sunday survey: the cult of the cup

We always want to take a mini tennis break over Davis Cup weekends, but it never happens. We get sucked in. Every. Time.

(image via daviscup.org)

tattoo watch: karolina pliskova

Czech player Karolina Pliskova has some massive tattoos on her upper arm and thigh (in that same tribal pattern). FYI, she won the 2010 Australian Open singles title. Karolina’s twin sister, Kristyna, took home the Wimbledon junior singles title that same year.

Bling: Check out the monogram on her official website. She’s going places.

(image by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images via Fox Sports)

it’s two happy hours away from becoming a fiesta cantina

The Corona Beach House at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

(img via @FortyDeuceTwits)

before the draw, chris’ preview of the men

by Chris Phillips

We’re taking a break form the Davis Cup ties to think about how the guys will fare at Indian Wells. Weather forecasts showing that day matches will be played in the low 80s and night matches’ll dip down into the 50s. Brr. (Yes, CHILLY. Some of you might consider that a heat wave, but anything below 65 causes us to bundle up and set fire to anything that can keep us warm). Players also have to factor in some unpredictability in the form of gusty winds, which rattles even the steadiest of players. Here are our thoughts on the guys in the top 10 and some other notables:

Rafael Nadal: This will be the Spaniard’s first test after that injury at the Aussie Open. This weekend’s Davis Cup matches don’t count since his toughest Belgian opponent will be Olivier Rochus. At Indian Wells, Rafa is Rafa but I predict that he’ll lose to a top 20 player in the later rounds but make a better run — if not win — Miami.

Roger Federer: Other than Monfils at Bercy (3 tiebreak sets) and Murray in Shanghai and Toronto, the only guy who’s been able to beat Roger in the past 6 months has been Novak Djokovic (and even so Nole is still down 3-4 since the beginning of 2010). But while these stats are in R-Fed’s favor, consider this one that isn’t: Roger hasn’t taken Indian Wells since 2006. I predict that he’ll extend that streak through 2011.

Novak Djokovic: His is probably the only case where winning a Davis Cup turned someone around. After Serbia took the 2010 title, Nole’s been 12-0 (titles in Melbourne and Dubai). This BNP Paribas Open is his title to lose.

Robin Soderling: If anyone’s had as good a year as Nole, it’s Soderling who’s 17-1 already capturing three titles in just as many months (Brisbane, Rotterdam, Marseille). That being said, the only success the Swedish Sod has had at Indian Wells was last year when he took out Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in route to losing to Andy Roddick in the semis. Depending on draws I think you can pencil him into the quarters or semis again.

Andy Murray: Oh Andy, Andy, Andy. You made it to the Aussie finals in rather convincing fashion and you’ve lost your last two matches in an even more convincing fashion. A lot of pundits think you have a slam in you, but I’m not one of them. We’re putting our money on you making the quarters, none better. And if we’re thinking up an early upset special (without seeing the draws), you’d be the main ingredient. That Australian Open loss is still in your head and will take a while to work itself out.

David Ferrer: Two titles in 2011 already? Do not collect $200 on your way to the semifinals.

Tomas Berdych: He’s only had one good win on the year (d. Verdasco). We expect him to match his best IW performance — which was getting to the quarters last year.

Andy Roddick: He’s got finalist points to defend here from last year (and that match against Ljubicic was his to lose). So far Andy’s 12-2 on the year with losses only to Soderling and Wawrinka. He looked good in his win in Memphis (over Raonic) and his Indian Wells track record ain’t bad: semis 4 of the last 6 years here (and quarterfinals 6 out of 8 here). Depending on how the draw plays out, Roddick’s got a good chance to reach the semis but I think defending those finalist points will be a tall task.

Fernando Verdasco I let out a shriek of sadness when they dismantled FeVer’s CK billboard on Sunset Blvd. (but now we have Rafa’s Armani ad, so life is good!). With his best win of the year being over 49th-ranked Istomin, we’re putting Fernando to fall in the Round of 32.

