Category: Tennis

Can you believe this? The news that has gotten tennis fans excited? Yes, they’re coming. The date: Nov. 28 to 30. The venue: MOA Arena or the Araneta Coliseum.

It’s called the International Premier Tennis League. It’s not the usual ATP or WTA tournament. There are no ranking points offered. Cash? Oh yeah. For these celebrity athletes to come, surely there are plenty of Euros. How much? I don’t know; but players of this caliber are given “appearance money.” Which means that, win or lose, they bring home $$$$$$.

This is team tennis. It’s not a common setting. Usually, players play for themselves. Or, if it’s a team format, they play for their country (Davis Cup or Fed Cup).

The brainchild of former world doubles No. 1 Mahesh Bhupathi, this is the inaugural season. There are four teams/cities: Dubai, Singapore, Mumbai and Bangkok. But, wait. What’s unfortunate for Thailand has turned fortunate for our country. Because of the political instability in Bangkok, the venue has been transferred to our capital.

Mahesh Bhupathi

Yehey! This is fabulous for tennis. Because while the NBA’s Rockets-Pacers dribbled inside MOA last Oct. and David Beckham kicked the ball here with the LA Galaxy and, well, we have Manny Pacquiao, we’ve never had a Top 10 version of tennis.

Well, we did, but it was over two decades ago. Inside the Araneta Coliseum, I was there when Ivan Lendl played Stefan Edberg. A baseliner, Lendl rushed the net to practice his volleys. There were plenty of laughs as the exhibition setting was relaxed. That was called “Fire and Ice 2.” The first one was a classic: Bjorn Borg vs. John McEnroe. But since those legends landed in Luzon, we haven’t had a Sampras or Becker or Agassi visit us.

Until six months from now. Ours will be the first leg. After our Nov. 28 to 30 date, the venue moves to Singapore (Dec. 2-4), Mumbai (Dec. 7-9) and Dubai (Dec. 11-14). We’re lucky because all the attention is focused on the first stop.

The format is innovative. Reads the website: “Each match comprises five sets, with no-advantage scoring. There will be one set of men’s singles, one of women’s singles, one men’s doubles, one mixed doubles and one men’s legends singles. Every game counts because the winning team is the one that wins the most games in total. In the event of a tie, the match will be decided on a tie-break.”

TEAM MANILA is bannered by Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Carlos Moya, Daniel Nestor, Victoria Azarenka, Kirsten Flipkens and our own Treat Huey. TEAM DUBAI (called the U.A.E. Falcons) is led by Novak Djokovic, Nenad Zimonjic, Janko Tipsarevic, Goran Ivanisevic, Malek Jaziri, Caroline Wozniacki and the Swiss Miss, Martina Hingis. TEAM MUMBAI (Indian Aces) has Rafael Nadal, Gael Monfils, Pete Sampras, Rohan Bopanna, Fabrice Santoro, Sania Mirza and the beauty, Ana Ivanovic. TEAM SINGAPORE (Lions) has Andre Agassi, Llyeton Hewitt, Nick Kyrgious, Pat Rafter, Tomas Berdych, Bruno Soares, Daniela Hantuchova and the indefatigable Serena Williams.

Serena and Andre (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Amazing list of names, right? But the question is: Will all of them come to Manila? The answer is No. It’s a team event. It’s possible that Murray will be here but only Monfils, Berdych, Ivanisevic, Rafter and several others will land in Manila. Our hope is that the big names — Rafa, Serena, Andre, Novak, Pete — will come. But there’s no guarantee. They might; they might not. And we’ll probably never know until the actual start. What’s guaranteed are a few things: This is world-class tennis, whoever comes. These aren’t your usual exhibition matches where they giggle all-day and still receive that $1 million fee.

“The games will be relaxed and fun but very competitive,” said Randy Villanueva, a good friend of Bhupathi (they played each other in the juniors).

So, dear fellow tennis addicts, start saving up. You don’t have to travel to Paris or Melbourne to watch these stars. Let’s go. Sadly, to all R. Federer fans, he can’t make it. He’ll be busy with a couple of sets… of twins.

I’m often asked, “Who’s a really good tennis coach for my child?”

My answer: Tommy Frederiksen.

For the past 15 months, he’s been the coach of my daughter Jana. He, too, coaches Anday Alferez and Shyne Villareal. Between the three of them (all Bright Academy varsity scholars), they’ve won the Milo National Little Olympics, Batang Pinoy and more than 15 singles and 10 doubles titles.

