Matthew Cronin

Can Emma Raducanu win consistently?

April 19, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

It can take a long time to recover on the court, to understand what you need to do, or something, but the former U.S. Open 2021 champion, Emma Raducanu, is getting better now. This week, she is playing Stuttgart, a very solid area, and Raducanu seems to be more thoughtful, on court and off. Last year, she got hurt in April 2023, and then she could not play during the rest of the reason, as she had to undergo a surgery, on both her hands and her ankle. She did win a couple terrific matches this week, but over the past three and a half months, she has been up and down. However, she can make a decision, and then to decide to go crosscourt, or down the line. She can be aggressively, or be patient. It is her decision.

Raducanu beat Angie Kerber pretty easily, but there were long rallies, yet she most of it.

“You need to be really careful not to overpress. She makes the court seem really small,” Raducanu said. “ There were moments in that match where I didn’t really know where to hit the ball because I felt like she was covering so much of the court and she was using my pace really well. I think just not trying to squeeze the lines too much and kind of just playing the shot and almost not trying to hit winners, and accidental winners I feel like are the best way, because I wasn’t trying to blast winners around the court. I was just committing to my strokes and would hit winners by accident sometimes. I feel like that’s the best way to approach it because then you’re not getting stressed out. It’s just a pleasant surprise when it happens.”

She must have been. The 21-year-old is a fine player with her forehand and her backhand, and she is also somewhat quick. Her serve is so-so, and at the net, she is OK, but not fantastic. Maybe she will, someday, but she has to become substantially better, as she has only won one event, and nothing else.

“I think the last weekend I played some great tennis. I’m mentally in a good place,” Raducanu said. “I’m taking a lot of confidence from the training I’m doing. I feel like I can actually, like, lean on that more so now because I’m actually doing the work, whereas last year it was very difficult. I have played a lot of matches and I’m feeling fatigued than being super fresh and losing. It’s funny, because you always want something that you can’t have. But I am playing some really good tennis.”

She is going to play even better, as she has to face the No. 1 Iga Swiatek, who can take you out immediately. … Also in the quarterfinals, Elena Rybakina is ready to try to win another title, but while she can look stunning, she can also fold. Or maybe she will not, yet she has to face against the Italian Jasmine Paolini, who has had a terrific season, winning Dubai. She is more aggressive then she did five years ago….Coco Gauff has had a pretty good year, yet as she has said, she can miss some key opportunities. She will go up against Marta Kostyuk , a re-match, as Gauff beat her 7-6, 6-7,6-2 in the third, a marathon. One more time?

With the men, how about the teenager, Arthur Fils, who a big match in Barcelona? It will take him more of a while, but his two coaches, Sergi Bruguera and Sebastien Grosjean, have done it a lot when they went into the big matches, so maybe they can teach him with more various strokes…Rafa Nadal lost there and while he did not play great when he went down, but he just came back, with his frequently injury, so assuming that he can play 100 percent, then he will be very good again. But that is a huge question, health wise…There are two players who are seeded like Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas, and they look on top of it. But can they win the event? That is possible, as long as they can be a victim, on the famous clay.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Arthur Fils, coco gauff, Emma Raducanu, Jasmine Paolini, Matthew Cronin, rafa nadal

Stefanos Tsitsipas wins Monte-Carlo

April 15, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Who would have thought that Stefanos Tsitsipas would suddenly rise up in Monte-Carlo, and then, he actually win the event? Before that, in three months, he was so-so, but on the clay in France, he began to play much more consistent, and also, he decided to hit the ball really harder.

The Greek beat three top 10 players, with Alexander Zverev, Jannik Sinner, and in the final, he out-hit Casper Ruud 6-1, 6-4. After he overcame about No. 2 Sinner in three dramatic sets, with some tremendous forehands, he knew that versus Ruud, he could pump it early, and then, pound the ball. He did, and now, he is going into Barcelona, Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros, who should be on top of the ball. Or maybe he won’t be, as the last time he won it was in Los Cabos, Mexico, back in July, and after that, he became erratic. Really, you never know, but last week, he look phenominal.

“This is an unbelievable win for me. Capturing that win today was nerve-wracking,” Tsitsipas said.

