Relishing a wide world of sport

The Art of Sport / London 2012 Olympic Games
This poster by British artist Rachel Whiteread
will be on display at the Tate Britain
 as part of the London 2012 festival.

It's a great time to be a sports fan.

Let's see: Between the European Championships in football, the French Open in tennis, the Stanley Cup in ice hockey and the NBA Finals in American professional basketball, there's something for every sports fan during this second week in June. Add to the mix, Major League Baseball with its inter-league play and pennant races starting to formulate, and there's just not enough hours in the day to watch everything.

* Thanks to the worldwide interest in the World Cup, America's interest in the European Championships of football has grown, too. ESPN is broadcasting all of the matches in this year's tournament which continues through July 1. It will be interesting to see if Spain can live up to its pre-tournament billing as the favorite to win the Euro 2012 championship  ~ and, to see the merger of Barcelona and Real Madrid players, despite their differences at the club level during La Liga, can provide a spark of inventiveness and create enough chances for La Furia Roja to bring home the trophy.

* History was made in Monday's French Open final as Rafa Nadal, the undisputed "King of Clay" won a record seventh Roland Garros singles title by defeating the world's No. 1 player, Novak Djokovic, in four grueling sets. En route to Lucky No. 7, Nadal surpassed the record of six that was first set by the legendary Bjorn Borg a generation ago. He began his incredible string of fortune by winning his first French Open title in 2005 and, except for losing in the 2009 final, he's won it every year since while compiling a remarkable record of 52-1 on the red clay at Roland Garros.

* On Monday night in Los Angeles, the Kings became king of ice hockey by skating to a 6-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils to win the NHL Stanley Cup for the first time in the franchise's 45-year history. It's always a thrill to see the players of the winning team kissing Lord Stanley's Cup and hoisting it above their heads as they skate around the rink in jubilation. It's an experience every hockey player wants to experience.

* Tonight, the NBA season reaches its tipping point as "The Finals" between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat begin. The best-of-seven series features two of pro basketball's biggest stars in Kevin Durant and LeBron James, neither whom have won a championship.

* With the weather heating up across America, expect the Major League Baseball pennant races to heat up, too. And, of course, there's the classic rivalries of baseball ~ Giants- Dodgers and Yankees-Red Sox come to mind ~ that make the Summer Game so enjoyable.

Lest we forget: The United States Open golf championship will be contested this week in San Francisco, and the Wimbledon Championships start in less than two weeks. Next month, it will be time for the London 2012 Olympics to romance us.

Indeed, it's a time for relishing a wide world of sport.

Roland Garros ~ Where the clay is red and the story lines are always a little unpredictable

Roland Garros 2012 poster art by Hérve Di Rosa /
 "Sensual mouthes and rebellious looks."

As world No. 1 Novak Djokovic began his quest on Monday to hold all four Grand Slam tennis titles at once by winning his first round match at the French Open ~ and Roger Federer and Andy Murray figure to advance deep into the second week of the Paris fortnight ~ Rafa Nadal entered this year's tournament as the defending champion and the favorite to make history on the red clay of Roland Garros.

Like Djokovic before him, the world No. 2 Nadal had no difficulty in defeating his first-round opponent, the 111th-ranked Simone Bolelli, on Tuesday afternoon on Philippe Chatrier Court, the main stadium at Roland Garros.

Each year in late spring, the French Open in Paris serves as a grading period ~ a report card ~ for tennis. It's the second of the year's four Grand Slam events ~ the others are the Australian Open in January, Wimbledon in June and the U.S. Open in August ~ and all the big names of tennis come to the famed Roland Garros to complete for the Coupe des Mousquetaires, or the Cup of the Musketeers.

With a 128-player singles draw for both men and women, there are plenty of interesting story lines among the top men's players emerging after just three days. Here's a few worth pointing out:

* Nadal is going after his seventh French Open singles title, which would surpass the record of six first set by the famed Bjorn Borg. The Spaniard won at Roland Garros in 2011 and is the pre-tournament pick to win it all, again. He is the undisputed "King of Clay".

* Djokovic is aiming to hold all four Grand Slam tennis titles at once. He has won the last three Grand Slams ~ Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open. A year ago, Djokovic reached the semifinals of the French Open before losing to world No. 3 Roger Federer en route to surpassing Nadal as the world's top-ranked player.