He’s good. He’s in Cebu. And, best of all, he’s available to teach your child tennis.

Tommy hails from Sweden. On Bjorn Borg, the greatest ever Swedish athlete, Tommy says, “We were born the same year, even in the same hospital, Sodersjukhuset, in 1956 and we lived in Stocholm, the capital city of Sweden.”

Bjorn Borg and Tommy Frederiksen, as 10 year olds, even tried out in the same Stockholm tennis school. And while Borg went on to win five Wimbledon and six French Open crowns, Tommy pursued other sports such as ice hockey and soccer and went on to work in the corporate field (Human Resources).

Now, he’s full time into tennis. He’s the head coach at Bright Academy and he teaches tennis P.E. to those from Grades 2 to 6.

This summer, Coach Tommy will be conducting a few tennis clinics. The first, at Casino Español de Cebu, will run from April 7 to May 5. This program is open to the public with a very reasonable fee of P2,000.

The next Summer Clinic of Coach Tommy is at the indoor tennis court of Bright Academy. This will be for the month of May.

WHY TENNIS? I asked Coach Tommy what makes his sport different. “You can play tennis in any part of the world,” he said. “Singles or doubles. For fun and also for competing and playing tournaments. All ages, from 5 to 75, actually there is ITF world championship tournaments for age groups up to 80 +.

“Tennis is an ‘open sport’… not like running or swimming where it is you and the competitors against the clock or by the measurement tape. Tennis, apart from technique and movement, is about anticipation, reading the play, decision-making, understanding tactics and strategy, concentration, mental skills… and it is also a sport that has style and sportsmanship as part of its history and culture. It is the most demanding sport, and the most beautiful sport. And it’s a kind of art also. Andre Agassi said ‘Hit the ball dead perfect – the only peace.’”

SWEDEN. His country has produced the likes of Borg, Stefan Edberg (who now coaches Roger Federer), Mats Wilander and Robin Soderling. Why are the Swedes so good at tennis? Sweden’s population of 9.5 million is just 10 percent of the Philippines. Why are you guys so good in tennis? I asked.

“One reason for the Swedes total domination during the 80s and 90s, including seven consecutive Davis Cup finals, was their physical strength and fitness built from early junior period,” Tommy said. “Most of the Swedish players as young cross-trained in other sports, such as football (soccer) or ice-hockey; they were conditioning is a natural part in every practice. But today tennis players from all over the world are doing physical training all the time so that is not a competitive advantage anymore.

“Another reason was the big number of Swedish players at that time, our Grand slam champions were just the tip of the iceberg. We had so many good players as we had so many kids playing the sport and guided by well educated and engaged tennis coaches.

“So abundance of tennis courts, many kids playing and having world class idols as role models, and good training by good coaches, and well organised tennis tournaments, especially the Nationals for 12U and 14U.

“One more thing: parental support is a huge factor in sport, especially tennis, and all our top players can attest to that.”

Coach Tommy Frederiksen will hold a summer tennis program at Casino Espanol from April 7 to May 5, Mon-Wed-Fri 8-9:30. For more info, contact Casino Espanol at 254-2648 or Coach Tommy Frederiksen, 0917-3010338.

BACOLOD CITY—Since Tuesday, I’ve been here with hundreds of other athletes, coaches and parents for the national finals of Batang Pinoy, a priority event of the Phil. Sports Commission for the nation’s best athletes aged 15 years old and younger.

Bacolod was not the original choice of venue. Zamboanga City was awarded that distinction but, due to the bombings that rocked the Mindanao city last year, PSC moved the venue to the City of Smiles.

Yes, the Bacolodnons are known for their smiles. Just listen to the Ilonggo’s sweet dialect and you’ll know that people here are friendly.

Bacolod is a city I called home for the first 14 years of my life. I played varsity basketball in La Salle. Bob’s, Chicken House and Pendy’s were – and still are – my favorite restaurants.

While here, we got to tour several of the sporting venues. The Batang Pinoy headquarters is located in a giant piece of land called the Panaad Stadium. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because this is the preferred venue of the Azkals, especially given it’s 35,000 seating capacity. Numerous games by our Philippine football team have been played in Panaad.

It’s located a bit far from the city proper but it’s expansive and huge and littered with tall Gemilina trees that make it look like a forest. Swimming pools. Tennis courts. An international-standard track oval. These and many more venues are housed in Panaad.