“I had to go out there and show my tennis as I promised every single of them I will make the most out of it. I am glad I presented on court and showed some ruthless tennis. From the beginning to the end my play was cohesive and I was able to blend in a lot of different shots.”

Unfortunately, Ruud looked tired. In the semis, he upset the No. 1 Novak Djokovic in three very tough sets. He played incredible, with some terrific strokes, and even he was able to stay in there, backhand to backhand. Crosscourt and down the line, Djokovic is the best player of all time, but Ruud wore him down. The 25-year-old is more emotional when he is playing great. Now he has to refresh, as he will play in Barcelona, this week, so if he wants to go deep again, he is going to have to be super patient.

USA over Belgium in Billie Jean King Cup
This has been going for years, in April, which was called the Fed Cup, but now, it is called the Billie Jean King Cup. Ok, that is fine, but not many people know who it is.

Someday, many will, or maybe not, but in Orlando, the United States won 4-0 in the qualifying series.

In the singles, Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro won it, as was did Caroline Dolehide and Taylor Townsend in the dead-rubber doubles. Many of the Americans have won it so many times, but over the past 10 years, it has been harder. They will find out when in November, in Seville, Spain, there will be 12 teams. That could be dramatic. The new first-year captain Lindsay Davenport played so many times, over the years, so this time, she knows that she has a lot of work to do. Clearly, she was a terrific player, but currently, she has to learn coaching, gradually. She was happy though, a solid victory.

“It’s been an awesome experience. It was a little overwhelming last year when I just had my first conversation with the USTA,” she said. “I can’t do this. I’ve got four kids. They came back and they’re like, We really want to make this work. I was super happy about that. It was never not about the players. Being on court with players is something I love. It was hard to balance practices, there were some meetings . I think I would look to schedule days differently. Like I said, it was a learning week for me also.”

Yes it does.

Stuttgart hosts a number of the top players with Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina. That should be a wild week.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story

Ben Shelton rises again, wins Houston

April 7, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Try it, if you can.

The 21-year-old player Ben Shelton is now playing much more consistently, and on Sunday, he won Houston, beating Frances Tiafoe 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. After the second set, it was possible to fold, but he kept cracking the ball, from the baselines, and he also returned when he had to.

Yes, Tiafoe has had a tough year during 2024, but he did play pretty well that week, so many when they go into the clay in Europe, then he can play much more thoughtful, on the court. He has to, as outside of that, in Houston, he lost very early over the past three months.

Shelton is still young, so he will continue to grow, month after month, and add to put out some new shots. He is now ranked No. 14, and eventually, it is possible that he can reach into the top 10, but it will take him a while, as on the clay, he will have to be very harmonious.

As Shelton said: “I love to get to net, be able to use some of my hand skills, athletic skills and going up to get the ball (to put it away).”

Go for it. He just passed Tommy Paul, who is now ranked No. 16, and in a few weeks, he can also be higher that Taylor Fritz, who just lost in the ATP 1000 Monte-Carlo.

Collins: Sunshine doubles up
How about Danielle Collins, who won it again, winning Miami, and then in Charleston, she blasted it, anytime, anywhere. She easily beat Daria Kasatkina 6-2, 6-1 in the final, who was hurt. Even though Collins can hit it really long, out, but she keeps on attacking it, and crushing it. The 30-year-old is even smarter than she was before.

“I had a lot of matches in Miami, and I had a lot of matches here,” Collins said. “I had, at one point in this tournament, two matches in one day, which is not easy to pull off. I don’t know if I’ve done that before as a professional. I feel like the last time I did that was like in 12-and-unders. So to be able to physically battle and push myself to a new limit gives me a lot of confidence. I’ve been so happy to be, obviously, playing at the level that I’ve been playing, but to be able to back it up two weeks in a row has just been fantastic.”

Collins now has won 13 wins, and she is currently ranked No. 15. Believe it or not, she has only won four titles, which is solid, but how about a few more, this year? Try it, if you can.

NOTES
There are a bunch of events, now. Last week, there were six tournaments, which is a lot. Who will pay attention, the matches, all of them? Not many, that is for sure. This has been going on for many years, not the players that much, but with the owners, and also, with the ATP and the WTA. They are trying to change it, which is decent, but it is almost impossible to pull it, off. It is the real history, to remember everything.