* As for Federer, he remains a very viable competitor and still possesses the talent and ability to win Grand Slams. With 16 career Grand Slams, including one French Open crown (2009), Federer would have to beat Djokovic in a potential semifinal match-up in order to meet Nadal in a dream championship final.

* Meanwhile, No. 4 Andy Murray has a new coach this year in three-time former French Open champion Ivan Lendl, who beat John McEnroe in an epic, five-set final at Roland Garros in 1984. If anyone can, perhaps Lendl can finally bring out Murray's potential and push him to loftier heights.

On the women's side of the French Open, in Tuesday's fading twilight that fell on Philippe Chatrier Court, unheralded Virginie Razzano of France, ranked 115th in the world, stunned perennial (13-time) Grand Slam champion and world No. 5 Serena Williams in a three-hour, three-set thriller that was anything but a routine first-round match ~ and it knocked the American out in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in her professional career after winning 46 consecutive first-round Grand Slam matches. The Tennis Channel commentators, broadcasting the match back to the U.S., called the dramatic and emotional loss by Williams a "monumental" and "stunning" defeat.

In a Grand Slam event that few Americans ~ men or women ~ ever fare well in, the early farewell by Williams, who was the last American to win a French Open title in 2002 and was thought of as a "sure thing" entering this year's Roland Garros with a 17-0 record on clay this spring, took everyone by surprise. Including Razzano, who said in a post-match interview while still on court that she just simply wanted to win the match. The last game of the match, alone, lasted a quarter of an hour. "Yes, I think there were some angels watching me up above. I'm going to enjoy this for a long time."

Finally, here's a feel-good story that involves a player little known outside of his native north African country of Tunisia. His name is Malek Jaziri and he's the 94th-ranked singles player in the world. He may not be a house-hold name to most, but he's got a Facebook page devoted to him created by fans from his home country.

Jaziri, 28, hails from Bizerte, Tunisia, and he's a first-time qualifier for the French Open. On Monday, he won his first round match against Philipp Petzschner of Germany on an outer court.

Meeting the media after his victory, Jaziri said that he's been an avid viewer of the French Open for many years and has been to Roland Garros before as a hitting partner for others. "It's a tradition back home in Tunisia. We all watch Roland Garros," said Jaziri. "Everyone in north Africa knows the tournament. I've dreamt about playing here since I was a kid. It's a dream come true. What's even better is that I didn't have to go through the qualification round like I did in the U.S. Open (last year), but went straight to the main draw."

Jaziri is the top-ranked player in Tunisia and the fourth-ranked player in north Africa. As long as he stays ranked in the top 100, he should be able to gain main draw status in Grand Slam tournaments. He said his goal is to be able to some day play Roger Federer. Next up for him in this year's French Open is a second-round match against Spaniard Marcel Granollers, ranked 23rd in the world, on Thursday. It will likely be assigned to one of the outer courts away from the big crowds filling up Philippe Chatrier Court and Suzanne Lenglen Court, the two largest show courts at Roland Garros.

"I'd love to play one of the greats like Federer," said Jaziri, who could only meet Federer at Roland Garros if both reach the final.  Give Jaziri credit. He's full of heart and he's got lofty goals.

"That's why I play tennis," he said. "To play on the big courts with the legends."

Image of 2012 Roland Garros poster art by French artist Hérve Di Rosa, courtesy of Galerie Lalong FFT 2012.

A splendor in the Wimbledon grass

Novak Djokovic / He's the new No. 1 men's player in the world.

Sunday's Wimbledon gentlemen's singles final between Novak Djokovic and defending champion Rafael Nadal brought out many great qualities in both players. It also served as a reminder to us why tennis truly is a global sport. 


This year's final was watched with the same eager anticipation and interest by my Facebook friends around the world: in Serbia and Spain, the native countries of Djokovic and Nadal; in Austria, Morocco, Tunisia, Thailand, the Philippines, even here in the U.S., where interest often wanes when there isn't an American competing on the final Sunday. 


There are not many sports or sporting events ~ except maybe international football's World Cup ~ that draw such a diverse audience, regardless of the time of day we watch it in our respective countries. For me, residing in northern California, watching Wimbledon live meant waking up early at 6 a.m. Yet, that is why it's billed by broadcast network NBC as "Breakfast at Wimbledon" here in the U.S. 


