The 2013 season may be winding down but there’s still been a wealth of action happening on and off the court to keep tennis enthusiasts engrossed.
Here, Sport360°'s Reem Abulleil picks out the biggest talking points from the past seven days, and there are some big ones.
Malek Jaziri
There’s much to be said about the fiasco created by the Tunisian Tennis Federation and their Ministry of Youth and Sport in ordering Jaziri to miss his match against Israel’s Amir Weintraub, but here are a few points that must be noted:
• No federation should be allowed to dictate who a player does or does not face on court. It’s understandable that a federation can make some demands of a player if they help finance his career, but those demands should not extend beyond commitment to Davis Cup and similar events.
• Besides the pressure from the federation, Jaziri was also under a lot of pressure from scores of Tunisians, who trolled his Facebook page the second they found out he might play an Israeli.
Considering he and his family live in Tunisia – a country that until this day remains unstable and unsafe after the revolution – it is not easy to ignore such angry hate comments bearing in mind that his own safety along with his family’s could be jeopardised.
So while sport and politics theoretically should not mix, the public domain often forces the issue upon you whether you seek it or not. Jaziri caving to his federation’s demands was probably more about the consequences he would face back home than about anything else.
• Although Jaziri may potentially face sanctions due to the incident, at least the issue is being addressed to avoid a repeat scenario, because guess what? Both Jaziri and Israel’s Dudi Sela are in the draw in the Kazan Challenger next week. What happens now?
Novak Djokovic
It’s official! Asia and the South Pacific are to Novak Djokovic what Roland Garros and Monte Carlo are to Rafael Nadal. The Serb is now 54-1 in Asia and Australia over the past three years, with the only defeat coming in the Dubai semi-finals to Andy Murray last year.
It’s incredible how Djokovic is so dominant in the Asian swing – his winning streak in China is now up to 20 – especially that most players are either mentally or physically spent this late in the season. Another noteworthy stat: Djokovic won 18 of 19 net points against Juan Martin del Potro in the Shanghai final. Not bad for someone who is supposedly a perennial baseliner.
Juan Martin del Potro
This is the first time I’ve heard del Potro willing to compare his form to 2009, when he won the US Open. He has been dodging that question for the past three years but when he confidently admits that he’s playing better than 2009, we should take it as a sign that perhaps he’s ready to threaten the top guys again at the majors.
I would be particularly looking forward to seeing the Argentine in Australia but for some reason, del Potro usually peaks in the final quarter of the season rather than the start of it. Here’s hoping he bucks this trend.
Roger Federer
Following a season of numerous question marks and bizarre defeats, Federer announced he has parted ways with Paul Annacone which many see as a sign the Swiss wants to shake things up to get back on track.
I for one don’t think Annacone had anything to with Federer’s dip in form. The 32-year-old had a bad back most of the season, age is catching up on him which means his ability to recover from tough matches has diminished, and his main rivals are all getting better.
If anything, it’s Annacone who got Federer back on track to begin with. I’m not sure ending their coaching relationship is a good thing.
Sam Stosur
The Aussie ace’s win in Osaka was the first time she’s managed to win a second title in a single season and the first time she’s won the same trophy twice. But that’s not surprising considering Stosur has only won a total of five titles in her 15-year career.
What’s surprising is that one of those five is a Grand Slam. Stosur will always be an anomaly, and it’s time we just embraced it rather than searched for explanations behind her rollercoaster of a career.
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