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2018 Aussie Open, the Picks, Day 14, the men’s final

January 28, 2018 by Leave a Comment

It is pretty obvious that Federer is a big favorite against versus Cilic. Yes, the Croatian did upset the Swiss in the 2014 US Open semifinal. Marin played spectacular, while Roger played below his high standard. But props to Cilic, who won the event, the first time and the only time. However, mentally, he was so focused and he swung away, anywhere he wanted to do.

But beyond that, Federer is clearly better than he is. He has beaten Cilic eight times. Last year, he crushed him in the 2017 Wimbledon final — although Cilic was physically hurt — and the Federer knocked him off in the third set during the ATP Finals in London.

At the Australian Open on Sunday, the battle is on the hard courts and, for the first time, that they will face off in Melbourne. They have played each other many time – at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000s. Federer beat him in Paris, Monte Carlo, China and Canada. So really, the tall and his huge serves can be very good, but how is Cilic going to fool him when they start to rally? That is a huge question.

Cilic does have a small opportunity, but he is going to have to be much more aggressive, hit the balls very deep and put it away whenever he gets a chance, when he goes for it.

Federer has an incredible variety as he covers the court, dominating both with his forehand and his backhand, slicing, with spin, and flatting it out. The 19-time Grand Slam Federer almost knows everything. Well, not everything, but darn close.
 
But you know what, once in a while, you can go on court and you can play like garbage. Even if you try so hard, still, your racket doesn’t want to play today, it wants to go home now. It has happened to everyone — even with the great Roger Federer.

Will that happen with the Swiss who has shown some anger and upset? I doubt it, because that has been very rare. But let us imagine that Cilic will come on court and begin to play as well as he can. And then, he wins the first set. Now he is thinking that he has a real chance to win. He can feel it. But, if Cilic loses in the first set, see ya.
 
Let’s imagine that after the first set, the Croatian was really into it. However, Federer will be composed, he will begin to improve rapidly, and then all of sudden, he was right there, kissing the lines, all the time. Federer wins the second set easily, and in the third set, it was darn close. Fed can use his sweet serve and it will beimpossible for Cilic to touch them. In the fourth set, Federer will fly away. 

Mr. Rog will win the Aussie Open again, and he will have 20 Grand Slams. Just, as many people say, ‘A-maaazing!”

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2018 Aussie Open, The Picks, Day 13, the women’s final

January 26, 2018 by Leave a Comment

I am not sure that it is a toss-up, but it will be super close. Over the past decade, they have been two excellent competitors. They are fast, with strong legs, and they will always compete until the sun goes to sleep.

However, they have yet to win a Grand Slam, which is in quite surprising, considering the quality of their groundstrokes.
This match will get one of them to the promised land. One of them will smile so high into the sky, and the other will weep.

Both of them do not love coming to the net, and the second serves are marginal, but they have two amazing backhands, crosscourt and down the line, and there forehands have a lot of spin and bite. They both have terrific returns, and they can mix it up when they are poised.

Here is the reality: Both of them have gone deep at the Grand Slams, yet they have frozen up. Halep did that in the final at Roland Garros against Maria Sharapova. It was 4-4 in the third, Maria rose, and Simona backed off. She also let last year’s French slip away to Jelena Ostapenko, who still has only two WTA titles.

The same thing goes with Wozniacki: In the semis of the 2011 Aussie Open against Li Na, she had a match point in the second set, she couldn’t convert. After that, she began to push the ball. She had just one more winner. And she lost.

Yesterday, both of them admitted that this time around on Saturday, they won’t be afraid. In the third set, they promise to … attack, attack, attack. Halep proved that even when she isn’t playing well, she can hang in there. In the semis against Angie Kerber, Halep just kept battling and when she had an opportunity, she went for it. She won 9-7 in the third. That was spectacular. Will that match and the 15-13 third-set win over Lauren Davis have drained her? We will see.

The Romanian Halep will do it again, beating Wozniacki in three tough sets. The No. 1 will finally become the true champion.

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2018 Aussie Open, The Picks, Day 11

January 25, 2018 by Leave a Comment


Caro Wozniacki vs Elise Mertens
We all know who Caro is, but who is Elise? In the semis of the Aussie Open? Clearly, she is very talented and driven. She is pretty quick, stable and she focuses. As long as she is healthy, the 22-year-old will be around for another decade, moving closer into the top 10. Or the top 5. Or No. 1, someday. We don’t know yet. 