Looking back, it doesn't always matter who wins or loses, but how the game is played. And, Djokovic, who knew prior to the final that he would be the newly-ranked No. 1 player in the world as of Monday replacing Nadal, showed great all-court skill in all facets of his game ~ serving, volleying, ground strokes, returns ~ and, he proved to everyone why he is worthy of his No. 1 ranking. 


This year, Djokovic has won titles on hard courts, clay and, now, grass. He started 2011 by winning the Australian Open in Melbourne in February, then won tournaments in Dubai, Indian Wells, Key Biscayne, Belgrade, Madrid and Rome. He won an amazing 43 consecutive matches dating back the 2010 Davis Cup final tie in December before losing to Roger Federer in the French Open semifinals last month. As for Nadal, 25, himself a two-time Wimbledon champion, he showed why he is the eternal optimist. El Matador, as he's known by many of his most passionate fans, never gave up when he was behind. He battled his way back into the match from down two sets to win the third set ~ and, Nadal nearly forced the championship match to a fifth and deciding set. 


In the end, Djokovic won 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3. It was the affable 24-year-old Serbian, who enjoyed the Bjorn Borg splendor in the grass moment as he joyfully collapsed to the grass before Borg and other past champions in celebrating his victory on Centre Court.


In tennis, the best are known simply by their first names: Bjorn, Martina, Roger, Serena. Or, in the case of this year's final, their nicknames. On Sunday, good sportsmanship prevailed on the battle-tested Centre Court between Nole and Rafa. When the match ended, Djokovic embraced victory by planting a firm kiss on the grass. He had become a first-time Wimbledon champion and, thus, fulfilled a childhood dream. He would return home the next day to a hero's welcome in Belgrade before hundreds of thousands of fans and fellow Serbians. Meanwhile, Nadal and his fans could take solace in knowing that for Djokovic to become the best, he had to beat the best in Nadal.


Tennis was the winner on Sunday and throughout the fortnight at Wimbledon. Now, a great rivalry has been firmly seeded in the green grass of London SW19 for many years to come.


Image of Novak Djokovic courtesy of TennisChannel, 2011.

Rafa Nadal: Fighting for every point

Rafael Nadal / The King of Clay

Rafael Nadal has a Curriculum Vitae that is the envy of young adults.  In an age where most 25 year-olds are still trying to find their place in the world, Nadal woke up on his 25th birthday Friday ready to go to the office.

Not just any office mind you. Nadal's office was on the terre battue of Roland Garros in Paris, where he has won five French Open singles championships. He probably had his C.V. zipped up with his Babolat tennis racquets.

While it might have been easy enough for Nadal to call in sick on his birthday, take the day off and go out sight-seeing around the City of Lights with his family, the undisputed King of Clay, as he is nicknamed, put on his kit, grabbed the tools of his craft and went to work under the watchful eye of his Uncle Toni, his coach.

Or was it play?

In front of an enthusiastic crowd of 15,000 tennis spectators in Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros ~ plus a world-wide television audience numbering in the millions ~ this elite-level Spaniard from Mallorca, who is easily identifiable simply as Rafa, painstakingly plied the genius of his craft. He won his semifinal match over Britain's Andy Murray 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to advance to the final of the 2011 French Open, where he will try to tie Bjorn Borg's record of six French Open titles.  Borg has become an ally of Nadal and is expected to be in a court side box cheering for Nadal to tie his record.

A few hours after he left the stadium court victorious, Nadal found out the identity of his next opponent for Sunday's championship match ~ and, it would be a familiar foe. Namely, Roger Federer, who broke the 43-match winning streak (41 matches to start the 2011 season) of Novak Djokovic in four sets as darkness began to set in over Paris late Friday evening.

Over the course of this French fortnight, Nadal overcame a dismal start ~ he needed five difficult sets to advance over the American John Isner in the first round ~ and his other first-week wins left him feeling in a state of resignation.  Plus, he came into the French Open having lost four consecutive finals this year to Djokovic, including two on clay, his best surface.

Had Rafa become obsessed by his defeats to Djokovic? Many of his most loyal Facebook fans recognized something was troubling Nadal, whose confidence seemed shattered.

Nadal's press conferences at Roland Garros became a kind of daily confessional.  He wasn't happy with the way he had been playing and he acknowledged that it was a matter of time before Djokovic, currently ranked No. 2 in the world, would move up to No. 1 and replace Nadal at the top. (Had Djokovic beaten Federer on Friday night, he would have surpassed Nadal in the rankings. If Federer beats Nadal in the final, Djokovic will climb to No. 1 when the new rankings are released on Monday.)

