Intro to Tennis, Indie Rock Edition

Tennis is the one and only sport that I like—and as you might imagine, when I like something I really like it. The bummer though is that I really only know two or three people who like the sport. And when it comes to the blog/facebook/tumblr/twitter-verse, all my proclamations and exclamations about tennis may as well be shouted into the void. So in an attempt to convince you, my indie rock obsessed readers, that tennis can be as epic, elegant, and engrossing as anything a band from Brooklyn can do, I wanted to speak to you in your language. As we head into the second week of the Australian Open, I want to introduce you to each of the players on the men's side and explain the matchups as you would understand them: as a battle of the bands. Once you're through this post you'll know exactly who to root for the rest of the week.

1. ROGER FEDERER [1] vs LLEYTON HEWITT [22]
aka RADIOHEAD vs BUILT TO SPILL

Roger Federer, like Radiohead, dominates the conversation with every move he makes. He's won more slams than any other man in history and can't really do any wrong with fans or critics. Even people who don't like him have major respect. When he has a bad year he gets major shit—much like the drubbing certain quarters like to give Hail to the Thief—even though pretty much every tennis player alive would aspire to have a "bad Federer year" (in 2008, aka the tragic fall of Federer, he only made it to every major semi-final the US Open).

Lleyton Hewitt, meanwhile, is Built to Spill. His greatest years are behind him and you still root for him, but if you're honest with yourself you don't really expect much more than solid playing.

2. FERNANDO VERDASCO [9] vs NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO [6]
aka BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE vs JUSTICE

Verdasco is Broken Social Scene—a totally solid player capable of utter transcendence, though not consistently. His You Forgot It in People moment came in an epic five-set Australian Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal last year; he lost, but he gained the respect of anyone who saw it.

Davydenko is Justice. He's a mystery man hiding in plain sight, and his style of playing is not like everyone else (he defends much better than he attacks). He's easy to overlook but he's a total master at what he does. If this were a Pitchfork best-of-the-year list Davydenko would be that record from outside the indie rock genre that sneaks into the top five. [ETA: fuck, I meant to compare him to Burial, not Justice. But in a way that just proves my point more.]

3. NOVAK DJOKOVIC [3] vs LUKASZ KUBOT
aka LCD SOUNDSYSTEM vs INLETS

There was a moment a couple years ago where it felt like Djokovic (aka LCD Soundsystem) was going to give Federer and Nadal a run for their money as best in the world. He came really close—winning the 2008 Australian Open was a good start—and he hasn't totally left that conversation. In the meantime, while people are waiting for him to assert himself again—something he's totally capable of doing—a whole bunch of other guys have entered that conversation.

As for Kubot, I've never heard of the guy. Nor have I heard of Inlets.

4. JO-WILFRIED TSONGA [10] vs NICOLAS ALMAGRO [26]
aka BATTLES vs ANNUALS

 

 

Tsonga's "Atlas" came in 2008, when he upset Nadal to make it into the Australian Open final. He'd been around before that, but the event felt like a debut from out of nowhere. Despite a quiet 2009, Tsonga is a player to be reckoned with and his best stuff is still ahead of him. Almagro is Annuals: totally solid and good but not anyone people talk about much.

5. ANDY RODDICK [7] vs FERNANDO GONZALEZ [11]
aka WILCO vs WOLF PARADE

Roddick is Wilco. There was a time, a few years ago, where he was among the most exciting, unstoppable players in the game. Today he's still super compelling (see last year's Wimbledon final), and you still get excited for his matches, but there's an aura of predictability about him—other, younger, more exciting and daring players are out there, getting you excited the way he used to. Gonzalez is Wolf Parade—similar to the way Almagro is Annuals, but Gonzalez is more potent and potentially more shocking and inspiring.

6. MARIN CILIC [14] vs JUAN-MARTIN DEL POTRO [4]
aka GIRLS vs DIRTY PROJECTORS

Marin Cilic is the buzziest player of the tournament, hence the Girls tag. He's a young up-and-comer who  is expected to make a splash this year. Maybe he won't go all the way to the final, but he'll get people talking about him (if they aren't already). Del Potro is sort of the same but at a higher level. 2008–2009 was his buzz time—sort of his Rise Above period—but since winning the US Open over Federer last year, he's clearly into Bitte Orca territory.