But we do know that Wozniacki has been there since the dawn of time. That is a joke, but really, she has played hundred of matches, and even when she started 10 years ago she was already so quick and her backhand was phenomenally good. Hopefully, she won’t get super nervous at the Grand Slams because she has won many important tournaments, but she hasn’t won a Slam yet. Eventually, I would think she will. But, at the AO this week, she is not the overall favorite until she finally grabs a major.

Caro will win this match against Mertens, because Wozniacki will breath and crack her first serve and her heavy backhand. Wozniacki will win in straight sets.

Simona Halep vs Angie Kerber
Two days ago, I thought that both Halep and Kerber would have have to play many hours against Karolina Pliskova and Madison Keys. But, both contests wer super short, because Simona and Angie played spectacularly good. While the other two couldn’t find the solution. 
Hopefully, later tonight, both Halep and Kerber will play extremely well and then, it will be a heck of a match. Both are very strong, fast and super consistent. They move quickly side-to-side. They hit crosscourt and down the line. Neither of them like to go to the net, and neither of them have a huge first serves, but they return so well. They move forward and jump of the balls. 

This fortnight is a huge opportunity. Still, this is a real pick-em. The two-time Grand Slam champion Kerber is totally locked in. Angie will win in three fantastic sets.

Marin Cilic vs Kyle Edmund
A toss-up? Maybe. We all know that Cilic studies hard, he mixes it up, and when his body is feeling good, he can swing away. He has a gigantic serve, a massive forehand and his backhand down the line, has improved over the year. Until last year, Edmund was up and down mentally. When he was close to winning over the good players, he would hit some crazy shots and lose. But now, not only can he hit some huge shots, he is also very steady and he could make better decisions.

The Brit has already won a few marathons against some excellent players. The former 2014 US Open champion Cilic wants to reach to the final in Melbourne — badly. He will win in four tough sets.

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2018 Aussie Open, The Picks, Day 8

January 22, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Rafa Nadal vs Mario Cilic
The Spaniard had a pretty tough night against the improving Diego Schwartzman.Nadal won, but it took nearly four hours. He has been there before, and the No. 1 will be there again, but still, it is somewhat early and he has to make sure not to get hurt at all during the AO event. 
For Nadal, the good thing is when he is on court against Cilic, they won’t have too many rallies, The very tall Mario is a terrific player, but he isn’t that fast. Cilic has a big serve, his heavy forehand and he can mix it up, going down low. 
Yes, Cilic can upset Nadal, if he is playing amazing, hour after hour, but in reality, Nadal has won 16 Grand Slams, and Cilic has won just one — at the US Open. Clearly, over the past 13 years, Nadal has been a better player. With his phenomenal forehand and his tough return, Nadal will win in four sets.

Grigor Dimitrov vs Kyle Edmunds
Dimitrov is totally on fire. He took down the Aussie Nick Kygrios on Saturday night, and now, he is locked in. Brit Edmunds has had a fine tournament this week, and he has improved a lot over the past year, but when is he going to figure out what to do with his weapons? Here and there, yes, but Dimitrov has so much variety, when he needs it. The Bulgarian wins in straight sets.

Caro Wozniacki vs Carla Suarez Navarro
This should be a very interesting match. They have never faced off against in the Grand Slams. In 2016 Tokyo, Caro won 6-4 in the third on a hardcourt, and in 2017 Madrid, Carlo won 6-4, 2-6, 6-2  on clay.  
Wozniacki has been better than Suarez over the past 10 years, as she has won 27 titles, while the Spaniard has only won a few. Yes, Wozniacki can fall flat here and there, but in the past 12 months, she has changed it up a little bit and once again, she is very focused.  
Suarez practices all the time, she goes from tournament after tournament. Even though she can sit way behind the court, she mixes it up consistently. Plus, she actually has a one-handed backhand, which is very unusual on the WTA. 
It will go three sets and both of them already know that they will be there for a solid two hours, rally after rally. Neither of them ever gets tired. You never know with Caro: will she be aggressive, or push the ball. Either way, she will win to advance at the semis.