Then, a funny thing happened on the way to the final: Nadal regained his confidence and his ability as the second week of the French Open developed. The Matador, as he's been nicknamed, put together a string of impressive victories ~ including a straight-set win over Robin Soderling in the quarterfinals ~ to carry him into his semifinal against Murray. Now, with six consecutive victories at this year's Roland Garros, Nadal will go after another French Open title on Sunday afternoon against Federer, 29, who is the career leader with 16 Grand Slam titles.

Nadal and Federer share a bit of history at Roland Garros, where Nadal has never lost to Federer in three previous French Open finals (2006, 2007, 2008) and also beat Federer in a 2005 semifinal en route to winning his first French Open title. Nadal owns an impressive 44-1 career record at Roland Garros, a statistic that hasn't gone unnoticed by Federer.

"It always seems to me that Rafa needs to be in a French Open final to make it special, and I got the match I guess I was hoping for," said Federer, who won the 2009 French Open when he beat Soderling in the final, as quoted in Sunday's edition of the New York Times. "After beating Novak, in a way it's a nice gift that I get the chance, and I am looking forward to it."

I am intrigued by what it is that endures Nadal to so many of his most loyal fans, who adore him and daily post "Vamos Rafa" and pictures of their idol on Facebook profile pages across many continents and on tennis forums with much aplomb. And, it's nice to read what tennis critics have to say about the nine-time Grand Slam champion, too.

"Lately with him, it's been like being on a roller coaster ride," said John McEnroe, a tennis legend himself who is an analyst at Roland Garros for American television audiences. "Make no mistake, though, he fights for every single point."

Indeed, Rafa's fan base is tremendous.  As of Friday, there were more than 6.8 million fans of his official Facebook page.

One Facebook admirer of Rafa's penned a birthday ode to him that began:

Happy Birthday, my sparkling Rafa!
You're everything to me!
You're the god of beauty!
You're the god of tennis!

Pretty serious stuff, yet very poetic ~ and, most importantly, very sincere.

Sincerity has always been a trait that endures Rafa to his fans. After his win against Murray, Nadal downplayed Borg's record, saying: "I don't think about that. A lot of respect for the great Bjorn, but I ... focus on (trying) to play well. For me, it is much more important to win at Roland Garros than equal Bjorn."

So, we have arrived to Sunday's epic final, another classic in the Nadal-Federer rivalry. The two have met 24 times overall and Rafa holds a 16-8 advantage.

By now, at least on Facebook, everyone is on a first-name basis for the biggest stars of men's professional tennis. Nole, as Djokovic is known by his nickname, has been eliminated. And what had been, in the words of American tennis analyst Mary Carillo, a "trivalry" has been reduced simply to Rafa and Roger, following in the tradition of other great tennis rivalries like Borg and McEnroe, McEnroe and Jimmy Connors, and Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.

As the San Francisco Chronicle's Bruce Jenkins noted for readers of his Saturday 3-Dot column about the Rafa-Roger final: "Just like old times ~ and as contemporary as it gets."

And, win or lose, Rafa will be out there on Sunday fighting for every point. He wouldn't have it any other way.

A postscript: Sunday evening, Rafa Nadal defeated Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1 to win his sixth French Open title.

Rafael Nadal image courtesy of Tennis Channel (c. 2011).

Djokovic: Nole's got the fever

Novak Djokovic / He's got the whole world in his hands.

Novak Djokovic is arguably the hottest athlete on the planet. Not just in professional tennis, mind you, but in the whole world.

Yes, the whole world.

Djokovic is perfect in 2011. He's won 39 consecutive tennis matches this year, including his first two matches at the French Open this week. Djokovic has won one Grand Slam this season ~ the Australian Open in January ~ and he has already amassed titles in Dubai, Indian Wells (Calif., USA), Miami, Belgrade, Madrid and Rome. At Roland Garros, Djokovic is seeded second behind five-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal.

Nicknamed Nole, the just-turned 24 year-old Serbian native has grown and matured as a player. Recently, he made headlines for revealing a new, gluten-free diet that has made him appear more fit and trim while also improving his endurance on the court.  Djokovic's world ranking has improved since the start of the year, from No. 3 to No. 2, and his sights are clearly set on becoming the new No. 1.  That's a position currently held by Nadal, whom Djokovic has beaten twice on clay in finals at Madrid and Rome  ~ Nadal's best surface.