Anyway, here a few more winners, who won it all: In Marrakech, Morocco, Matteo Berrettini won it, over Roberto Carballes Baena. … Pole Hubert Hurkacz took it again, beating Pedro Martinez to win the Portugal Estoril Open. … Camila Osorio won Colombia again, beating Marie Bouzkova. In Spain Maria Lourdes Carle grabbed, it.

Bang, done.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Ben Shelton, charleston, danielle Collins, Frances Tiafoe, Houston, miami, the ATP, the WTA

Danielle Collins wins Miami, can she won a Slam?

April 4, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Was it very surprised when Danielle Collins won the Miami Open, beating Elena Rybakina 7-5, 6-3 in the final? Maybe, as for the first time, when the 30-year-old finally won a WTA Masters 1000-level even. That is a very long time, but over the past two weeks, she was very focused, she nailed her forehand and her backhand deep, into the corners. She can try to blast it, all the time, but she can also over hit, and lose her control. Yes she is playing great now, but for many years, she was not close. However, in Florida, Collins locked in.

“That game took a lot out of me and Elena was pushing me all around the court,” Collins said. “At the end I was just like, ‘Thank God.’ It all caught up to me.”

She came ranked No. 53 in Miami, and now she is No. 22. She said that at the end of the year, she will retire, because she’s suffering from the endometriosis, a painful ailment that affects the uterus. That can be painful, but on court, you just have to fight, in the matches. You have know choice.

Just before she played in Miami, she woke up, and she was ready to dance, and to put it in.

“When I walked in today, I immediately had, like, a few cameramen on me and we were having some great moments with my team. I said, you know, these are some really special moments<“ Collins said. “I don’t want to be so focused on everything else where I don’t get of take it in.
Part of the reason why I played so well and did a good job today was because I had that mentality of, like, I’m going to enjoy every minute of this. This is my last year, and these are some of my final events. I want to remember these moments. I do look back on sometimes different stages of my career, and be like, wow, that’s a blur and I don’t really remember it that much. It doesn’t really seem that long ago when you say, oh, four years or six years, but in a lot of ways it can feel like an eternity.”

She has yet to win Grand Slam, but at least she reached into the final at the 2022 Aussie Open, and then she finally lost, versus Ashleigh Barty. Really, Barty is a better played, even after she retired then Collins. So that is not a big deal, but maybe, in the next seven months, she can win another tournament. Maybe the U.S. Open? She has only won three events, so then why not to go for it again.

Many times, Rybakina can play amazing, but then, she can trip it up. She was not thrilled when she lost in the final. The No. 4 Rybakina said that about Collins “she’s playing very aggressive…Physically I was not at my best so I couldn’t push myself. Maybe I should have maybe just risked a little bit more when I had these break points.”

She didn’t, but on the clay, she will try again with more patience…All of the three top players — with Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff— all lost. It is impossible to win all the matches, month after month, so if you lose, you can take a huge breath, and move on…This week, in Credit One Charleston Open, Collins will face against the No. 6 Ons Jabeur. That should be a crazy match, as Jabeur can really mix it all around, but she has been slumping, so she will have to really center…Almost all the American women who are playing, with also with Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys and Emma Navarro, among others. Hopeful the weather will be decent, as there have been some tough days over the past four weeks, including in California, Florida, and South Carolina. Good luck…

With the men, at the 2024 Aussie Open, Jannik Sinner said, “I like to dance in the pressure storm.” Well he did it, and the won it at Miami 6-3, 6-1, over over Grigor Dimitrov. He is winning all the time, now. This year, he could become No. 1 for the first time. Maybe, because on the clay, it will be totally more feel, on the court. However, he is so darn good, now. He has only lost won match over the past three months. He is solid and powerful. Now he is No. 2, ahead of Carlos Alcaraz , slightly. A few years ago, he wasn’t understanding what to do, a lot. But now, he is very calm, and conscious.

