Jonathon Braden – Journalist, Writer, Reporter

Davis Cup photo - Siggi Bucher

A buddy e-mailed me over the weekend about the U.S. success in Switzerland.

“Is this how the world ends?” he wrote.

Bob Bryan sitting out from doubles. Mr. Davis Cup, Andy Roddick, out as well. Mardy Fish, coming off a first-round loss in the Australian Open, as the U.S.’ great hope. The Americans facing Switzerland — Roger Federer, Stan Wawinka — in Fribourg. On clay.

Save Novak Djokovic suddenly gaining Swiss citizenship, you could not have stacked the odds any higher for the U.S. men to beat, let alone sweep, Switzerland in this weekend’s first-round Davis Cup matchup.

But somehow they did it.

John Isner beat Roger Federer. Shocking enough by itself, and then, in four sets. And did we mention on clay? The surface in which Federer beat Djokovic at last year’s French Open, giving the world No.1 his only loss in a Grand Slam in 2011. Isner, subbing in for Roddick, called it, “the win of my life.”

Even more amazing might be Fish’s resurgence after an awful showing in Melbourne, losing to 7-6 (4), 6-3, 7-6 (6) to that one guy who almost beat Roger Federer in the first round of Wimbledon years ago, Alejandro Falla.

Fish comes from two sets down and takes out the always tough, always scrappy Wawrinka, 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 9-7.

Think about how the American men finished Davis Cup in 2011: With a loss. At home. On the fast indoor courts in Austin, Texas.

Fish lost a sloppy five-setter to Feliciano Lopez. Lost a tough, nasty four-set match against David Ferrer. Don’t think that played in his head at all this weekend?

All this when Federer decides to play the first round of Davis Cup since 2004. All this when America hadn’t swept anybody since its first-round sweep over Austria in the same year.

Is the world ending? Crazier things have happened.

This time, he needed no heroics, no closing of his eyes to save two match points, no miraculous shots to extend the match.

This time, Novak Djokovic needed three sets of superb play to show the world he has surpassed Roger Federer as the No. 2 player in the world. And with Rafa reeling, maybe this is the year Novak climbs to No. 1.

What a funny start to this tennis season. Just when we all thought Federer was ready to challenge Rafa for No. 1, a new rivalry of 23-year-olds meets in the finals, one that could greet us for the next decade or so: Djokovic v. Andy Murray.

Here, we have the have done, the masterful under pressure, against the have not, the over-thinker in the big matches.

Djokovic against Murray: Two of the game’s best set to better their rivalry as we ring in the 2011 Slam Season.

Just like we predicted, right?

Tennis rules. This much you should know if you’re reading this site. It rules so much that a friend of mine and I have started a site devoted to tennis. Well, Richard created it. I just write stuff for it every now and then.

Like this: The Let Tennis: Sampras can still play

Caroline

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Well, yesterday I got the question by the media, they said that my press conferences were kind of boring. Yeah, that I always gave the same answers.

You know, I find it quite, you know, funny because I always get the same questions. So I’m just going to start. I know what you’re going to ask me already. So I’m just going to start with the answer.

I felt great out there today on the court. You know, I think I played a pretty good match. I am happy I got the revenge since I lost to her in Sydney last week. It was not an easy match. She went out there, she was really on fire.

You know, I’m happy to be through to the next round. I don’t know who I’m playing, so maybe you can ask me that afterwards. But I’m really looking forward to playing my fourth round. It’s the second time in a row that that’s happened.

I mean, what I do need to do to win this tournament, if I feel like I played too defensively today. I actually feel like I had to do that. I had to run a lot of balls down today because, I mean, she was playing really aggressively, trying to hit from the first point.

But I felt like, you know, when I had the chance, I was really focused and tried to step it up, especially with my serve a bit. When she put the second serve in, I tried to take the advantage straightaway.

