January 23, 2011
21st-Century Edition of Sampras Arrives
By Tim Joyce
Though he was seeded 12th in the 1990 U.S. Open, Pete Sampras came seemingly out of nowhere when he toppled Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe and his past and future sparring partner, Andre Agassi, to win the first of his 14 Grand Slam titles. The way Sampras played that fortnight is still talked about as the beginning of a new age in tennis, for here was a man who merged the classic serve-and-volley game of the 1950s and '60s with the extraordinary power that has defined the game since.
Routinely hitting serves above 120 m.p.h., which is now considered average for the top male players, and then backing up those deliveries with fluid groundstrokes, precise volleys, picture-perfect court movement and a relaxed temperament, Sampras was as complete a package as had been witnessed in the modern era. Sampras, who had been ignored by even astute observers at the time as that Agassi kid was getting all the attention, changed the sport seemingly overnight.
And though it would take him another 2 1/2 years to fully realize his brilliant potential, a star had been born.
This is decidedly the opposite of what usually happens. Most often there's little surprise as to the identity of who the next great player will be. Take the top two men in the world today, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Both have been highly touted since their late teens, and many expected them to reach No. 1 in the world.
Those ranked just below Nadal and Federer --- Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro --- had been living with the hype surrounding their expectation for some time before they were ranked in the top 10.
Sometimes I wonder whether any surprises remain when it comes to projecting future stars. The prediction and prognostication game is such an embedded part of the sports culture that it seems like everyone is trying to come up with that unusual or crazy prediction, just to let it be known that they have made this incredible forecast. It's a lazy and uninteresting practice, as it is pure conjecture.
There are still draft picks in football (Tom Brady was selected as the 199th player) and surprise teams in baseball (the Giants last season) who will defy the odds. But in individual sports, with far fewer variables such as the luck of being with a certain team, there's a higher degree of probability of predicting which player will fare the best in future years.
Back to Sampras. Since his stunning introduction to tennis fans, no player's arrival has been as sudden or as awe-inspiring. But after Saturday at the Australian Open, this notion may be challenged, as one Milos Raonic has made a believer of me that he is undoubtedly the future of men's tennis.
The 6-foot-5 Raonic was born in Montenegro, continuing the extraordinary trend of players from the Baltics the last two decades. He moved to Canada when he was 3 and now trains in Spain. And he has been the story of the Australian Open on the men's side thus far.
Ranked 152nd in the world, the lanky Raonic has defeated two established seeds in Michael Llodra and Mikhail Youzhny and will be facing seventh-seeded David Ferrer on Sunday night (Monday, Australia time). If Raonic beats Ferrer, Nadal likely will await in the quarterfinals.
It's not just that the 20-year-old Raonic has produced a couple of impressive victories. It is his execution that is gripping viewing. His level of play is simply Sampras-like.
"I videotaped all of his tennis matches," Raonic said last year when speaking of Sampras.
There's no question that Raonic has been a fast study. The body language --- a taller, even more stoop-shouldered version --- and service motion are eerily reminiscent of Sampras. Though he doesn't look especially fleet of foot, Raonic has superb court coverage and moves toward the net with ease. And then there's the power of his serve. Frighteningly effective power.
Of course, many players can hit serves approaching 140 m.p.h. But there's a laserlike quality combined with precision placement on his deliveries that gives Raonic's serves that extra level of intimidation. You just know it when you see it.
Sampras is used to being compared with Federer, the Swiss master accumulating Slam trophies at an alarming pace and outdistancing Sampras. And Federer is the most complete, all-court player since Sampras.
But the likeness in their games has always been exaggerated. Sampras could win entire tournaments with just his serve. While Federer's serve is superb, it doesn't come close to Sampras'. Where Sampras would hit aces or move in to the net behind nearly every first serve at the height of his career, Federer's serve sets up the point. He lacks the aggression Sampras had --- and to be fair, Federer can do things on the court that Sampras never could, such as play consistently well on clay.
There's no way of knowing how far Raonic will take his talent. He may very well lose to Ferrer, a tenacious baseliner who frustrates every opponent. But it would be more than a mild shock if Raonic isn't in the conversation about the world's best players within two years.
I wonder if Sampras, at home with his children in California, has been watching any of the prime-time action from Down Under. If he has caught a few glimpses of Raonic, the similarities would jump off the screen, and he'd likely say to his kids that this guy from north of the border kind of serves a lot like Daddy did.
February 8, 2011
Milos Raonic Blog
SAN JOSE, CA, USA --- Canadian rising star Milos Raonic fired 20 aces to win his first round match against No.4 seed Xavier Malisse on Tuesday, 63 64. Shortly after, he made his second instalment in his SAP Open blog...
Hello again everyone,
I just came from my match. It was a good win today. Xavier has been playing well this year, but I have been, too. I had to stay on top of my serve and when I got opportunities on his serve, I utilized them. That really helped. The court suits me well --- I grew up indoors, so it's nothing new to me.
I had some 146 mph serves today, just nine short! Actually 10 short... I need to get 156 for the record...
I got to meet Pete Sampras yesterday. It was really amazing. It's two different things, growing up watching so much of one guy, then meeting the person behind the game. He was really nice. He gave me some well-thought out tips. For me, it was an unbelievable experience, especially when you're coming up and getting to the point where you meet your idols. It means a lot.
Speaking of players you grow up watching, my next match is against James Blake. It's nice playing these guys you used to watch. I think I'll have an advantage --- I'll know him more than he'll know me! So I'll use that as much as I can. I know he'll go for his shots. I'll just take care of my serve and hopefully I'll get a few chances on the return. I look forward to it.
I had steak last night at Morton's --- really good steak. I highly recommend it!
Talk to you all again tomorrow,
Milos