“You go through, when you’re young, you don’t handle these situations as I handle them now. Maybe in the future I handle them even better, ”Sinner said, who also destroyed Daniil Medvedev in the semis. “But my personality is very trying to stay calm. But in the other way, you have to don’t sit back. You have to attack it. You know, if I lose the match by attacking and trying to take it, for me it’s better than standing back and then seeing what’s happening. That’s also how I am. So you have to stay focused, mentally in every situation. On the courts, many things can happen. The momentum can switch so fast even if you’re up a set and break. So you have to be very aware of this.”

He has to go to Monte Carlo, to play, next week. weeks. The Italian is also thinking about playing at Roland Garros, but he is already thinking about Rome. Or anything.

“Now the clay season is coming, so usually I struggle there. So let’s see what I can do this year,” he said. “For sure, I am living a good life now…For sure, the main goal is Roland Garros, yes, but trying to work slowly into this tournament and trying to play it in the best possible way. Before I have Rome, for me, especially is a really, really important tournament. Playing with the home crowd, it’s always amazing. No, I’m very relaxed. Physically I’m in a different shape than I was last year, which the clay is a lot physical. Then we’ll see how it goes.”

He will go somewhere… The American men are in Houston this week, on clay. It has gone for a very long times, and the fans who see to like it. However, there are not any of the top 10, but at least there are a couple men who are in the top 20 with Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton. The Argentine, Francisco Cerundolo, is also there, who is rankedNo. 23. Whoever will win the event and then they will travel into Europe. When they land, they can continue to cheer. But after that, can they beat the tremendous players, to win, or fold, again? That is a huge question.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Charleston Open, danielle Collins, Elena Rybakina, Houston, Jannik Sinner, Matt Cronin, miami

Miami final: Can Grigor Dimitrov upset Jannik Sinner?

March 31, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

The last time when that Grigor Dimitrov reached into the final at a ATP 1000 was in October, when he reached at the Paris Masters, and he didn’t win it, he was getting better. Over the past 11 days in the Miami Open, he rose up, upsetting Carlos Alcaraz, and also when he out-lasted Alexander Zverev 6-4 in the third. Finally he was confidence again, which can be a bit odd, giving that the 32-year-old did not play well last year, here and there, but something must have happen to focus much more on the court.
However, has to face against Jannik Sinner, who is on fire, as he has only lost one match in 2024, and at the Aussie Open, he won it, when he played fantastic.

Almost four years ago in Rome, Dimintrov beat him 6-4 in the third, and it was darn close, but he was more steady at the end. Yet last year, Sinner beat him twice, in Miami, early in straight sets, and then in the fall, he pushed him back to win in three sets in Beijing.
Dimitrov has changed, again, to be real, much more, as in the start of the year, he won Brisbane, and he reached the final in Marseille. He was different.

“I think the discipline brought me to that moment. There is nothing else,” Dimitrov said, who won Cincinnati and the ATP 1000 Final in London in 2017. “I didn’t kind of deviate from my target, not even my goal. I had small targets throughout — every single week I had a target, and also to be able to put my body through all that on a daily basis was also very important for me. Every single day when I wake up and I don’t have a big pain that would stop me to practice 100% was already a success for me. So when you start putting all that together, I think it’s where I’m most, in a way, most proud with. Of course competing against top players and beating them sort of back to back, it’s definitely what I’m the most happy with.”

The Italian is on the tear, winning everything, expected for Indian Wells. But here, he is again, nailing with her forehand and his backhand. He can smash it, into the corners, or down the line. He is more than an intense person. He has grown up.

“The first time I came here I made final, I couldn’t sleep the night [before],” said Sinner, who destroyed Daniil Medvedev. “The second time, which was last year, I was relaxed because I went through periods where I already [had similar] experiences. Now I’m a different player, different person. I will handle it hopefully a little bit better again.”

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Grigor Dimitrov, Jannik Sinner, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, miami

Will Danielle Collins take down Elena Rybakina in Miami?

March 29, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

It would be somewhat stunning that Danielle Collins wins a huge tournament, this year, as the American has said that she will retire at the end of the year. She is only 30 years old, but it is time to go, but before that, she has to knock down Elena Rybakina on Saturday in Miami Open.