Elina Svitolina vs Elise Mertens
Ukranian Svitolina is coming very close to No. 1. Maybe next week, maybe in a few months, or towards at the end of the year. But first, she has to take down Mertens, a very good player. 
There are times that Svitolina gets angry, inside her head, but she is so driven. She has a terrific first serve, and loads of spin, and she can nail her forehand and her backhand. 
Mertens hustles, too, and everyday, she gets better and better. But can she upset Elena? I cannot see it, yet, but maybe soon. Svitolina wins in straight sets.

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2018 Aussie Open, The Picks, Day 7

January 21, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Madison Keys vs Caroline Garcia
This has to be a tossup. They have only faced each other twice, only the hardcourts. The Frenchwoman won in Fed Cup; the American Keys bested Keys in 2016 Wuhan. Since then, Garcia has risen because last fall she finally became aggressive, smarter and confident.
At times over the past four years, Keys has been very good, bad and so-so. But right now, Keys is finally happy, she is healthy and she can finally breath again. The same goes with Garcia: When she was way down, she could become depressed, and she would mentally walk away. But now, she never gives up and she returns very well. Plus, she plays a lot of doubles and she can put it away at the net.  
Keys is a huge first serve, as well as her heavy strokes. It will be a long battle, but in the end, the American will outlast Garcia in three heavy sets.

Simona Halep vs Naomi Osaka
It took the No. 1 Halep, what, nearly four hours to win over Lauren Davis on Saturday. What a marathon! As Halep said, she almost died. But she is still in there, and she is incredibly strong in her legs. At least by Monday, Halep will have recovered.  
Osaka is a solid hitter and upset the Aussie Ash Barty. That was a huge win. She is only 20 years old; clearly, she is coming up. She will try to out-stroke Halep, but Osaka needs more time to mature. Simona will win in straight sets.

Novak Djokovic vs Hyeon Chung
We all know that when the Serbian is locked in, he can thump anyone. But, last year, the very young South Korean Chung was pretty good and continues to improve. In the fifth set against Sasha Zverev, he blew him out 6-0. Ka-boom.
Chung is super steady, and very quick. Of course, Djokovic is the favorite as he has won six titles at the AO. He was frustrated last season, he was very hurt, but now, he is healthy and driven. Djokovic will win in four sets, but there will be some very long rallies.   

Dominic Thiem vs Tennys Sandgren
Yes, there is one US male left, the tall Sandgren. The American has been around for eight years. He has struggled, year after year, because he isn’t that fast, but he has a huge serve, and he can crack his forehand.
The Austrian keeps on plugging away, an odd thing to say about a player with his ranking. Thiem is ranked No. 5, and he loves clay, but gradually, he is getting better at the hardcourts, especially with his one-handed backhand. As Sandgren, said, “Its going to be really tough, man.”
One way or another, Thiem will wear him down and win in four sets.

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Untouchable: Djokovic wins 5th Slam in Aussie Open

February 2, 2015 by Leave a Comment

djokovic 2013 Aussie opwon winFROM THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN – Novak Djokovic is now the best Australian Open men’s player ever, as he wins his 5th Grand Slam there.

Sure, the Serbian has been frustrated at other Slams; he’s been darn good and very consistent. On Sunday, Djokovic looked sore and injured but he kept getting up after falling down, he sprinted to and fro until Murray collapsed.

Djokovic is remarkably steady. He is almost impossible to out hit him. The Brit floundered again, as he began to get tired, lost his rhythm and his momentum. Djokovic took firm control in the last two sets, winning 7-6 6-7 6-3 6-0.

Murray has lost four finals in the Aussie Open, which is good because he actually made it there, but he has yet to come very close.  He is very smart, has a terrific backhand, can mix it and can boom his first serve. But, when he goes up against the rest of the Big 4, and he can go backwards at times. His forehand can go up and down, his second serve can be horrific and, while he is very impressive when he charges the net, he doesn’t come in often enough.

On the other hand, when Djokovic is feeling right, he can be terrific. He can belt forehands and backhands, run side to side so low and fast that it is almost impossible to nail a winner against him. Yes, Djokovic can he had when he isn’t feeling right, but for the most part, the No. 1 is almost always there.

