Archives for 2021

Medvedev on verge of Grand Slam success

August 21, 2021 by Matthew Cronin

Daniil Medvedev totally crushed Pablo Carreno Busta on Friday in Cincinnati. While he can be irritable, still, on court, he is now very patient. He has a huge serve, he cracks his forehand and he whacks his backhand. Three years ago, he wasn’t great at the net, and also, he wasn’t more thoughtful when he returns. But, week after week, when he continued to practice, he became more smarter in the matches.

Medvedev has already captured big events, winning the ATP 1000’s such as four of them, including Canada. If he wins it in Ohio, when he gets to the US Open, then he will have a real shot to win to grab a Grand Slam.

For him, fortunately, he will be right there. The injured Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer pulled out and they are done for the rest of the year, as they are seriously hurt. They are both very popular, and for the younger players, the fans have to watch them and see if they like Medvedev.

That is up to them, but the Russian is coming very strong. Listen to American, Reilly Opelka, who lost against Medvedev.

“He’s a great returner. Medvedev is top three best returners in the world, you could say,” Opelka said. “I’d say especially for a big guy, maybe he’s No.2 behind Novak [Djokovic] for like a server like myself, because he’s long. He can afford to stand far back, because he’s lanky. He has a really long reach. He’s got a good wingspan. His grips are kind of traditional so he’s able to play, handle the ball well from back there, from that far back, because he’s pretty Eastern on his forehand. He’s fast. He’s a good athlete. He’s able to get out of the corners quick, he’s able to play deep back in the corner to me. It’s tough.”

Medvedev blew out John Isner 6-2 6-2. Isner has put together millions of aces. But the Russian stepped in and he returned very smart, where it was going.

Andrey Rublev, who has reached the semis this weekend, is very potent & assured. Can he win an ATP 1000 sometime? He is ranked No. 7, but if he wants to be in the top 5, he has to step it up…

Sebastian Korda can look pretty good, but the American got hurt so he had to pull out this week. If he can get healthy, he should have a at least one fantastic match in Flushing Meadows.

Today, and I am guessing, but here are five U.S. men can win at least one matches, and go to the fifth setters: Frances Tiafoe, Jenson Brooksby, Taylor Fritz, Brandon Nakashima and Mackenzie McDonald.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Andrey Rublev, Brandon Nakashima, cincinnati, daniil medvedev, Frances Tiafoe, Jenson Brooksby, Reilly Opelka, Sebastian Korda, Taylor Fritz

Angie Kerber: ‘I fought my way through’

August 19, 2021 by Matthew Cronin

At times, the former No.1 Angie Kerber has been rock solid. The German would run to the net when she really had to. But what she really liked was to stay in the backcourt and knock it back forever. Her legs were super strong, she can spin it, or flatten it out. She would battle, and she wouldn’t give up.

When she was No. 1, she had an incredible confidence. However, that cannot stay forever. That is very rare for everyone.

A few years ago, Kerber fled mentally. She won three Grand Slams, winning the 2016 Australian Open and the US Open, and also 2018 Wimbledon. She was clearly the No. 1 player on the planet. But then, she began to slide.

Yes, here and there, she was slightly injured, but not much. She just couldn’t think anymore. She was very frustrated.

Not any more. She woke up in Cinncinnati, took down Jelena Ostapenko 4-6 6-2 7-5 in the round of 16 and edged Elena Svitolina, 7-5 2-6 6-4 on Wednesday. All of sudden, she realized that she can come back and beat every player.

“That means a lot to me, she’s such a great player. She played great,” said Kerber about Svitolina: “I fought my way through, it was important to stay in the match after the second set and play point by point.”

She won Bad Homburg this year. Then the 33-year-old reached the semis at Wimbledon, beating two very young and excellent players, Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova.

Maybe she can win it this week, in Ohio, or even the US Open. She wants it, especially to get the trophy in Flushing Meadow. But really, it is all about being more aggressive, here and there. She can be steady, but when she sees a real chance, she can leap on the ball and crush it.

NOTES
Why is Svitolina so frustrated? After she lost, she smashed her racket. Ouch…

It has been a difficult year for Naomi Osaka, who has not been happy at all. She has said that she can be depressed. A lot of people throughout the world are depressed. So, if you can, battle. She did that on court on Wednesday when she edged Gauff, 4-6 6-3 6-4. When she won, on the match point, she nailed it with an ace. She is so darn good when she is on.