Rybakina can play terrific, each event, but then she can lose control. But over the past 10 days, she locked in, and she kept coming, with her forehand and her backhand. She edged Vika Azarenka in the tiebreaker on the third set, and she did not get nervous, at all. She has changed, month after month.

“It’s a lot about the decisions on the court, but I’m just really proud how mentally I could still push myself even though it was really difficult from the beginning. For sure I can take a lot from this tournament, a lot of positive,” she said. “And also, in the beginning, these long matches were helping me to get back in shape. Now I’m not in shape just because I’m tired of all these long matches, but overall, it was really successful tournament no matter how I do in the final.”

Rybakina has beat Collins three times, but she did lose, once. But it is a new chapter, on Saturday, as Collins gradually rises when she paint the lines. She has missed on the court for many years, but she can also be focused, and more calm. She is a gigantic hitter, in the backcourt, and she can go for it, super early. When Collins isn’t playing, she will occasionally read some important books. Because of that, she will get smarter, with everyone.

“I think a lot of these sports psychology books and things that they talk about high-level sports, they talk about being in the zone, almost feeling like you’re hitting beach balls, I think it can feel like that at times. That’s a good thing,” Collins said. “In other times that I have played well and have had deep runs in tournaments, it’s been like that, and then, in other times, there’s days, it’s like going out to the golf range and having a bad day and you’re missing shots. But right now I’m timing the ball really well. I think I have made some physical adjustments too that’s helped me be able to control my shots more and hit them with more accuracy and precision.”

Collins did beat Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semis, so she outhit her. She did reach the the 2022 Australian Open final, so now, if she can grab Miami, it will be an AMAZING thrill. But let’s see who will put it in the basket.

“I’m looking forward to playing Elena,” Collins said. “We have had a lot of great matches previously, some battles. That’s what we play for as professional athletes, these close ones. Every time I have played her, it’s neck and neck.”

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: danielle Collins, Elena Rybakina, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, miami

Can Danielle Collins rise up again?

March 28, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Collins: “This is a really big life decision.”

She has had a tough year, but the American Danielle Collins is on a wildfire, having beaten a number of the players in Miami. Yes, she will retire at the end of the year, but what she really wants to do is to win a huge title. She may not, but she is in the semis against Ekaterina Alexandrova, so she certainly will go for it, with her massive forehand and her backhand. However, she can really mess it up, and throw in lots of errors. She could be more patient, and wait until it is the right time, to go for it, but won’t do it, often. At least this week, she is trying to do something different. At least a little bit.

“It helped [her] be able to kind of control my shots more and hit them with more accuracy and precision,” she said. “I’m enjoying my career. I’m having a lot of fun. I love coming out here and competing. But at the end of the day, like, this is a really big life decision, and I think that that should be pretty understandable.”

She will have to find the lines, as the Russian, Alexandrova, can also try to split the ball. Either way, the winner will have to jump on the corners, and reach.

When she is so solid, Elena Rybakina can beat anyone, if she becomes frustrated. She is quick, she can chuck it around, and she can also slam it. But with her, the No. 4 can misplace it, and almost disappear. With her, you don’t really know.

The same goes with Victoria Azarenka, and they will face off on Thursday. The veteran has always been super intense, and she will swing it so hard. However, she also can be upset, when she is not playing great, and then she will lose it. She has won Miami three times, and she looked phenomenal, but that has been a long time ago, so the 34-year-old has to play very well, as her serve and her return is so-so.

The German Alexander Zverev is more consistent than he did before, and he will make an attempt to control it, point after point. He has to face the new young player, Fabian Marozsan, who is rising. However, he has a lot of work to do, as he lost a number of matches this year. Let’s see if he can trouble Zverev, but I doubt, that.

Carlos Alcaraz has beaten Grigor Dimitrov three times, but in the fall in Shanghai, the Bulgarian edged him 6-4 in the third. Dimitrov always really likes to move it crosscourt, and to slice it. However, so does the Spaniard, who throws in some terrific, fantastic shots, and plus, he is extremely fast. This should be a fun match, but right it at the end, the No. 2 Alcaraz will beat him one more time. He is trying to become No. 1. Not this week, but soon enough.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, danielle Collins, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, miami, victoria azarenka

Will Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner take the Miami title?