In Australia, he has been the best since the beginning of the Open Era in 1969. A few fantastic players have won four Aussie Open Slams such as Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, Ken Rosewall and others, but only Djokovic has nailed five Slams. That is pretty darn good. The 27-year-old Serbian may not be able to catch the all-time 17 major Federer, but you have to give him the rest of them. Rafael Nadal has 14 Slams (and predictable more to come), as does Pete Sampras. Roy Emerson has 12, Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver have 11 and Bill Tilden has 10.

And guess who has tied 8 majors?  Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Fred Perry and now Djokovic.

How much further can he go? He has owned Murray since last year and the start of this year. Federer looks OK, but he still must be stunned that Andreas Seppi shocked him.  Nadal is still not recovered yet. So until the younger players move ahead and quickly, Djokovic will be the favorite, everywhere until he is knocked off.

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Australian Open final pick for Saturday, January 31

January 30, 2015 by Leave a Comment

1-Serena Williams vs. 2-Maria Sharapova

Can anyone, much less Maria, stop Serena?Photo: Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Can anyone, much less Maria, stop Serena?
Photo: Mal Taam/MALTphoto

This is almost impossible, isn’t it? Maria Sharapova is 2-16 against Serena Williams?

Clearly, Williams has been better since Sharapova won 46 62 64 at the 2004 WTA Tour Championships and the match before, Maria’s first Slam crown at that year’s Wimbledon. But Williams fought off a couple amazing points, grabbed the semis and won the 2005 Australian Open. After that, Serena knew that she could out hit her. Sharapova wasn’t sure how she overpowered Williams in those early matches. From then on, she could not, losing in all sorts of places.

One cold fact: Sharapova lost her confidence when playing Williams. She has not been consistent against Serena, who does not like Maria very much and she wants to beat her pants off every time out.

The Russian/LA player has to play as well she can, and even better. Serena has a substantial first serve, and even her second serve is dangerous. She is a little faster and is more accurate her volley, too.

But Sharapova is right there with her forehands and backhands, as she hits just as hard as she can. When she is on fire, she might be a bit better smoking the down the line.

But, in order to get there, Sharapova is going to have to lock in immediately. She has to hold serve time after time and not panic. Once she is in her rallies, she is fine, but if she cannot return better and serve well herself, she is in deep trouble.

Someday, Sharapova will upset her and grab a win. But Maria is 27 years old and Serena is 33 and they both are thinking about how long they will continue. Beyond the 2016 Olympics, they may wave goodbye.

Whatever the case, Sharapova and Williams are in the final at the Australian Open. This time, Maria will play better; she won’t go nutty early on and allow Serena to push her to the wall.

But in the end, Serena will win again, this time in three dramatic sets. The evening will be terrific final and maybe, just maybe, they can give each other a big hug.

Perhaps not, but at least they can give each a big cheer. After all, they are great champions who are proud, right?

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Picking the semis: Djokovic v Wawrinka

January 29, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Rod Laver Arena / Night

1-Novak Djokovic v 4-Stan Wawrinka

It is pretty unusual to watch two of the big guns go out against each other and play two Aussie Open match-ups in a row and put together two fantastic five-setters. Djokovic won it in 2013 who went on to the title. Wawrinka did the exact same thing and won the crown last year. Now they will face each other again in Rod Laver but this time it will be in the semis

Both men are playing beautifully, smartly and ambitiously. Their serves have been strong and creative; their forehands can find the lines; their backhands are artful; they aren’t afraid to go anywhere they want. They can mix it up, spin it or flatten it. They can slice or chuck in some drop shots. It’s is all there, for both of them.

What we do know is that the Slam champion Djokovic owns seven Slams and Wawrinka has one. The Serbian is much more consistent, because he rarely loses his head, while Stan has done it many times.

But Wawrinka can get on rolls and he will be into it. Stan has been terrific during the past 12 days, but he will have doubts. They may only be small ones, but those matter. Let’s say they will go into the fifth again. In 2013, Djokovic won 1-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-7(5), 12-10. In 2014, Wawrinka pulled out 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7.

This time, they will grind away, deep into four hours. and. Let’s say Djokovic 14-12 in the fifth. Won’t that be sweet?