Singing and swinging / Could Novak Djokovic be the next No. 1?

Based on his current performance, I like Nole's chances of becoming the next No. 1. Others like his chances, too.

American tennis commentator Mary Carillo, who is covering the French Open for Tennis Channel and NBC Sports, has nothing but high praise for Djokovic.  Recently, she told the San Francisco Chronicle's Bruce Jenkins: "Now you look at him and he's the strongest and fittest guy out there.  I'm also trying to think what anyone is doing better on the court.  Djokovic has the best forehand on tour right now, and the best backhand." About the winning streak, which includes winning his final two matches in 2010 (for a total of 41 consecutive victories, Carillo labels it: "A remarkable streak."

Djokovic is chasing after the Open Era (from 1968-present) record of 42-0 to start a season set by American John McEnroe in 1984.  Coincidentally, McEnroe is at Roland Garros as a tennis commentator for both Tennis Channel and NBC Sports. He spoke about Djokovic and the streak during an interview with Carillo that was broadcast Wednesday on Tennis Channel.

"(Djokovic) has it a lot tougher than I did," said McEnroe, whose 1984 winning streak was stopped in the French Open final by Ivan Lendl. "He had to win a major his first tournament of the year. Back in my day, the Australian Open was played at the end of the year in December.  We can all talk about the depth in the game being better now. The fields are tougher. What Djokovic has done is more phenomenal."

McEnroe continued: "The one thing he's had going for him, I suppose, is that the expectation wasn't as high.  Let's be honest. We still thought Nadal and Federer were the favorites going in (to the Australian Open). We were wondering about Djokovic.  Why is this guy stuck at No. 3 in the world, and wondering, if that was what his lot in life was going to be?  Is he ever going to be able to step it up and beat these guys?"

At the French Open  / Nole tries for his second Grand Slam of 2011.

Instead, Djokovic put together an impressive two-week run in Melbourne, and hasn't looked back.  During the winning streak, he's 4-0 against Nadal and 3-0 against former No. 1 Roger Federer, who is in the same half of the singles draw as Djokovic at Roland Garros.

"I got to hand it to him. (The streak) has been a great shot in the arm for tennis," said McEnroe.  It's a bummer for me, but records were made to be broken. So, I like that. It's great for the sport, it's unbelievable. It's incredible what he's been able to accomplish."

Is there a moment maybe Djokovic, who is a beloved national hero on and off the court in Serbia, wanted to lose to take off the pressure from winning? Carillo asked McEnroe.

McEnroe was candid in his response. "I think there was a moment. In Madrid, he beat Nadal for the first time on clay. When he went to Rome and made the semis, he was still playing good tennis.  Then, he faced Andy Murray, and Murray nearly had him there."

Djokovic held off a third-set rally by Murray, where he trailed 4-5 and faced match point.  He reversed his misfortune and came back to beat his British rival 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (2) to set up his fourth final of the year against Nadal.  In the final, Djokovic was dominant in beating Nadal 6-4, 6-4.

"I think there, maybe (Novak's) thinking to himself: 'Maybe it would be good to lose that one, take some pressure off myself.'  But, then he showed character. At the end of the day, the competitor in him said: 'The hell with this.' He took some pressure off and he (beat Murray) in the semifinals. Then, he beat Nadal, again (in the final)."

The streak /  "The run I've had is definitely something I didn't expect."

So, what does Djokovic think about his newly found success that has elevated him to becoming a co-favorite along with Nadal to win the French Open?  He revealed his thoughts during an interview with ESPN's Chris Fowler that aired Sunday during the opening day of this year's tournament at Roland Garros.

"The run I've had is definitely something I didn't expect to go this far," said Djokovic, who has won 25 career titles and led Serbia to the 2010 Davis Cup championship. "If someone told me I would go without any losses to the French Open, it would be hard to believe."

Djokovic will be tested throughout his remaining matches at Roland Garros starting Friday, when he faces former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro, seeded No. 25, in the third round.  If he succeeds against Del Potro ~ and the seeds hold true through the rest of the tournament ~ his remaining opponents could include: No. 13 seed Richard Gasquet (Round of 16); No 12 Mikhail Youzhny (quarterfinals); No. 3 Federer (semifinals); and ultimately, top-seeded Nadal in the final.