7. ANDY MURRAY [5] vs JOHN ISNER [32]
aka GRIZZLY BEAR vs NO AGE

Like Del Potro, Murray (aka Grizzly Bear) is a player who has positioned himself to contend for the top spot. Like Grizzly Bear, Murray is humorless and sometimes polarizing—and possibly overhyped (he hasn't won a slam, after all). John Isner, aka No Age, is on a level similar to Cilic—lots of buzz but not much of a career yet to back it up. He might be the real deal; he might disappear in couple of years.

8. IVO KARLOVIC vs RAFAEL NADAL [2]
aka SUNNO))) vs  ARCADE FIRE



Ivo Karlovic, nicknamed "Dr. Ivo," intimidates everyone. He's 6'10" and has a monstrous serve that terrifies anyone who faces it. The thing is, that's kinda all he has. Last year I read an interview with him where he said something to the effect of "okay, I have one thing I do really well; but if I win by only doing that one thing, doesn't that make me some kind of genius?" So, SunnO))).

Nadal, meanwhile, is the Arcade Fire. At times he can feel like the greatest player in the world—sort of like how you might call Funeral the best album of the decade until someone reminds you about Kid A. And then you're like, "oh yeah, duh." Like the Arcade Fire Nadal succeeds because of an overwhelmingly earnest desire to win, as opposed to Federer's effortless elegance which simply makes him the greatest without seeming like he's trying. There will always be a place for Nadal in the annals of tennis history, though I'd place bets on his career ending earlier than you'd like it to.

Comments

[Conor]

This is pure brilliance haha what an article.

Although according to this I should be rooting for Del Potro...but that's not likely...

[Account Deleted]

This is a great article, combining two of my favorite things: boxing and referees tennis and music! The comparisons are spot-on, too.

[Paul]

You are really on a roll lately. Good to see the creative juices flowing.

[cam]

"okay, I have one thing I do really well; but if I win by only doing that one thing, doesn't that make me some kind of genius?" -- sounds more like Radiohead to me.

But seriously, I see the point if you are talking about the Sunn 0))) live show, but their records are a whole different matter. Black One doesn't sound like Domkirke and neither sound anything like Monoliths and Dimensions. Granted, you know to expect certain sounds within the record, but I would argue again that the same could be said about Radiohead. Kid A might have been out of left-field, but not by THAT much.

[Kaley]

Best post i've ever read. Brilliant reasoning on these, and I must say that i definitely agree with every one :)

[Clinton]

Brilliance CUBED. I got the link from Chris B. right in the middle of the 5th set between Cilic and Del Potro and the Henin/Wickmayer match. My girlfriend and I who both love tennis and indie rock were howling with the comparisons. When I got to the section about Kubot and Inlets, I literally said, "oh this will be interesting...I haven't heard of Inlets and I don't know Kubot either". !!!! so good.

I even love how Cam knocked Radiohead, exactly the same way people knock Federer.

I think you just secured yourself 2 additional diehard followers with this article.

[russ]

Interesting article, though I know tennis far better than indie rock, and have not even heard of many of the groups you mention. How sad that you only know 2 or 3 people who like tnenis. It is such a great game, especially when you focus on the baggage and not the elitist aspects which still exist. Thanks for the link, Clinton.

[russ]

Oops, that should have read: It is such a great game, especially when you focus on the game itself, and not on the baggage and elitist aspects which still exist.

[Scott pgwp]

Thanks all - glad you got a kick out of this. I'd go this got the women too but I don't know some of them well enough. (but for the record the Williams sisters are Coldplay & U2 - known by everyone on earth but loathed by anyone I actually know - and Safina is Cat Power.

Cam, I'll grant that my SunnO))) reference was a gloss (but so was everything else). You'll have to give me a proper education.

[Scott pgwp]

Er, "do this for the women too." iPhone be mis-autocorrecting.

[krikorka]

So good... and so right. If this analysis doesn't marry the worlds of Pro Tennis and Indie Rock, I don't know what will. Does Dungen have to come and sit in Soderling's box?

The last lines in both #2 and #3 might have to be called genius.

Well done!

[cam]

@Scott: I apologize for coming off so stuffy and seemingly missing the whole point of the piece. It was truly a clever idea, and I apologize for not recognizing it as such the first time.

@ Clinton: I wasn't so much knocking Radiohead... more like building up Sunn 0))). Yes, you are always going to hear drones and doom-style riffs from those two, but they are also masters of collaboration and improvisation. Their art-rock cred is impeccable. They make Radiohead look like what they are: a very talented pop group.

[Scott pgwp]

Cam, now we're even after my "powerviolence clusterfuck " line. :)