How about Karolina Muchova who beat the No.7 seed Bianca Andreescu 6-4, 6-2? True enough, it is the Czech’s fifth victory over a Top-10 player, including Karolina Pliskova and Ash Barty. On Monday, Muchova beat Johanna Konta, and early in February, Muchova reached the Australian Open semifinals beating Karolina Pliskova and Ash Barty before going down to Jennifer Brady. Yes, Muchova can be very good, but she can also check out. But, the older she gets, she has become more serene.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Angie Kerber, cincinnati, Karolina Muchova, naomi osaka

Danielle Collins: ‘It’s been wild’

August 10, 2021 by Matthew Cronin

In the last three weeks, Danielle Collins won Palermo and San Jose. In the San Jose final, the American beat Russian Daria Kasatkinaa 6-3 6-7(10) 6-1, hitting some huge swings, with 54 winners and 12 aces.

Collins has now won 11th straight, and now, she will be ranked No. 28. She was hurt last year, physically, which is a professional tennis hazard as almost everyone gets injured eventually. However, on court, she looks fast, steady and aggressive.

“I just had to really kind of lock into that mentality of being really patient with myself, and putting myself in an aggressive position consistently, but also accepting the fact that there were going to be some errors and mistakes along the way,” Collins said.

This week, Collins spoke about the former No. 1, Serena Williams, who is friendly with her. The 23-time Grand Slam winner says that when you are on court, it is important to play with the attitude.

“She always offers something and you can always learn something from watching Serena. I think that’s really important for the younger generations is seeing the emotions she plays with and seeing the consistent positive attitude and self-belief that she has,” Collins said.

The 27-year-old does believe that Serena is the best player of all time. However, the Australian Margaret Court won 24 Grand Slams, but the 39-year-old Serena helps the other players.

“I think it’s so many things but she offers so much to us emotionally and she has inspired so many generations of tennis by her accomplishments but also the great things she does off the court by giving back,” Collins said. “She’s an incredible figure that we are so lucky to have in our sport. Just to see her over the years and become the greatest player of all time, it’s been wild.”

NOTES
This week in Canada, Sorana Cirstea continues to play better this year than she as for years. She looks much smarter on court.

American Amanda Anisimova is really struggling, but she did win a match on Monday. Two years ago, she was ranked No. 21. Now she is ranked No. 86. Time to go upwards…

Another American Tommy Paul, qualified, and in the first round, he beat Vasek
Pospisil on Monday. The now consistent Paul is ranked No. 56, and he should be able into the top 40s, next week. That would be a career high.

Reilly Opelka beat Nick Kyrgios in three tough sets. By the US Open, he should be ranked in top 30. The Americans need it. Better than nothing.

San Diego man Taylor Fritz lost again, and he plays every week.. Why? He has so much talent. He must be tired, traveling, from Europe to the United States. He must be tired, mentally. Take a breath.

Filed Under: Lead Story Tagged With: amanda anisimova, danielle Collins, daria kasatkina, Palermo, Reilly Opelka, San Jose, Serena williams, Tommy Paul

Summer swings into Washington & San Jose

August 6, 2021 by Matthew Cronin

This week, in the United States, the hardcourt tournament continue in August. It very hot outside. The players know that in the summer, the heat is on.

The 17-year-old Coco Gauff is getting better all the time. Alison Riske said that Gauff hits a lot of terrific shots, and she is very powerful, as well as potent.

“I feel like women’s American tennis – I don’t know when it was this deep. I’ve been playing on tour for 12 years, and I’ve never seen anything like it,” Riske said. “I couldn’t say enough amazing things about Coco. She’s an amazing competitor, and she has an amazing family behind her.”

In 2021, Riske has been hurt. She has been working to came back. It has been slow as she is trying to figure out what she has to do to improve. She has now played eight tournaments, and she only won three matches. Finally, this week, she is heathy.

She reached a career high of No. 18 in 2019, and at Wimbledon, she upset Belinda Bencic, and the No. 1 Ash Barty, before losing to Serena Williams 6-3 in the third set in the quarters. Pretty good, but she will be thrilled if she reaches a Slam semi before she retires.

How about the 23-year-old Reilly Opelka? He is ranked No. 36, and he wants to have a top 32 seed at the US Open. To do it, over the next three weeks, he has to go for it. The 6-foot-11 has a fine serve and backhand, but he is working on fixing his forehand. Also, in need of improvement are his net and return games. If he wants to eventually be at the top 20, or even the top 10, he has to find a focal point. On Thursday, he lost to John Millman. Time to pick it up.