Our only complaint is not the distance but the lack of signages. We hardly found a single large sign with the word PANAAD. Or, at least, given that this is a large event, signs of BATANG PINOY to lead the visitors. Still, this venue is essential.

Compared to our city, we admit that the Cebu City Sports Complex is conveniently-located but it’s too small – especially for a metropolis as large as Cebu.

Cebu needs a Panaad. We also got to visit other venues. Badminton was held at the Pohang Badminton Center, right behind the Riverside Hospital. There, we got to see dozens of youngsters playing in the four indoor courts.

We visited La Salle. At the covered court, volleyball spikers slammed the ball while hundreds of La Sallians watched.

With tennis, the results are in and it was a near-sweep for Team Cebu City: we won three out of the four gold medals at stake.

Zethley Mae “Anday” Alferez was the event’s star when she won the singles and doubles events at the Montevista Tennis Court. My daughter Jana lost to a Laguna-based player in the semifinals and settled for bronze in singles but partnered with Alferez to win the doubles gold.

Among the boys, Noynoy Seno of USC captured the boys title via a clinical 6-2, 6-2 win in the finals. Shyne Villareal, Jermaine Laurel and Norman Enriquez also won bronze medals.

While staying at a hotel here, I woke up early last Thursday to do a morning run at the back of the City Hall. While descending the stairs at 6 a.m., guess who I saw? Maxi Maximo. They also stayed in East View Hotel and arose early (with wife Sheila) for breakfast because their daughter Ica was joining the cycling contest. The day after, I read that Ica won gold. She added a silver in the MTB race.

We also met CCSC Chairman Edward Hayco at the boxing event. Of our three Cebu City boxers who vied for gold, we witnessed one who won the top prize.

One non-sports event that we enjoyed here was the Bacolaodiat. It’s an annual Chinese New Year celebration, running for four days, where the main Bacolod thoroughfare called Lacson Street is closed. Walking along Bacolod’s version of our Osmeña Boulevard, you’re treated to a joyous party and celebration. Chicken inasal is grilled at every corner. Loud music booms. Red lanterns hang at the center. Though not as large as the Masskara Festival, it’s gotten bigger each year.

Cebu ought to emulate Bacolod in this street party concept. It’s excellent for tourism. The Bacolaodiat and Bacolod’s chicken inasal: the perfect doubles tandem to accompany the Batang Pinoy.

The odds of Stanislas Wawrinka upsetting Rafael Nadal were so slim that Jourdan Polotan, my wife Jasmin and I bet a Tonkatsu dinner not on whether the Swiss would beat the Spaniard but on what set he’d lose: straight sets (my pick), 4th set (Jasmin’s) or an unlikely 5th set (Jourdan).

It was unlikely that Stan would be The Man. In their 12 previous matches, the score was 12-0. Every previous set they played was won by Rafa. Plus, if we factor in the semifinals demolition job over Roger Federer, then we had a sure RN-engraved trophy in the making.

But this is sport: There are no guarantees. A “lucky” punch by Marquez can put to sleep a sure-win by Pacquiao; a Chelsea football team can shock Bayern Munich in Germany (2012); a 42-1 underdog named Buster Douglas can KO an overconfident Mike Tyson.

(Getty Images/Scott Barbour)

Prior to us discovering the back injury that Nadal was sustaining, Wawrinka was Swiss perfect. In the first set and a half, he walloped the ball via his beautiful one-handed backhand. He served 217-kph aces. He putaway volleys. If he had continued that level of play, even if Nadal was not injured, he’d still have won. It was a pity we didn’t see that happen.

Nadal’s back problems, him wincing in agony, was a painful sight. This was the finals. On the cusp of his 14th major — with the 14-major winner Pete Sampras ready to gift him with the Oz Open crown — he tumbled. It was one of those mega moments that turned sour. At the end of that 2nd set, I thought Nadal would quit. Barely able to serve, what’s the point in continuning? But he continued. The pain killers must have worked. The vigorous back massages must have taken effect. Because Rafa came to life. From a low of 114-kph serves, they strengthened. He won the third set. Imagine if, by some miracle, he escaped with that 4th set win to bring the finale to a 5th set ending? And he won it? For him, it would have tasted sweeter than any Swiss chocolate.

But Stan wouldn’t be denied. He mentally refocused, ran his ailing opponent corner to corner, and secured that break of serve to finally — pardon the pun — break Nadal’s back.