Jurgen Melzer: We see him doing just as good as his seeding. And after based on this past weekend’s Davis Cup performance, maybe even earlier.

Nicolas Almagro:: Sadly, one can’t leverage great clay court performances for a hard court title. We’re putting down money for him to the get to the quarters. Maybe.

Juan Martin Del Potro: If any player can make some noise in this tournament it’s Delpo (taking the reins from another persistent IW troublemaker, David Nalbandian). He impressed us with his play (even in his losses) during this early spring swing on the American hard courts. One concern: fatigue; this’ll be his fifth tournament of the year. We’re picking him to upset Roger or Rafa — if the draw pans out.

Mardy Fish: If he’s healthy, we’re expecting him to go deep. Remember: he took out three top-ten players (Roger, Kolya, and Nalbandian) before pushing Nole to three sets at this tournament in 2008.

Sam Querrey and John Isner: We got nothin’. Hoping Isner can shake off those Capdeville nightmares before his first round match.

Alexandr Dolgopolov: Even with wins over Soderling and Tsonga in Melbourne, we’re wondering if Dolgopolov will adjust to the hard courts of Indian Wells after spending the last month on clay.

Milos Raonic: Ahh, that other young canadian making folks swoon south of the 49th. Let’s hope taking a week off (for good reason) doesn’t ruin your mojo coming in.

Kevin Anderson/Ivan Dodig/Tommy Robredo: We’re wondering how to read the tea leaves for these guys, each of whom have bagged titles in 2011. Anderson’s big-serving pony is getting boring. We’re already waiting for what Wayne Ferreira‘s offspring will do for South African tennis. This will be Dodig’s first time playing Indian Wells, so we’re watching. And we mention Tommy a bit for nostalgia’s sake. The top 20 just isn’t the same without his consistency; he always lives up to his seeding — never loses before he should and never wins matches he shouldn’t.

davis cup: feeling the heat in chile

by Benjamin Snyder

”The Rock” takes on clay: Jim Courier’s now in charge of the US Davis Cup team since Patrick McEnroe’s resignation late last year. While McEnroe did a great job in his decade at the top (including a title win in 2007), we’re looking forward to what Courier brings to the table. Aside from holding the top spot in the ATP rankings, Courier also helped his Davis Cup team to victory in 1992 and 1995. This could be key to getting the US guys winning again. That is, if they’re all still standing. (Get well, Sam!) Oh wells, at least we have Andy.

But save those sighs for his torso, my friends; Roddick’s mere presence doesn’t guarantee relief (nor a win). Since that ’07 title win, it’s been a rocky road for the US Davis Cup squad. While many reasons point to a Chilean shutout by the red, white, and blue in the first round — we’re the heavy favorites with a 4-0 head-to-head –, don’t be quick to discount the host team. Check out these reasons below:

First, the obvious. The match takes place in Chile and that means the play’s on clay. Sure, The Rock understands the stuff — he won two consecutive French Opens –, but the all-star team of Roddick, John Isner, and the Bryan brothers? Not so much.

Second, the pressure’s on. With the Americans favored to win, that underdog mentality could boost Chile onto the second round. Don’t get distracted by the numbers, boys. It shouldn’t matter that they have no one ranked inside the top 150, nor that Fernando Gonzalez is still recovering from his hip surgery. Eyes on the prize!

(By the way, USA Today’s Doug Robson tweeted today about running into Gonzo at the DC presser in Santiago, where the he shared that he plans on returning to the tour before Roland Garros.)

And third, we’ll share this snippet from Chilean captain Hans Gildemeister:”I think the pressure is on America, and I hope tomorrow they are going to feel the pressure on the court…The Americans need to beat us. They have the better rankings, they have a great team, and we are the underdog. I like that.”

