, but both groundies of the Russian has a funny technique, but he is still a talented player. Watch out for him in future events. Russia is due another star.
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*SYDNEY*
=SF=
Thiem [1] d. [7] Klizan
Troicki [3] d. [2] Cuevas
=FINAL=
Thiem [1] d. [3] Troicki

...Thiem has learned nothing from last year. He still insists on stuffing his schedule. But this field is weaker than Trump's foreign policy. So there you go. Kokkinakis could make a run. Enjoy the Trump gags while you can folks. He's watching.


*AUCKLAND*
=SF=
Bautista Agut [1] d. [3] Ferrer
Isner [2] d. [6] Lopez
=FINAL=
Agut [1] d. [2] Isner

...The American has a good history here. And he usually does well in English-speaking countries for whatever reason. And Agut will just do Agut things. And so defend his title. Watch out for Sock here, however.


Sadly, Dasha had a few bad losses this last week. Arruabarrena put her away 7-5, 6-1. She should be winning that match always. And losing to Hradecka in three? She was unfortunately the weak link in the Aussie team this time. Her 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 win over Vandeweghe was still quite impressive. But she needs to work on winning those matches and on mixed doubles, too. Still, not the worst start possible.

The Dasha's are in Sydney this week. They open with Huber/Sanchez. Yes, Liezel Huber. In the singles Dasha, our Dasha, has already won her first match. She saw off Vekic 6-3, 7-6[1]. Sixth seeded Konta is next and then it will be Kasatkina or Kerber. So an interesting week for the Aussie now.

Thanks all and visit WTA BACKSPIN please.

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