Uhm, if I deserve to be No. 1. If this was maybe another proof that I belong there. Again, I don’t feel any pressure to be No. 1. I really enjoy myself. I think I’ve had a great year and a great tournament so far. So I’m just happy to be in the next round, and hopefully I can pull a win through.

My racquet feels really good (laughter). I feel like the racquet is really helping me out. I feel like there is no problems. I really, uhm, enjoy playing with it. So I feel like, uhm yeah, I’m just happy to be here. Hopefully this was a little bit different than usual, and now you can maybe, yeah, give me some questions that are a little bit more interesting, a little bit different than what I usually get.

Perhaps it’s the new American plague.

Forget about the birds falling from the sky and the predictions of a biblical-esque plague that will soon end our days, I’m talking tennis here; something that has a real impact on our lives.

And in America, for gifted, tall men’s tennis players, times are bleak, plague-like bleak.

Day One of the Australian Open: America’s next great hope: 23-year-old Sam Querrey.

Australian Open photo

This is the American who’s supposed to rip the “top-ranked American” label from No. 8 Andy Roddick later this year. Don’t get me wrong, Querrey still can and might. But usually a good first step is winning the first round of majors, something Querrey has done just eight of the 18 times he has played in Grand Slam.

Eight for 18 in first-round matches. That stat alone is somewhat mind-boggling, but also consider this: As Querrey has risen in the rankings, from No. 174 in 2006 to No. 18 in 2011, his Slam performances have stayed relatively the same: In five of his last nine Major appearances, Querrey has failed to get past the entry bout.

Which brings us to this year’s Down Under Major: Querrey against Lukasz Kubot, the 28-year-old from Poland ranked No. 72 in the world. Although Kubot advanced to the fourth round of last year’s Australian Open courtesy a third-round withdraw from Mikhail Youzhny, he was hardly a formidable foe for Querrey.

Yet he was. That, and so much more, beating Querrey in five sets.

It is not so much that Querrey lost in the first round – upsets happen. But rather, how Querrey lost that is so regretful.

It was much like his fourth-round match of the 2010 U.S. Open, when Querrey had a chance to finish the match, ride the blustery winds of momentum and sail into his first-ever quarterfinals.

Instead, he lost.

Day One, Australian Open: Querrey battling Kubot. He seizes the momentum, snatches a 2-1 set advantage. The wind, however, is again a factor. And Querrey has not learned enough from this last win-aided defeat.

Rather predictably, Querrey lets Kubot back in the match and Kubot obliges, 5-7, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 8-6.

Querrey’s U.S. Open quarterfinal loss to Stanislas Wawrinka: 6-7(9), 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-4, 4-6.

The momentum was his. The match was there. But not that day. Not with the wind gusting and the pressure on.

And until Querrey can win those matches, those five-setters, those ones he usually doesn’t, we can forget about the top 10 talk. Heck, we can even forget about him passing Roddick, which would make for one lackluster 2011 for the top two American men.

photo by Ben Solomon for the New York Times

And that is how it ends, and how this begins.

It – the unofficial close to the finest of the Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal rivalry, and this – tennis’ new feud between Novak Djokovic and Nadal.

We will see more of the former, of Rafa and Roger battling, of epic five-setters that tick past the 4:00 mark, yet not at the levels we’ve seen. This tournament finally confirmed what we’ve seen all year.

But this, what is this? And who were they?

This was not the Rafa of old in New York, and it certainly wasn’t the Djokovic of old in… anywhere.

We’d seen Rafa do all of this on Australia’s hard courts or on France’s red clay or on Wimbledon’s green grass, but never in New York.

On Monday night, Rafa showed a few nerves, backing off when he normally steps forward. He even lost more than one service game (gasp!). But somehow, Rafa kept up his ridiculous serving, mixing speed and spin perfectly and won the last Grand Slam he hadn’t dominated.

He’s 24. He has won nine Grand Slams. That’s one more than Andre Agassi won his entire career.

