After David's titles at Madrid and Paris last year, hopes were high for this season. But by now, it's safe to say that he hasn't lived up to the expectations raised by those victories...
A brief review.
The year started with David having to withdraw from the Kooyong exhibition tournament, due to "back spasms" that occurred during a practice session.
At the Australian Open, he posted two relatively easy wins before losing to Juan Carlos Ferrero in the third round (1-6, 2-6, 3-6). It was the first in what was to become a series of utterly lacklustre perfomances this year. When asked about it afterwards, David replied that it was "no big deal".
After a one-match appearance (and an easy win over a lowly-ranked opponent) for the Argentine Davis Cup team's first round tie against Great Britain, David won his only title of the season at Buenos Aires. On the way to which he survived three extremely close three-set matches, during two of which he came back from one set down and won the second in a tiebreaker. - That was the moment I thought he might regain his Madrid/Paris momentum.
David next played Acapulco and again reached the final, but there he lost to Nicolas Almagro in straight sets (1-6, 6-7). But he still played some very good and convincing matches against clay courters like Horna and Starace. All of that despite saying he was tired and didn't feel well.
Then came Indian Wells, where he won two very tight and emotional matches (against Gulbis and Stepanek), before he took out Ferrero in what was certainly one of his best matches this year. In the quarter final however, he lost to Mardy Fish in a third set tiebreaker. But he was still playing well, I thought. He was still fighting.
About his first round loss to Xavier Malisse at Miami I can't really say anything because I wasn't abe to watch it. But given the fact that Malisse doesn't seem to have won basically any other match this year, it must have been a poor performance, indeed.
After that, David played in the Davis Cup quarter final against Sweden, winning both of his singles matches against Johansson and Söderling. I was fortunate enough to watch the end of the Söderling match, where David came back from a break down in the fifth set (which he eventually won 9-7). I have seen other matches where David came back from two sets down. But this was the only one this year where the odds were truly against him - but still he fought. And won.
The it was time for the clay court swing. At Monte Carlo, he played two fantastic matches before going down to Federer in three sets. After a magnificent first set, David had simply spent all of his energy and couldn't keep up with Federer anymore (score: 7-5, 2-6, 2-6). Back then, I thought he hadn't fully recovered from his Davis Cup duties.
Then Barcelona, where he lost to his nemesis Wawrinka in the second round and in straight sets. I can't tell how much of an effort he put in, because I didn't see it.
At Rome, he lost to Almagro again. This match I did see. Just as in Acapulco, David couldn't seem to handle Almagro's serve. But there were no signs of injuries, fatigue etc.
Roland Garros. What can I say. He had no problems with Berlocq in round 1. No long fight, not too much energy spent, one might suppose. But then came the match against Jeremy Chardy. Where after winning the first two sets fairly easily - David basically stopped playing. I think that was when the talk of his groin injury started. Still, I saw that match. And he didn't call the trainer. Nor did he show any outward signs of frustration, anger or disappointment. He basically just folded. Quietly.
After his usual stint at the Boodles Challenge, David then played Queen's Club for the first time in his career. There, he posted wins over Troicki, Mahut and Gasquet (as always), before he got annihilated by Djokovic in the semi. David held his first serve game, and then didn't win another game for the remainder of the match. Watching this one, I was (again) struck by the complete absence of any signs of emotions from David.
Wimbledon. I can only say that I preferred NOT to watch the match against Dancevic later on demand. I can only quote others saying that once again, he didn't seem to put up a fight.
After that, David took some time off to get treatment because of his injury. Reports on the progress he was making varied. One day, I read he was feeling better. The next, he was considering surgery and taking several months off. - Which didn't happen, in the end.
Beijing Olympics. Two wins and then the first Monfils debacle. This time, there was no talk afterwards of having been in pain or tired, David himself confirmed that there were no physical problems. He just played one bad match. A tactically bad match. And also one where I would've expected more emotions, considering the fact that he has always named an Olympic medal as one of his major goals.
And then finally the US Open...
I guess, what I find really disturbing is not only how poorly he has performed at the Slams this season (AO round 3, RG round 2, Wimby round 1, USO round 3). It's the way he lost many of the matches I've seen him lose this year. I always used to think that anything was possible with him, even when he was one or even two sets down. I always believed in his fighting spirit. And also in his intelligence on court. But there have been far too many matches this season that have put my faith to a serious test.
Speaking of serious tests - next up for David is the Davis Cup semifinal against Russia. Then it's time for the indoor swing. And if I think of the 1000 ranking points he has to defend at Madrid and Paris... I'm scared, frankly.
There's a thread about the same questions and problems on MTF:
What we do think of this year?
2 comments:
The impression that I got was that David was strained by the effort to keep fit. Around Indian Wells and Miami. Then I felt that he again let himself go and seemed to lose his fitness, perhaps in an effort to relax a little.
That's what I feel is at least part of David's problem. The effort to maintain the kind of athleticism that wins ATP Masters Series titles is not what David feels comfortable with. So he gets tense and wants high rewards in return for the effort. When those high rewards don't come - and a final or a quarterfinal seems like a poor return - then he loses confidence in his current strategy.
All in all, he seems like one very lost boy.
Great photo, BTW.
Well, he always seemed to have different phases in the course of a season. Not just in terms of how well he was playing, but also in terms of his fitness and "size".
With the Davis Cup semi now close at hand, I have to say that the match against Söderling in the quarter final tie really was the only one this year, where David showed his old determination. The very one that made even the most unlikely comebacks always a possibility with him.
Does he need the extra pressure of playing for his country? Does he enjoy himself more when he's part of a team? Is it about playing in front of a frenzied home crowd? (If so, it's an advantage he'll have again in the semi.)
I mean, he has always taken the Davis Cup very, very seriously. Always named winning it as one of the major goals in his career. And despite the recent troubles, I'm still convinced that he won't seem like a lost boy, going out to play at the Parque Roca. But why does it seem to take the Davis Cup for him to get into the "right mood" for playing?
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