March 26, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Is it possible for Carlos Alcaraz to win Indian Wells and Miami back to back?

Some people have, but not many, such as Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka and Iga Swiatek.

Azarenka is still there, but Djokovic decided not to play in Miami, Federer has retired and Swiatek, who won Indian Wells, just lost in Florida against Ekaterina Alexandrova. When you win Indian Wells, you could be tired, depending on how you feel.

Alcaraz’s will find out shortly, when he has to face versus Lorenzo Musetti, the Italian, who put down Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-6(5).

On court, the 20-year-old can really throw into some very cool shots, being patient and when he is set up, he can drive the ball. Alcaraz can miss here and there, down the line or crosscourt. Yes, he will keep going, harder and harder.

“Every player has his own style. But probably mine is a little bit different to other Spaniards’ style,” he said. “I think other Spanish players have similar style than mine. I’m more aggressive. I think my ball goes faster. I have a lot of things that I can do on the court. It’s depend on the player.”

Believe it or not, in the 2023 Miami, he lost to Jannik Sinner in three sets. Maybe it will happen again, because the Italian is still winning. Sinner won the Australian Open, and this season he has won almost all of it, also winning Rotterdam. But guess what? Alcaraz out fooled him, beating Sinner it 6-2 in the third at Indian Wells in the semis. It could happen again, but Sinner has to be patient, and go for it early, if there is a chance.

Christopher O’Connell will play Sinner on Tuesday , and he has to play spectacular, as this year he has not gone deep at all, until this week. He has to play very consistent, and move forward, fast. If he wins it, it will be one of his best matches of all time.

Speaking of Hubert Hurkacz … he has had a decent year, even terrific, as the tall man not only can chuck it some many aces, but he can hit his forehand and his backhand deep, without too many errors. He is thoughtful, that is for sure. However, he has to face Grigor Dimitrov, a veteran, as the one-handed backhand can earth him. He can play great, or he can disappear. It is hard to know, but it should be a very intense match.

We all know that the former No.1 Azarenka has won the title three times in Miami in 2009, 2011 and 2016, and she was very good, but she would hit some off errors. Maybe she will win it again, but she is ranked No. 32, and she has not won a big title in a long time. The 34-year-old is still so powerful, from both sides, but she does not return enough, and to run it down. Maybe Azarenka will rise up one more time, but first she has to face Yulia Putintseva, who has been consistent for a long time. They will try to jump on the lines.

Here is a stellar match when Elena Rybakina will face Maria Sakkari, the two top 10ers. The No. 4 Rybakina won Brisbane, and her strokes can be tremendous, but she can also trip it down. Finally, Sakkari started to play well over the past few weeks, and she reached the final at Indian Wells. She loves to rally, for many hours, but she also has to go for it, faster. She has no choice as Rybakina will attack her as soon as she can and put it on the lines.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Carlos Alcaraz, Elena Rybakna, Hubert Hurkacz, Jannik Sinner, Matthew Cronin, miami open, victoria azarenka

Sloane Stephens: ‘Who knows how much longer I will play, but there is still a lot left’

March 22, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

The older they get, many people finally become more intelligent, and what is really happening. Sloane Stephens just turned 31-years-old, and while she won the 2017 US Open, after that, she could not do it again. Other players want to do it again and again, and while she certainly made some huge efforts, it wasn’t good enough, and that is OK. However, she has had some tough times, on the court. She knows that.

“It’s been obviously a difficult journey, a lot of ups and downs, a lot of heartbreak, a lot of strong, incredible performances on incredible stages and great trophies and just very low lows,” she said, who is playing Miami Open, after she beat Angelique Kerber 6-2, 6-3. “It’s definitely been a journey in itself, and I think obviously when I started playing tennis I would have never even dreamed of winning a Grand Slam or being No. 3 in the world. I was playing because I really enjoyed it and I loved it. Somebody asked me this the other day, like, does it matter that you were never No. 1 in the world? I’m, like, absolutely not. I maxed out what I had, I won a Grand Slam, I had a great career-high ranking, played the Olympics, done all these amazing things.”