For Djokovic, we saw this Down Under more than two years ago, but not much since. Certainly, we had never the competitor that we saw him become during the last two weeks. From his first match of the 2010 U.S Open, when he was down a set and a break, to his semifinal against Federer, when Djokovic was down two match points, Djokovic accessed a level of tennis we didn’t know he had and maybe he didn’t know he had, either.

In the process, he went from the hated, always hurt, always complaining Novak Djokovic in New York to the endeared, playing with pain, no excuses Novak Djokovic, cheered by New Yorkers.

Oh, yeah. He’s 23.

A new rivalry was born Monday. No, the final wasn’t quite the classic Djokovic’s second set falsely foreshadowed. But it was some sort of classic, something that we’ll remember for it being the start of something better.

And this how another classic U.S. Open ends: the one on his way to becoming the best ever enjoys the best year ever as one of the best shows he can legitimately battle the ultimate champion.

Next time a buddy of yours wants to watch the game with a different group of friends or just wants to be away from you for awhile, call Novak Djokovic, who declared himself the ultimate party crasher this afternoon when he took out Roger Federer 5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5.

Has there ever been a more anticipated, more talked about match that didn’t happen? Analysts such as Brad Gilbert were spouting out all sorts of predictions, saying a Roger Federer v. Rafael Nadal U.S. Open final would be the best match in tennis history. If Rafa would have won, best year ever.

Somebody forgot to let Djokovic know about all this hype, or he just didn’t care. Or, the more likely scenario, all of this Rafa-Roger talk let Djokovic play pressure-free and loose. It let him rip service returns back to Federer, and smash forehands as if he were still warming up.

We’ve seen Federer show his human side for a few years now. But the way Djokovic took out Federer and denied him his seventh straight U.S. Open final is something we still don’t see that often.

Two times Federer had match points today against a rattled Djokovic during Djokovic’s 4-5 service game in the final set. During the first point, Djokovic, in control of the point, struck an overhead. Federer returned it, forcing Djokovic to hit another one, only Djokovic duffed it into the net.

Then came back that feeling, the calming feeling that tells you, oh, here we go, now Federer has it. That was fun while it lasted, but time to hit the ol’ switch again, break Djokovic here and play Rafa tomorrow.

The game tally racked up to 15-40. Yep, match about over.

Then, during the biggest-pressure moments of the year and maybe of his career, Djokovic showed aggression and didn’t let the fear debilitate him. He attacked Federer, darted to the net and hit a “gutsy” swinging forehand volley.

Two swings into the next point, he crushed a forehand crosscourt, out of Federer’s reach. “Unbelievable!” screamed CBS’ Dick Enberg.

Right there, Djokovic had won the match. He held, broke Federer, then held, giving us the best match of this fantastic U.S. Open.

But of all the people to take out Federer, Djokovic? Really? After he barely showed any desire for tennis in Cincinnati, falling 6-4, 7-5 to Andy Roddick, who was just getting over mono? After Djokovic had to come back from being down 2-1 sets and a break against Viktor Troicki in the first round of the U.S. Open?

Now, of course, he faces Nadal. (Congratulations, Novak!)

Nadal’s serve has looked better than ever. He’s won 89 of the 91 games he has served. The claim that these New York courts were too fast for Rafa is almost laughable after seeing him not drop a set in his first six matches.

A victory Sunday gives Nadal a career Grand Slam and his ninth major. He would become the first man to win the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in the same year since Rod Laver did it in 1969.

What a party to crash.

Andy Murray, a point away from losing momentum in the Rogers Cup championship and losing his serve against the greatest player of all-time, cocked back his arm and whipped an ace out wide against Roger Federer on the quick, blue hard court in Toronto.

The next point, different spot – down the T on the deuce court – same result.

Three points later, Murray had beaten Federer in the final for the first time and in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5. It was the first time Murray had beaten Rafael Nadal and Federer in the same week, and Murray became the first man to defend his Rogers Cup title since Andre Agassi did it 15 years ago.