NOTES
No. 26 Madison Keys was playing in San Jose, and she lost in the second round. The American did reach the final at ‘17 US Open, losing against Sloan Stephens, who is also playing in California. Keys has won Charleston, Cincinnati and Stanford. But then, she can check out. The big hitter Keys reached No. 7 six years ago, but the 26-year-old can play great, but she gets hurt a lot.

Lloyd Harris stunned Rafa Nadal 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 in Washington. Nadal just returned after a long rest. So, in a couple weeks, he should look better. Harris is on fire…

Jenson Brooksby won some matches on the grass and now on the hardcourts. No doubt, the 20 -year-old will play Cincinnati, and then at the US Open.

That was a good win by Danielle Collins in San Jose when she beat Sloane Stephens 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. I am just not sure when Stephens will be more composed this year. Where is she?

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Alison Riske, coco gauff, danielle Collins, Lloyd Harris, Rafael Nadal, Reilly Opelka, San Jose, sloane stephens, Washington

Isner grabs Atlanta title for sixth time

August 2, 2021 by Ron Cioffi

ATLANTA – With a fifth match point, John Isner was looking to step it up and go past his five Atlanta Open crowns. That’s when Brandon Nakashima’s second serve bounced off of the net and outside of the service box, making Isner a six-time winner of the Truist Atlanta Open. In a hot afternoon, the older American won 7-6(8), 7-5.

Call Georgia a second home for Isner, who played at the University of Georgia and continues to hear the UGA unofficial cheer of a bulldog bark at tournaments around the world. Plus, his collegiate home continues to be an advantage for Isner. In this tournaments 11 years, Isner has reached the final nine times. He lost to Mardy Fish in 2010-11 and Nick Kyrgios in 2016.

Isner moved into rarified company with six titles in one tournament. Roger Federer has at least six titles in seven tournaments while Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal has captured at least six at four events.

“You can’t compare me with those guys. In my earlier day, I was never pegged to be a great champion,” he said. Asked about what he considered his greatest accomplishment, he said, “My consistency. Being in the top 20 for 10 consecutive years.”

The former Georgia Bulldog avenged his Los Cabos loss last week to the 19-year-old from San Diego. Nakashima said that Isner probably learned from the match and had a better strategy for the final.

As usual, Isner depended on his booming serve, knocking down 21 aces, along with a bundle of service winners. Nakashima had 12 of his own and went into the final game with only two double faults before striking the fatal out serve.

Nakashima blasted two aces in the first-set tiebreak. But, that wasn’t enough to take out Isner, who found his range with his groundstrokes. At 8-8, Nakashima attacked the net but couldn’t deal with a dipping shot from Isner. Then, Isner cracked another menacing serve and the return sailed long.

The second set’s ninth game was packed with drama and four match points. Isner stepped up early with big forehands and a backhand, down-the-line winner. He was out in front 0-40. Nakashima evened the game with two volley winners and a forcing shot which resulted in an Isner error. On the fourth match point, Nakashima banged a crisp backhand volley for a winner.

At 5-5 in the second set, Isner had to escape two break points. He employed his serve for three aces and a service winner.

The drama continued in the final game, which came down to the third deuce before Nakashima dumped a volley into the net before he double faulted.

Nakashima employed the aggressive play that earned him the Los Cabos victory against Isner. But, he said after the match that his opponent probably picked up on his attacking style. “It’s always tough losing finals, especially back to back.” Cameron Norrie defeated him in the Los Cabos final.

Asked about successfully dealing with those match points, he added, “He serves so big. That puts a lot of pressure on my serve. I told myself to stay calm and get into these rallies, I know I’m in good shape.”

At the age of 36, Isner is starting to put his career in perspective. He enjoyed bringing his two young kids onto the court, with his pregnant wife, Madison, for photos during the trophy ceremony. “This could be my last title,” he conceded in the post-match press conference.

Doubles goes to Opelka/Sinner

Reilly Opelka and Jannik Sinner prevailed in a 10-3 match tiebreak to win the doubles over Jordan Thompson/Steve Johnson 6-4, 6-7(6) 10-3. After falling in the second-set tiebreak, Opelka/Sinner dominated the final tiebreak. Sinner capped off the tournament with an ace.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: atlanta, Brandon Nakashima, John Isner, Truist Atlanta Open

The Olympics in Tokyo: Barty, Osaka have early exits

July 28, 2021 by Matthew Cronin

In Tokyo, at the Olympic Games, many of the top women have lost, including Ash Barty and Olympic flame lighter Naomi Osaka.