Yes, there are some terrific memories, when they are awake, or sleeping. It is the good stuff, or bad, depending during the matches. Stephens can be so steady, with her forehand and her backhand, and when she is comfortable, then she can try to nail it into the lines. Even on the dirt, when she is skipping around on the court, then she can mix it up, a lot. She did reach at Roland Garros, in 2018, and while she didn’t win it, she was more respectable. But not all the time. Current, she is ranked No. 41, which is OK, but not wonderful. At the last six Slams, since 2022, she could not advance into the second week. Ouch. Perhaps she can do it again, but maybe she will just hang it around.

“When you start a sport, you can have a dream, obviously something that you really want to do, and if you do that, you get there, it’s always incredible, right? But when you do that and then you do so many other things on top of it, it’s just like icing on the cake,” said Stephens, who will face against the solid person, Sorano Cirstea.

“I feel like I have done so much, but there is still a lot left. I’m 31, but who knows how much longer I will play, but there is still a lot left. Hopefully some more, like, accomplishments and fun things to come.”

Osaka win sets up clash with Svitolina
Another four time Grand Slam champion, Naomi Osaka, is starting to play well, so when she can go month after month, then eventually, she can be much more attentive. She can mash her forehand and her backhand down the line, quickly, and she can also raid, immediately. She has had some tough years, with her thoughts, and she is working on it, but in the matches, she can re-think what she is doing. She has to face against another very good player, Elina Svitolina, in the second round. Both of them will hit the ball so hard.

It has to be with Frances Tiafoe this week in Florida, as the other American hasn’t gone deep this year, and even before that. In 2023 in June he won Stuttgart, Germany, but after that, he fell down. Two weeks ago at Indian Wells, he lost in the second round. He was a fine player in 2022, when he reached into the semi at the US Open, and he almost did it, but Carlos Alcaraz overcame him in the fifth set. At Miami, Tiafoe will face a solid veteran, the Aussie, Christopher O’Connell, so that should be a long contest. Backhand to backhand, whoever can press it, down the line, he will grab it.

Is Cameron Norrie is fading this year? I would say, no, not yet, as the No. 30 players all the time, and he is very steady. However, he should blitz early. He will face versus Flavio Cobolli, who has had a solid season.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Cameron Norrie, Frances Tiafoe, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, miami, naomi osaka, sloane stephens

Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek win Indian Wells

March 18, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Maybe when you cannot believe that Carlos Alcaraz came to the tournament at Indian Wells that his body was very sore, but day after day, he rose, and the Spaniard won it all, beating Daniil Medvedev 7-6(5), 6-1. Yes, the Russian was darn tired, in the second set, as he had played a lot of tough matches, but Alcaraz did all of it, with his amazing forehand and his backhand. He can mix it up all over the place, and he can also charge, and put it away.

The 20-year-old is so quick, running, and he can bend down and slap it, or just touch it, next to the net. His serve can be up and down, but he can blast it into the corners, and then he will be controlled.

Without a doubt, Medvedev really likes in the rallies, especially with his super consistent forehand and his backhand, and he can also chuck it around, everyday. However, he has won one Grand Slams at the 2021 U.S. Open, but he has not won another. He probably will, but he really needs to add some differnent shots, like to attack when he is returning, and also, clip it more into the net.

Alcaraz has won two Slams, and if he continues not to get hurt a lot, then he can win another Slam or more. He is intense.

“Winning this tournament means a lot to me because the week before it began, I had a lot of doubts about my ankle,” Alcaraz said. “I remember my first practice here was just 30 minutes with no movement and probably the first practice with really good tennis players was really tough for me, because I thought I was not going to play my best. I was not feeling well with my ankle, so a lot of doubts for me. But once I stepped on the court, the first round, I started to feel better.”

Medvedev won Miami last year, so while he must be physically tired, he will try to wake up, and grab it again.

Iga Swiatek did it immediately, as the No. 1 smoked Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-0 in the second set in the final. She has lost some matches in the past two and a half months, but when she is rolling, then she can nail it early, crosscourt or down the line. She can get frustrated, but she is now much more mature. As she said: “I would say you just feel like your game is better than anyone out there,” she said.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story