Maybe we all should go without formal coaches.

But as impressive as this week was for Murray, who played his best tennis of the year, what’s more astounding is how he dominated this week, how Murray pounced on the court, darting after balls and aggressively attacking instead of shrinking against the best in tennis.

Aggressive. The “a” word that always lingers by Murray. When he plays tentative, gets the ball in play and waits for his opponents to flop, they say, he should have tried more backhands down the line, been more aggressive. When he slaps approach shots deep into the corners, creates more angles and sneaks in more often, they say, maybe he should let his opponent hit a few more balls.

But with this week’s showing, has there ever been more reason to wonder why Murray doesn’t always take the swinging volley or why he doesn’t always string his opponent from side to side instead of waiting for his opponent to do the same to him?

Sure, Murray had fresher legs as Federer showed the effects of back-to-back three-set matches the last two nights. But these weren’t five-set marathons that took everything out of Federer, this wasn’t the U.S Open, where this summer will end.

Murray, 23, is still without a major championship. But, you wonder, after seeing what he did this week on the fast hard courts in Toronto, just two weeks before the lights shine on those quick, hard courts in New York, how long we’ll be able to introduce him as the best in the men’s game without a Grand Slam title.

Andy Roddick's right shoulder injury was one of two surprise injuries at the Australian Open.

Roger Federer gliding his hands through his long, black hair, with sweat dripping off of every lock. Camera shots of his wife with her arms outstretched, celebrating another Grand Slam victory for her man. And the Melbourne crowd screaming, thankful as ever for another opportunity to watch the greatest win again, this, No. 16.

The ending to the Australian Open – Federer capturing another major in straight sets – we had seen before. We have watched the much-hyped last match end with a final set of drama even though everyone had memorized the last words of the chapter.

That doesn’t mean, however, that this year’s first major didn’t live up to its reputation of surprising us. It’s just that this year’s surprises weren’t the ones we want to see again.

The first revelation arrived with more confusion than the second. Here was Andy Roddick, a player known for his work ethic and great fitness, reaching for his right shoulder. After losing a set, he even called out the trainer.

We knew of Roddick’s bothersome knees, the injury led him to skip Davis Cup this year, but his right shoulder causing aches, the one in which his livelihood depends upon?

This was not a pestering injury that chose an awful time to reappear. This was a new pain that surfaces when you play tennis year-round with hardly any breaks.

But, to his credit, Roddick stayed in his quarterfinal contest against Marin Cilic, and even turned it into a match, winning the third and fourth set before falling in the fifth.

The second shocker was more of an eyebrow-raiser than an outright surprise. People probably expected Rafael Nadal to retire sometime during the tournament because of his nagging knees. But the knee injury that made him quit against Andy Murray in their quarterfinal was a new discomfort for Rafa, different from the tendonitis that has threatened his career.

Two top 10 tennis players, in skill and in popularity, reduced to mere editions of themselves, far from their best because of injuries. Both Roddick and Nadal might have lost even if they were healthy, but we’ll never know and that’s the shame of tennis’ offseason, or the maybe two months players don’t have tournaments to enter.

In few major events have we seen such glaring reminders of why tennis needs a longer break. Players have publicly complained about it for years, most recently, Roddick, coincidentally.

But how many more top 10 players need to bow out before tour officials to take them seriously? How many more matches will players need to tank at smaller tournaments to conserve their bodies for the Grand Slams before the rules are changed? And how many more careers will be threatened with injuries before the age of 30?

Tennis, like golf, as a sport, is especially afflicted when it loses its stars. The sport aches without its greatest stories, such as Rodick and Rafa. Some of the luster disappears, and tennis becomes even more of a niche activity to the non-participants.

But let’s not let it digress. Let’s fix the problem before it worsens and actually listen to the professionals: create a legitimate offseason.