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TORONTO — Yesterday's first match on Centre Court at the Rogers Cup was something of a dud, Tommy Haas winning a battle of tour veterans 6-3, 6-2 over Carlos Moya.
It might have been because Moya is notorious for not liking early starts (yesterday's first-rounder began at 11 a.m.). Or maybe because Haas played well, sweetly hitting some of the smoothest-flowing strokes in the sport.
There was something else: Moya has had a hamstring problem for four months.
"It looks like it's better," the Spaniard said, "but what I need now is practice to be confident. I feel very heavy on the court and I can't move well."
Moya, 31, had a stress fracture in his lower back from the end of 1999 and into 2000, but has generally been healthy in recent years; particularly compared with Haas, 30, who missed the entire 2003 year after two rotator cuff operations.
Haas hit two gloriously angled overhead winners in the second set yesterday, putting his delicate shoulder to the test.
"That will never be the case any more, unfortunately," the world's No. 46-ranked men's player said in answer to a question about whether the joint was 100 per cent. "I had to have another [minor] surgery at the end of last year, which was tough because I had two great years and felt I was playing some of the best tennis of my career."
Haas and Moya were playing for the 11th time in a rivalry dating back to 1997. Their head-to-head record is now 6-5 for Haas, but they had, surprisingly, not played in six years, since the 2002 Italian Open.
"It was weird when I saw that we were going to play," Haas said. "It's been a while."
No. 28-ranked Moya chimed in: "He was injured, I've been injured for a while. These things happen in tennis. I knew it was a long time, but I didn't know it was six years. Time flies, I guess."
Moya and Haas have seen the passing of generations and have battled Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras, as well as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. As a result, they have a unique perspective on the current dominant players.
"I think what Roger did the last five years," Moya said, "was unbelievable. People weren't used to seeing him lose 10 matches a year, he was only losing four or five. Now, it's more normal and it's human. But still he's No. 2 in the [ATP] race and No. 1 in the [ATP Tour] rankings.
"Rafa is more aggressive than he used to be and he's such a great competitor. He's hungry to improve and very motivated to be No. 1 in the world. He's pushing very hard every single day of his life. If Roger wasn't there, he would be No. 1 for sure.
"[No. 3-ranked Novak] Djokovic lost to Rafa at the French Open and to [Marat] Safin at Wimbledon, which is unlucky. I think one day he's going to be No. 1. Everyone is talking about Rafa because he won Wimbledon and Paris but both [he and Federer] haven't forgotten about Djokovic."
Haas does not believe Federer is slipping, despite the Swiss going 0-3 at the past three Grand Slam events.
"I don't see it," he said. "Roger is physically fit, he's got the game. I don't know why he shouldn't be playing this kind of tennis in three years, or maybe even better tennis.
"Look at [Sampras], he won his last U.S. Open when he was 31 years old."
Haas possesses one of the most aesthetically pleasing games, highlighted by a single-handed backhand that he sort of unfurls and whacks with crazy power and precision.
"It's one of the best things people can tell me, that they enjoy watching me play," said the German, who plays No. 4 seed Nikolay Davydenko today. "I have a pretty good game, especially the backhand. I enjoy the sport and love giving something back."
Moya has a French Open (1998) title to his credit and ranked No. 1 in the world for two weeks in 1999. Haas was ranked as high as No. 2 in 2002 and has been to two semi-finals at the Australian Open (2002 and 2007).
"[Moya] and I," Haas summed up, "are basically just trying to maintain and wait and see if there is something left in the future for us."
That is a status many people, inside and outside of tennis, can identify with.
Special to The Globe and Mail