With Osaka in the Olympic spotlight, it took a streaky Marketa Vondrousova to knock her out 6-1 6-2.

Wimbledon champ and No. 1 Ash Barty was quickly bounced by Sara Sorribes Torma of Spain in the first round. Definitely, a shock.

There are some players looked banged up. Garbine Muguruza is very strong, beating Alison van Uytvanck. When she is on, she can win this tournament hands down. But not this year.

Elina Svitolina also really wants to win, making up for her disappointing performances at the Slams. However, she can smash the ball. Marketa Vondrousova is slightly better, but she has to be more precise.

Kei Nishikori knocked down No. 7 Andrey Rublev. Nishikori is up and down, but he really likes playing in Tokyo. He can go much further. He is very thoughtful and can be a top player when he is very healthy, which is rare.

Daniil Medvedev continues to grow, even in the fifth set, when he is 38-18. Perhaps he is on the way, not only in Tokyo, but maybe at the US Open? The No. 2 has to charge at the net and put the ball away.

Novak Djokovic has won three Slams this year, and if he wins Tokyo and the US Open, then he might be the best player of all time. I mean that.

At the doubles, Andy Murray and Liam Broady are rocking and rolling. Out of nowhere, they emerged. But Croats Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig got them out in the quarterfinals. Kiki Bertens’ just retired, winning 10 WTA singles titles. At WTA 1000 in Cincinnati, she beat Simona Halep in the final. She also won the 2019 Madrid, defeating Petra Kvitova, Sloane Stephens and Halep. That was wonderful. She was very good overall, but she was never spectacular at the Slams. Good enough, though.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: daniil medvedev, Elina Svitolina, Kei Nishikori, naomi osaka, Novak Djokovic, olympics, Tokyo

Who will play the Olympics? Not enough

July 17, 2021 by Matthew Cronin

Will play: Djokovic, Zverev, Berrettini, Barty, Osaka and Kenin.

Won’t play: Nadal, Thiem, Federer, Kerber, Azarenka and Serena

Who doesn’t like to watch the Olympics? Many of us do on TV, not only tennis, but gymnastics, swimming, basketball, soccer, or track and field. It will start next week at the 2021 Tokyo, and it should be a blast to watch, but there will be no fans. That could be bizarre.

On July 16, 23 of the ATP top 50, will not play in Tokyo, including Nadal, Thiem, Federer, Shapovalov, Raonic, Evans, Opelka, Isner, Fritz, Kerber, Azarenka, Serena, Halep, Kenin, Andreescu and Konta.

Novak Djokovic is in, which is terrific, as the Serbian has won three Grand Slams this year. He was victorious at Wimbledon and now he has 20 Grand Slams, like Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal. At the US Open, Djokovic has a big chance to win it all four. Assuming they will be healthy, the Big Three could have some fascinating matches, long ones, some tough ones. In the second week, they will begin to bash the ball. They were confident, and ready to go even further.

Which ones? It is early, six weeks away, so we don’t know who is playing healthy and excellent on the court. I won’t guess, but today, here are more players who will reach the second week with Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Matteo Berrettini, Denis Shapovalov, Sebastian Korda, Ashleigh Barty, Simona Halep, Serena Williams, Angelique Kerber, Garbiñe Muguruza, Sofia Kenin, Bianca Andreescu and Iga Swiatek.

In Newport, this week, Jack Sock won a singles match and then he lost against Kevin Anderson. The American went way down, in singles, and in 2017, he was a career-high No. 8. And in doubles, in 2018 that was another positive signs, his a career-high No. 2. So when he is healthy, and in good shape, he can gradually go up the ladder, but very slowly. He is ranked No. 231, which is way out there, but this season, he played a lot, especially on the USTA Pro Circuit. Clearly, he really wants to try. Good luck.

Wimbledon finalist Anderson got hurt two years ago, and now, he is close to reach the top 100 again. Yes, the 35-year-old may not reach a Slams final again as he did at the ’17 US Open and ’18 Wimbledon, but the tall man hits his huge serves and forehands. Remember, in 2018, he was ranked No. 5. He was darn good. When you watch him at a match, he can be so respectable, or more so. He does believe that in the next year, he will reach the top 20. But beyond that, he will have to prove it. That is life.