The tattoed letters inscribed in his left arm — “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better” — have come true. Always the best man at these Grand Slam weddings, he’s now the groom — with the Norman Brookes trophy as his prize.

FINALLY. It’s Li Na! I can imagine the hysteria in China today. A nation of 1.35 billion people, just a three percent increase in youth tennis players — buoyed by the victory of their own heroine — translates to 45 million new tennis players.

This happened to Sweden. After Bjorn Borg became the most famous Swede with this tennis performances, there began a boom in Swedish tennis. The likes of Edberg and Wilander were born from the popularity of the game sparked by Borg.

Can Li Na inspire the hundreds of millions of Chinese girls to learn forehands and backhands? I think so. She may not have won Wimbledon, the grandest of them all, but she won the only major that’s labeled the “Grand Slam of Asia and the Pacific.”

While still at her prime, I hope she extensively tours her native land to inspire the children. Maybe develop “Li Na Tennis Academy” schools from Shanghai to Guangzhou to Xiamen — today, while she’s at the summit.

What stands out about Li Na is her personality. You should listen to her awarding speech last Saturday. She’s funny. Always has been. She’s the favorite of the media during the press conferences with her witty responses. Of her real life partner of eight years, she told the crowd, “Now, of course, my husband, you’re famous in China. Thanks (to) him with everything, travelling with me as my hitting partner. (He) fixes my drink, fixes my raquet… So thanks a lot, you’re a nice guy … Also, you’re so lucky, you found me.”

Roger F. has achieved records in tennis that may never be broken. 17 majors. The world number ranking for 302 weeks. Twenty three consecutive trips to the semis or better in Slams. But the one record that will forever haunt the Swiss maestro is the one he has against Rafael N.

Match after championship match, Federer has this mental collapse against Nadal. You notice it in his body language. The confident head of Roger — held up-high against all the other earthlings — is absent when he faces Rafa. It was the same last Friday. After playing some of his best in years, Roger was tipped to beat Rafa, especially given the Spaniard’s awful left-hand blister.

But, sadly to the millions of RF fans, the answer is “No es posible.” That one-handed backhand can’t beat the lefty topspin. Those rush-to-the-net exploits resulted to passing shot winners for RN. He attacked. He ran around his backhand. He listened to Stefan Edberg’s advise to take risks, sprint to the net and smother those volleys.

Against anybody else, Roger would have won. But against one — the No. 1 — he’s beaten. Again. And again. And once more.

The Australian Open semis was billed as a heavyweight fight. With 30 Grand Slam singles titles between the two, it was — only, it wasn’t. Because it was lopsided. Nadal dictated play. He chased down shots that would have been unreachable for you and me. He’s Usain Bolt wearing Nike, not Puma. He’s Lance Armstrong-mentally-tough minus the drugs.

What does Roger have to do to defeat his close buddy? He has to play perfect and Rafa has to be subpar. But this combination doesn’t happen. What happens is this combo: Rafa’s forehand versus Roger’s backhand. That’s a painful exchange to witness. And time’s running out for the 32-year-old. This would have been his best chance. Imagine an all-Swiss final. And Roger’s record against Stanislas Wawrinka is 13-1.

But it’s Rafa vs. Stan in today’s 4:30 p.m. (Phil. time) men’s final. I just hope there’s no RF-like psychological collapse. I hope the Swiss doesn’t say… Wawrinka: Wow-Rafa.

Their record is 12-0, all in favor of Rafa. Every single set that they’ve played (26 sets), Rafa has won. Will it be 13 straight matches for Spain? I know Spanish Consul Anton Perdices wishes so. Or will “Stan the Man,” by evening later, be proclaiming to the world, “Nobody beats me 13 in a row!”

It’s hard to bet against Spain in his encounter versus Switzerland in Australia.

The past two weeks have shown us terrific excitement in Melbourne. Upsets. Breakthrough stars in the beautiful blonde not named Maria but Eugenie. And I hope, as do her 1.3 billion fellow Chinese, that Li Na won the Ladies Final last night. For an Asian to win the only “Grand Slam of Asia-Pacific” will deliver a strong boost for tennis in the Far East.

Li Na’s finals opponent last night, Dominika Cibulkova? It shows us that a 5-foot-3 player can reach the finals. I recall her standing beside Sharapova when they met — a 6’1” giant in a “David vs. Goliath” moment — and Cibulkova didn’t stand a chance, height-wise. But she won. This tells us Filipinos that we have a chance.