And of course an intangible. The Chileans are rockin’ the tall, dark and handsome South American-style to the Americans, well, tall. The US need to step-up more than just their physical game to claim a holistic victory. They need to look good, too, if they want our vote. (Apparently, captain Courier is doing great setting the sartorial tone for the team; even the normally unfazed Roddick chimed in positively.)

So take these reasons with a grain of salt if you must, but it’s going to be a compelling match-up regardless. Bone up: See all the tie details here.

fashion focus: christophe lemaire s/s 2011

We can’t wait to see what former Lacoste designer Christophe Lemaire will present at his debut helming Hermés. As you may remember, he took over for Jean-Paul Gaultier last year. Lemaire’s Fall 2011 collection shows in Paris on March 6. (View: Photos will be available here. Bonus: All of Hermés past shows.)

Meanwhile, that pic above is of the spring/summer 2011 collection for Lemaire’s own label. Take a closer look.

(screengrab via christophelemaire.com)

do you know what’s in YOUR tennis ball?

‘Tis true: we’d never really thought about how the felt stays on those balls. Apparently, with gallons and gallons of glue.

Watch: See the video

short balls: bad blood — old and new

by Benjamin Snyder

When it rains… After a gay Sunday night spent feteing the Oscars — both at the Elton John AIDS Foundation viewing party and at the beautifully lit Vanity Fair party at the Sunset Tower hotel — Serena’s week has turned sour. The 13-time major champion, who’s been sidelined with a foot injury since last June (her last match was the 2010 Wimbledon final), will likely be out for at least six months because of a pulmonary embolism, as reported by People.com. Williams’ representative, Nicole Chabot: “Monday Serena Williams underwent emergency treatment at Cedars [-Sinai Medical Center, in Los Angeles] for a hematoma she suffered as a result of treatment for a more critical situation. Last week, Serena suffered from a pulmonary embolism [a blood clot in the lungs] which was discovered upon her return to L.A. She had been in New York for doctor appointments for the ongoing issues with her foot.”

If it’s any consolation, Serena, you looked fabulous on those red carpets. We want that brown clutch!

Tour breakdown: The clot raises a slew of questions for the form of the WTA tour, writes ESPN analyst Greg Garber. It looks like Serena’s feeling it, too, according to a recent tweet. We wish you a speedy recovery, Serena!

Well, not all are broken: On a lighter note, former top WTAer Dinara Safina got some buzz by actually winning a match. In her 6-2, 6-0 beatdown of China’s Han Xinyun at this week’s Malaysian Open, Dinara collected her first victory since September. The question is: can she capitalize on the confidence and knock out perennial darkhorse Lucie Safarova?

Presidential treatment: In the second installment of First Lady Michelle Obama‘s “Let’s Move” campaign, tennis is touted as a way to prevent and reduce the rates of obesity in American children. The clip also features the acting chops of Andre Agassi (as ball boy) and Steffi Graf (as Shimizo). Further reading: TSF’s Nick McCarvel writes it up for Straight Sets.

In case you’re not convinced… If you prefer that microsuede La-Z-Boy to DecoTurf, check out Top Spin 4, which drops on March 15 for Wii, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3. We’re getting our hands on a review copy and will tell you what we think. Until then, all we know is that it’s more of the same (hey, if it ain’t broke…). Coolest are the “bonus features”, aka additional trailers, developer diaries, and all that fun back-end stuff that warm our cockles, available here: topspinassets.com. (Bonus: one of the trailers.)

Who wears short shorts? In a night of exhibition woes and old rivalries renewed, John McEnroe was leading Ivan Lendl 6-3 in their first-to-eight set match at the BNP Paribas Showdown before retiring with an ankle injury. In retro style, he sported his trademark “circa 1985” short shorts, as he told Patrick McEnroe in an on-court interview after the match. Andre and Pete also played… a better showing than their Hit for Haiti exo, don’t you think?

(images via Getty Images; serena tweet screengrab from Twitter)