By the way, Sock will play Atlanta next week. Also, his friend, Nick Kyrgios, will also play, singles and doubles.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, angelique kerber, ashleigh barty, Dominic Thiem, Matteo Berrettini, naomi osaka, Novak Djokovic, olympics, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Sofia Kenin, Tokyo, victoria azarenka

Wimbledon, Day 8: The round of 16’s old favorites, new surprises

July 4, 2021 by Matthew Cronin

The famous Round of 16 match is on Monday. It is very crowded. Th fans must decide: Where will they go? Good luck, and hopefully, there will be some dramatic matches.

A few days ago I wrote an article about Sebastian Korda, Madison Keys, Denis Shapovalov, Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur.

Here, there are 13 matches coming upon Monday:

Karolina Pliskova vs Liudmila Samsonova
The Czech has reached the second half at the Slams, so many times. She is vast hitter, but she can collapse. Samsonova is brand new and just emerging now. All of a sudden, she is a darn good player. It is her time, but she has to handle the big stage if she wants to advance.

Novak Djokovic vs Cristian Garin
The Serbian is steady of the rock, while Garin likes to move the round the box. Djokovic will be sharp with his backhand, and he will trick him a lot.

Angie Kerber vs Cori Gauff
The German is finally good again and she has won Wimbledon before, so she really likes to grind it. The American has improved a lot this year, but it will take her a while to really understand how tricking the grass is.

Roger Federer vs Lorenzo Sonego
The Swiss is getting better every day, but he is not perfect yet. The Italian is creative, and ambitious, but Roger will nail his forehand and his returns.

Ash Barty vs Barbora Krejcikova
The Aussie is still so-so. But the No. 1 really wants to minimize her errors, which is unusual. The Czech is rising, finally, and she can hit very hard, but at times she checks out mentally.

Alexander Zverev vs Felix Auger-Aliassime
The German badly wants to win a Grand Slam this year, and in the first week, he was more thoughtful and patient. The Canadian really hustles, and he can smack the ball, but Zverev returns better and bangs a bigger first serve.

Emma Raducanu vs Ajla Tomljanovic
Who would have foreseen that these two have won three matches? On Monday, they will be thrilled to be on the court. Maybe the nerves will kick in. It is a tossup, but if the veteran Tomljanovic strikes early, she will win it and celebrate, with a big smile.

Andrey Rublev vs Marton Fucsovics
The Russian is under control, and he can blast his forehand and backhand. Eventually he will win a major, but maybe not this Wiml\bledon, Fucsovics is pretty robust, and he must hit more with slice. Rublev will dominate him.

Daniil Medvedev vs Hubert Hurkacz
The other Russian was down 0-2 and it looked like he might fold against Cilic, but he stayed in there and came back by being steadier, with more penetrating shots. Medvedev can win Wimbledon, but Hurkacz is very neat, another man who will reach the top 10. Bang, bang. But this can go five sets.

Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina
At times, Sabalenka can be angry, but this year, outside of the Grand Slams, she is pretty brilliant. She has so much potential. Rybakina is also gaining ground. She is showing real court understanding. This will be a three-setter.

Matteo Berrettini vs Ilya Ivashka
The Italian likes to rally a lot. He can attack when he has the opportunity and knock it on the lines. Ivashka has been around for a long time, and few people know him, but he reached the Round of 16, so he must be pretty fit.

Karen Khachanov vs Sebastian Korda
The Russian is a big banger, and the American is also young with a lot of variety. This should be a great match. Of course, they will go into the fifth set. Whomever will win will do it with a lot of aces and thev crisp returns. This will be all about who can keep their cool in the third set.

Karolina Muchova vs Paula Badosa
Another young player of note is Muchova, who can show grea potential. But, Badosa is even younger and is showing real steadiness. But, also, will Muchova climbing up the hill.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: ash barty, coco gauff, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, wimbledon

Wimbledon, Day 6: Korda and Keys: ‘It’s crazy’

July 3, 2021 by Matthew Cronin

Also: Andy Murray, Denis Shapovalov, Iga Swiatek, Ons Jabeur and more

Sebastian Korda is already streaking. He has a lot of variety, he is fast, he is powerful and he can meld it up. The young American took down Daniel Evans 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4 at Wimbledon.