The big missed moment was Treat Huey. He and partner Dominic Inglot reached the quarterfinals (and had a relatively easy draw onwards) but lost.

The Australian Open, decades back, was considered a “non-major” by many. The top netters didn’t bother flying nearly 24 hours from American or Europe to Melbourne. But today, it has become one of the favorites.

Ken Salimbangon, Fabby Borromeo and I met early this week and vowed to make that Melbourne trek in 2015. Before R & R retire! (Fabby and I were together with our dads 15 years ago at the U.S. Open.)

Maybe then, when it wasn’t possible last Friday, Roger will find a eureka moment to beat Rafa. But for now, it’s Rafa who, in all likelihood, will tie Pete Sampras for his 14th Grand Slam singles trophy (14 this 2014). Add a 15th in Paris this May and he’s halfway through a calender Grand Slam and just two wins away from tying his beaten foe, Federer. Vamos, Rafa.

If there’s one country I’d love to visit, it’s Down Under. Located down under our Philippines, Australia is famous for kangaroos, the Great Barrier Reef and open-sea swimming (plus the occasional shark attack), the Sydney Opera House, and this favorite pastime of Australians: sports.

Cricket. Rugby. Ian Thorpe. Soccer. The 2000 Sydney Olympics. Triathlon. Cycling. Name the sport and, chances are, some Aussie excels in that game.

Tennis? Absolutely. Let’s take Rod Laver. He’s considered the greatest tennis player of all time. (The photo I had with him many years back is one I’ll forever treasure.) He’s won the Grand Slam — all four majors — twice, in 1962 and 1969. Roger Federer’s never achieved a Slam. Same with Nadal. That’s why the center court of Melbourne Park is named after their best-ever. It’s called Rod Laver Arena.

It’s the 2014 Australian Open. It started last Monday and will shower all of us tennis aficionados with smashes and volleys for two weeks ending next Sunday.

It’s the first Slam of the season. It’s broiling. I checked the temperature reading and it exceeds 42 degrees. That’s sweltering hot; more roasting than our summer. Victoria Azarenka termed it “like you’re dancing in a frying pan.” The Canadian Frank Dancevic, who fainted midway through his match, warned: “It’s hazardous to be out there. It’s dangerous … Until somebody dies, they’re just going to keep playing matches in this heat.”

No wonder Rafael Nadal was sweating as if he emerged from the pool two nights ago. And that was a night match. If you saw that encounter against Bernard Tomic, you’d pity the young Aussie. It was billed as The First Round Match To Watch. It ended up being an easy walk in the Melbourne Park for Nadal. Tomic, the former world No. 1 junior, got injured. He lost the first set 6-4 and promptly shook Nadal’s hand while he limped.

I’ve had a few friends — Atan Guardo, Ernie Delco, Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella, Oscar Hilado of Phinma — who’ve watched the Oz Open and they swear it’s one of the best events to visit.

The fans are relaxed. Many are shirtless. Melbourne is relatively near Cebu. Ticket prices, compared to Wimbledon, are cheaper. And the people are friendly, smiling and sports-crazy. (Graeme Mackinnon will give a thumbs-up on this.)

Novak Djokovic is still the man to beat. He’s the three-time defending champion. Plus, in his arsenal this week, he’s included a familiar blonde: Boris Becker. It was a wonderful sight to see the German Boom-Boom sit in Novak’s coaching corner. As to how this partnership will transpire, we’ll see. But no doubt it’s a high-powered combination.

Andy Murray’s got Ivan Lendl. Federer’s entourage includes Stefan Edberg, his idol. This simultaneous entry of former No.1s is a first. It increases the public’s appetite for tennis. Imagine if, in the NBA, Michael Jordan coaches the Bobcats, Magic Johnson replaces Mike D’Antoni for the Lakers, and Larry Bird returns to coach Indiana.

More than adding star power to one’s team, the mentor’s entry helps the student’s mind: “If Lendl believes in me, then I CAN DO IT!” That’s what I imagine Andy Murray saying to himself. That’s why Murray won Wimbledon. And the Olympic gold. And the US Open. Belief. That’s what Lendl imparted in him. And no ordinary coach can provide this mental boost than one who’s been-there, won-that.

Among the ladies, Serena Williams is unbeatable. Unlike her sister Venus. Serena has now amassed 17 major singles titles and this stockpile will continue to increase. She feels young at 32. Her mind is as robust as her biceps. And she’s drawing closer to the all-time record (22 slams) of Steffi Graf.