"I think the hard work I've put in during the last year and the experience is starting to pay off," said Djokovic. "And my confidence on the court, I think confidence is obviously a very important part of your game.  You can get confident, but it's easy to lose. It's very important to be focused. I've been trying to work on my consistency.  I am a more mature player."

While it may be impossible for Djokovic's streak to go on forever, there's no arguing that Nole is doing some truly amazing things on the tennis court ~ and, in doing so, every match he's gaining new fans around the world.

All images courtesy of Tennis Channel, c. 2011.

A love of American team sports: At what price?

The rest of the sporting world is catching up to America.

In his weekly sports commentary this morning on National Public Radio, commentator Frank Deford opined about how America's love of team sports comes at a price.

I have a deep admiration for Deford, an author and writer whose reporting and commentary includes: senior contributing writer for Sports Illustrated, commentator for NPR and correspondent for HBO's monthly sports magazine 'Real Sports'. Today, Deford said: "I've always thought that one of the best things about American sport is that we aren't dominated by one team game, as so much of the rest of the world is soccer-centric. That's why we can have our own American dream.  The dream of most other countries is simply to have their national soccer team do well." (Note to my friends around the world: What you call football, in the U.S. we call it soccer.)

Deford is absolutely right.  In America, we've always focused our devotion to team sports ~ baseball, American-style football, basketball and ice hockey come to mind ~ and we've turned college sports into a big multi-million-dollar business. Can high school sports be fare behind?

Looking up at No. 1 /
Vamos Rafa!

Meanwhile, I have found through many friendships I've made on Facebook that in other nations, their sports affection and devotion are monogamous.  For instance, my friends either root for Rafa Nadal or Novak Djokovic, but not for both. It's either "Vamos Rafa" or "Ajdee Nole". Switzerland's Roger Federer, like his native country, is a neutral presence. And, on the football pitch, the line is clearly drawn between fans rooting for either Real Madrid or Barcelona. For Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. You see, there's no waffling among my international friends when it comes to showing one's rooting interest.  It is pinned to their heart or worn on their sleeve for everyone to see ~ and I've grown to appreciate this.

Here in the U.S., Deford refers to American sports fans as "serial team fans". What this means is simple: You're either for the Yankees or the Mets if you live in New York, but dare not root for both. And, if you live in Chicago, you're either a Cubs fan ~ especially if you live on the North Side ~ or a White Sox fan if you're from the South Side. But you can't be a true Chicago baseball fan and root for both teams.

In a topsy turvy week that began with deadly tornadoes whipping through Alabama and beyond in the U.S., then continued with the splendid Will and Kate's Royal Wedding in London, and, finally, concluded Sunday night with President Obama announcing to the nation and the world the killing of Osama bin Laden, the U.S. has shown it has become less of a power in individual sports like tennis.

From the hard courts of Melbourne and Flushing Meadows to the red clay of Roland Garros to the pristine grass of Wimbledon, all of the reigning Grand Slam champions, except for Serena Williams at Wimbledon, are foreigners.  Sure, the Williams sisters have mostly been injured on and off for the past year. But, even if they were healthy, who's to say the outcome of any of the Grand Slam tournaments would have been any different? Still, it's a far cry from the days when John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Chris Evert were part of a dominating American presence in the Grand Slams.

Roger Federer/
In search of his 17th
Grand Slam singles title.

Now that the tennis calendar has shifted to the European clay court season in the lead up to this month's French Open, the focus is clearly on rest of the world.  The top four men's seeds at this week's Mutua Madrid Open ~ Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray ~ are from Spain, Serbia, Switzerland and Great Britain, respectively. After the first day of competition, all of the Americans except one had lost.  The lone exception, John Isner, had to defeat another American, Mardy Fish, to advance to the second round.   And, it was yet another clay-court disappointment for America's best player, Andy Roddick. The red clay that is a universal playing surface for much of the rest of the world, is still so very foreign to the American players.  It seems they can't wait to get to Wimbledon so they can play on grass, or to return home to America for the summer hard-court season leading up to the U.S. Open in August.

Yes, it is painfully obvious that the rest of the world has caught up with America in sports as it has in many other respects. And, as Deford concluded his commentary this morning, he said: "The cliche is that there's no 'I' in team. But more and more, when it comes to tennis and golf, there's no 'U.S' in world champion."

I couldn't agree more.