Hit for Haiti, Indian Wells

Friday night, eight of the greatest tennis players of all time joined forces to raise money for a great cause. Unfortunately the more than $1,000,000 they helped to raise hasn’t been the prevailing theme since the match ended, all anyone wants to talk about is the dynamic between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.

There is no denying things got awkward when the barbs got a little too personal, but I would be remiss if I didn’t try to point out how tough it is to entertain 16,000 people in the stadium and millions on TV in a spontaneous manner and play quality tennis at the same time.

Andre Agassi is the greatest entertainer and most philanthropic tennis player the sport has ever seen. Pete Sampras is a class act and one of the all-time legends of the sport. They both gave up their valuable time for free to help raise money for the devastated country of Haiti. That should be the overwhelming theme.

It should also be acknowledged that for the first 7 games, Andre was as charming and funny as any act that sells out in Vegas, pure entertainment gold. However, Andre went too far pounding home the tipping/generosity comment and then Pete responded with a brush back serve that zoomed by Andre’s head.

Now, if there is anyone in the history of tennis that I would feel confident serving at MY BIG HEAD with the intent to shock but not hit, it would be Pete, who notoriously can put his serve on a dime. Regardless, at that point the tension was high, the mood was awkward and the rest of the match was played under a cloud of hostility.

These two guys have been competing against each other for decades and with that comes the normal baggage, especially when they have such contrasting personalities. A couple of uncomfortable games shouldn’t mar that, and I guarantee you it won’t with them.

Since the match ended and the necessary cooling off period ensued, the appropriate overtures and acknowledgements have been made. Any illusion to any type of significant rift is misleading and irresponsible. Furthermore, any rumors of lockerroom conflict or post-match arguing are ridiculous, it simply did not happen. All of the players involved said their good byes then went their separate ways with their families and guests when the night was over.

Tennis has benefited so much from Pete and Andre, perhaps we can give these guys a mulligan for a few minutes that we all wish didn’t happen.

~ Justin

Roger Federer

It is a significant challenge to find worthy superlatives for Roger Federer’s never ending litany of accomplishments.

Roger started off 2010 with his 16th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Amazingly, after dominating the sport for most of the past 6 years, he has raised the bar once again for his peers.

One of the most astonishing revelations while watching him as often as I have the privilege of doing, is how he manages so many equal and opposite forces simultaneously. He is so powerful and dynamic while being incredibly graceful and poised. Federer also has a deft respect and appreciation of the sport, and continues to work to not only maintain his skills but also improve them. No one in professional tennis, and possibly all of sports, does a better job of managing their schedules than Federer, peaking at the most important times while still balancing the responsibilities of being a worldwide sporting icon with a healthy family life.

This week Roger has been in Ethiopia with the Roger Federer Foundation working to better the lives of children through health and education. In an era where so many of our heroes seem to find new ways to disappoint their fan base, Federer stands out as a genuine role model for the way he carries himself on and off the sporting field.

The 2010 tennis season will pose some interesting challenges for Federer as players continue to improve. Andy Murray learned some valuable lessons in his Australian Open final loss, mainly that he will need to continue to add offensive skills to his superb defensive capabilities. Marin Cilic has gotten off to a hot start this year winning titles in Chennai and Zagreb while reaching his 1st Grand Slam semi-final. Robin Soderling has huge weapons and continues to gain belief at the highest level with a win at the ATP WORLD TOUR 500 event in Rotterdam last week. Del Potro and Nadal have experienced some injury woes early in the season, but as they heal they will certainly be in the mix. I fully expect Nadal to rebound as soon as he feels the slippery red clay underneath his feet and Del Potro is a threat on every surface with an ability to hurt his opponents with every swing of the racket.

The reality is at some point the Federer dynasty will end, but the good news for everyone, except his opponents, is that time is nowhere close.

~ Justin