As to doubles, we’re hoping that one player will go far in the draw: Treat Huey. We’ve watched the left-hander play in Plantation Bay Resort and Spa several times in the past. Last year, he came here three times during our Davis Cup ties. With partner Dominic Inglot, the No. 12 seeds just won their first round match. We’re hoping they reach the later rounds.

Back home here in Cebu, what’s best is the TV coverage. We get complete and live tennis action. If you’ve subscribed to High Definition — as Ronnie Pacio, SkyCable’s Visayas chief, reminded me last Monday — it’s even better. In channel 761, the clarity is amazing.

From windy Cebu, let’s enjoy the sizzling tennis in Melbourne.

On tennis, when we reflect back on 11+ months of slice forehands and topspin backhands, two words enter my mind: “Rafa’s comeback.”

I’ll make a confession: Whenever I’m asked which player I cheer for more — Nadal or Roger Federer — I don’t provide an answer. I’m noncomittal. That’s because both are the most smiling, respectable and sportsmanlike of athletes on this planet. But, deep inside (Jasmin and Jana know this), the answer tips in the Spaniard’s favor. Maybe it’s Rafa’s tenacity. Maybe it’s his less-talent-than-Roger-but-bigger-heart that draws us cheering. Maybe it’s his humility. I think it’s all of the above.

This 2013, Nadal has amassed a record that is one of history’s best seasons ever. He won 75 and lost seven. That’s a 91.4 percent winning clip. He won the French Open for an eighth time (he’s lost only once ever in Roland Garros). He defeated Novak Djokovic at the US Open to collect his 13th Grand Slam singles trophy. This “13th in 2013” feat is significant because it puts him in the No. 3 spot among the all-time greats. Pete Sampras has 14 majors and Federer has 17.

Only four Grand Slam titles separate Roger and Rafa. These are interesting questions: Can Roger increase his 17 majors? If he doesn’t, Rafa can easily overtake the Swiss, right? (Their age gap is five years). What if Rafa’s injuries resurface? How long can he last this grinding-type game? Given his dominance on clay, how many more French Open titles will he collect?

We don’t know the answers. That’s the thrill of sports. There are no guarantees. (Look at the America’s Cup last Sept: New Zealand needed just one win but lost eight straight to the Americans.)

We don’t know what 2014 will hold. But this we know this December: Nadal is Numero Uno. Wasn’t this a farflung possibility 12 months ago? Looking back at 2012, right after Wimbledon, he skipped the Olympics (where he was the defending champion), he skipped the US Open, and, when we all thought he was ready, he skipped the 2013 Australian Open.

Nadal, who? Now, it’s whew, Nadal!

Apart from the two Grand Slam trophies that he pocketed, the 27-year-old, 6-foot-1 native of Manacor, Spain, won five Masters 1000 titles. These are, next to the majors, tennis’ biggest tournaments. But all these pale in contrast to Nadal’s mightiest accomplishment: He’s healthy. He no longer wears that knee brace. He’s not limping. It’s like an ill man on bed for months who finally walks. Just the mere walking is a blessing. It’s the same for Rafa: just being able to compete on that rectangle court is, for him, a mighty blessing.

Next year will be a guaranteed smash for men’s tennis. Djokovic just hired Boris Becker. We know, of course, that Andy Murray has Ivan Lendl as his coach. I also just learned from our Cebu-based Swedish coach, Tommy Frederiksen, that his fellow Swede, Stefan Edberg, spent time with Federer. Will Edberg be Federer’s coach? If yes, this is remarkable: Becker, Edberg and Lendl — the Big Three of the ‘80s — are all coaches. (Maybe, as teaser during tournaments, they can play exhibition matches?)

The Australian Open is starting this Jan. 13. The winner of the last three in Melbourne, Djokovic will be a shoo-in to triumph again. Remember that, in the last few months this season, he was unbeatable. (Too bad he missed on that Davis Cup win.) I’m sure “Djoker” or “Nole,” as he’s called, will be difficult to beat.

Murray? He, too, will scramble for that top ranking. Now that he’s unloaded that “monkey off his back” (Wimbledon — winning it last July), he’s raring to not only be one of the Fab Four but to stand at the summit of this Rafa-Nole-Andy-Roger rivalry.

My picks in 2014? I’ll play Santa and gift each of the Fab Four one apiece: The Serb will win in Australia; the Spaniard in France; the Swiss in the U.K. and the Scot in the U.S.