ARTICLE New Balls dominated 2003
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Men's tennis may not be dominating the sports headlines these days, but the quality of play has never been better, led by the likes of "New Balls" stars Andy Roddick, Roger Federer and Juan Carlos Ferrero.
The American Roddick (U.S. Open), Swiss Federer (Wimbledon) and Spanish Ferrero (French Open) account for the last three Grand Slam titles and Ferrero was the only man to reach a pair of major finals this past season. New Balls also captured six of the nine Masters Series events, including a pair of lucrative wins for Roddick (Montreal and Cincinnati) and Ferrero (Monte Carlo and Madrid), and Federer corralled the season-ending Masters Cup.
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The 23-year-old Ferrero crossed the '03 finish line with four championships and 67 match wins. After posting a runner-up finish at the 2002 French Open, the "Mosquito" returned to the final this year and dismantled monster-serving Dutchman Martin Verkerk in a lopsided 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 final. The Spanish star also proved that he can play on surfaces other than clay by reaching the championship round at New York's Open and winning at least 30 matches on both clay and hardcourts, a feat that hadn't been done since the great Ivan Lendl turned the trick in 1980.
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>> full article
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Men's tennis may not be dominating the sports headlines these days, but the quality of play has never been better, led by the likes of "New Balls" stars Andy Roddick, Roger Federer and Juan Carlos Ferrero.
The American Roddick (U.S. Open), Swiss Federer (Wimbledon) and Spanish Ferrero (French Open) account for the last three Grand Slam titles and Ferrero was the only man to reach a pair of major finals this past season. New Balls also captured six of the nine Masters Series events, including a pair of lucrative wins for Roddick (Montreal and Cincinnati) and Ferrero (Monte Carlo and Madrid), and Federer corralled the season-ending Masters Cup.
[...]
The 23-year-old Ferrero crossed the '03 finish line with four championships and 67 match wins. After posting a runner-up finish at the 2002 French Open, the "Mosquito" returned to the final this year and dismantled monster-serving Dutchman Martin Verkerk in a lopsided 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 final. The Spanish star also proved that he can play on surfaces other than clay by reaching the championship round at New York's Open and winning at least 30 matches on both clay and hardcourts, a feat that hadn't been done since the great Ivan Lendl turned the trick in 1980.
[...]
>> full article