He is already consistent, and he started when he was born, as his father, Petr, and his mother, Regina, played on the tour. They pushed him a little bit, and they really talked to him. Oh, by the way, his two sisters play pro golf, Nelly rose to No. 1 last weekend by winning the PGA Championship and Jessica is No. 13.

“My dad won a Grand Slam, my sister just won her first major and is world No. 1 golfer in the world, so it’s super inspiring. It’s crazy,” Sebastian Korda said.

Yes it was.

He is not fantastic yet, but he is learning, and according to the ESPN broadcaster, Darren Cahill, who said: “I think he’s easy top five in a couple of years, two or three years, if he continues on this plane.”

The former champion Andy Murray won two matches, and then he folded on Friday, and he lost 6-4 6-2 6-2 against Denis Shapovalov. Murray is trying to come back during when he is playing, but he is still a little bit slow, his serve is so-so, and his forehand can be erratic. He has a jumbo way to go.

Shapovalov looked pretty good, the lefty, which some fine strokes, hard and deep. His serve is medicare a lot, and he is not great at the net, but he does focus at times, and he can swing away. He is already in the top 12, and after the tournament ends, he could be around No. 10. He is ready to outbreak.

Madison Keys won over Elise Mertens, and the American was absorbed. She is rugged, and she can crush the ball, but she can be hurt a lot. However, she looked happy and intense, and she has gone very deep at the US Open, and with the Australian Open, and Roland Garros. At Wimbledon, she has to commit what she has to do, on court. She has to learn even further.

Two weeks ago, Iga Swiatek didn’t like on the grass. Then, this week, she found it, and the one-time Grand Slam champion found it. She crushed Irina-Camelia 6-1 6-0 and now she is locked in. She does have a chance to go way deep next week. She is such a potent player.

The best match between the women on Friday was when Ons Jabeur jumped on against Garbine Muguruza. Jabeur is so robust , and she pushed herself in third set. She won it, 57 63 62. She is over the top. “To be able to pass the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam, like it’s something that I should do,” said Jabuer. “It is [the best day of my tennis career], seriously. This is my favorite centre court.”

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: denis Shapovalov, Iga Swiatek, Madison Keys. Andy Murray, Sebastian Korda, wimbledon

Wimbledon, Day 6: Djokovic and Gauff look very comfortable

July 2, 2021 by Matthew Cronin

Novak Djokovic is setting his Grand Slam sights on Wimbledon. The Serbian has won it five times on the slippery grass. He is sharp on the hard courts and is more patient on clay. In London, he goes for it early, because the points are fast and and the ball stays low. He has to nail it, or go for drop shots that float it right over on the net softly

On Friday, he downed long-time American, Denis Kudla. Kudla can be very patient, but he can also go down quickly, as he doesn’t push himself enough. But, in a straight-set loss to Djokovic, Kudla proved more than a worthy opponent, stretching the No. 1 in a 64 63 76(7) battle. The American is the type of journeyman who can pop up with a strong showing every few tournaments or years. In this contest, Kudla’s best couldn’t dent the two-time defending champ’s more oppressive game.

Right now, Andrey Rublev is more than comfortable. Not only can he shatter the balls, he can also find his mark. Rublev was able to overcome a slight downturn at 1-1 in sets to exert his more consistent power and focus over Fabio Fognini.

Saturday matches
The No.1 Ashleigh Barty is still a little bit hurt, and why it will be tough to win the 2021 Wimbledon. It she just pushes herself, she can go deep. She did that on Thursday when she beat Anna Blinkova. She was not great, but good enough.

“I try to bring my game style and play my game style as often as possible, knowing what their strengths and weaknesses,” Barty said. “I go to work with Tyz [coach Craig Tyzzer]. We work on a few things. There’s nothing drastic that changes. I think for me it was just trying to get a rhythm on the court. I made a lot of unforced errors today, more than I’m used to. I think when I needed to step in, I did.”

Yes she did.

The No.20 Coco Gauff keeps going higher, as she beat veteran Elena Vesnina. Every event, she looks like not only can she belt the ball, but she is thinking all the time. The teenager will face another youngster, the 20-year-old Slovenian Kaja Juvan, who has had decent wins this year, but at the All-England Club, Gauff wants to reach the second week. She really might, and then, the fans will know who the 18-year-old is ready to do a winner’s dance.

Nice to see Vesnina competing after two-and-a-half years on the sidelines. Another mom is proving that significant victories continue to come after becoming a parent.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: ash barty, coco gauff, dennis Kudla, Novak Djokovic, wimbledon