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Australian Open picks for Thursday, January 29

January 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment

The Semis

2-Maria Sharapova v 10-Ekaterina Makarova
Makarova has played very well this tournament. Every day it seems like she would crack but she did not, notably wasting Simona Halep in the quarters. She doesn’t fear the occasion, rarely pushes the ball and understands immediately when she has to go for it or knows when to wait for the right shot. The problem is: Sharapova is 5-0 against her and having beaten her in the Aussie Open twice and pretty easily. Maria doesn’t wait, but will immediately pound at Etkaterina until she is on her heels. That’s what happened when she eliminated Eugenie Bouchard, pushing her back from the get-go. Sharapova dictated every point, even if she misses some balls. All she needed to do was to handle her foe about 60 percent of the time and that was all good in the end. Maria will use the same strategy against Makarova, who will take some risks, but not enough to diminish Sharapova’s dominiance. Sharapova will win the semifinal in straight sets and reach the Aussie Open once again.

serena wins wta champs 12

Serena is favored against anyone at this time, especially against a youngster like Keys.

1-Serena Williams v Madison Keys 
Ms. Williams is very sick do to a flu and Keys has her left leg all banged up. Still, someone will prevail. It depends who is feeling OK and who is not. However Serena has done this plenty of times. She knows the ropes and even when she has been feeling bad, she forgets about it and swings away.

Keys did a good job of maintaining her pain against Venus Williams and out-hitting her. Her first serve is almost as big as Serena’s, and can slug her forehand about as well as Williams. But overall, Serena is just about better in every facet of the game. Maybe Keys will eventually get there, but William has the tools. Keys still has a lot to learn, while Serena in one of the most intelligent people around – ever. Serena will win in straight sets and face her foe Sharapova in the final.

6-Andy Murray v 7-Tomas Berdych
Who thought that Tomas would shock Rafa Nadal for the first time in 17 matches? I sure didn’t. The Czech played extremely well, jumping on the Spaniard’s backhand and coming into the net at the right times.

Murray had better choose the right tactic or Berdych will get him again. Interesting fact: Berdych is 6-4 head to head, with wins in the last two matches in 2013 in Madrid and Cincinnati. For whatever reason, his serve and his forehand bother Murray. The Brit is very smart, but sometimes he gets irritated and loses his focus. He has to nail his first serve and try to hit his forehand with conviction. His backhand is better, as is his net play. He mixes it up, too. But when he was feeling good, Berdych can be patient until he gets the right shot and when he is ready, to boom his first serve. He can find the lines off both his first and second serves. The Czech can reach a Slam final for the second time, but he can become nervous and he will against Murray. Andy will win the match in five sets and reach to the final once again.

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Australian Open picks for Wednesday, January 28

January 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Rod Laver Arena / Day

18-Venus Williams v Madison Keys
Williams wasn’t afraid at the age of 19 in 2000 and she’s still out there, now at the age of 34. She still believes in her Grand Slam ability. She won her last Slam at 2008, which is a long time ago, but she still keeps trying to add new things. Her forehand has improved, especially when moving to her left and cracking her shot down the line. She may have slowed down a bit but she has confidence that she can take over at the net and put away her volleys. Williams says she is happy with her life right now.

We know that Venus will play reasonably well, but will Keys? The 19-year-old is hitting super hard, especially with her first serve and her forehand. She hasn’t been around for years, but she battling in the pros for the past three years now and has settled in. She is showing more confidence and at least over the past 10 days, she hasn’t lost her head.

Keys might become nervous, but not yet. She is pretty determined and thinks she can out hit her elder. It’s a tossup, but I will take Keys in three sets.

Last year's finalist Cibulkova has a big test.Photo: Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Last year’s finalist Cibulkova has a big test.
Photo: Mal Taam/MALTphoto

1-Serena Williams v 11-Dominic Cibulkova
Serena has started very slowly. But no matter, you can win in three sets and that is what she did over Garbine Muguruza. However, Cibulkova is playing very well again, hitting forehands side to side and kissing the lines. Domi can take anyway one if she is on a role, or she could go down to anyone if she is emotionally down.

In this quarterfinal, Cibulkova will try to jump on her returns and control the match. But unless she mixes up her serves and backhands, Serena will knock her out quickly. Serena knows that she can’t start slowly again or one of the better players can stun her. She knows that, which is why she will beat at Domi’s to a punch and knock her out in straight sets.

4-Stan Wawrinka v 5-Kei Nishikori
Is this going to five sets again? Why not? The two played five sets in the US Open, when Nishikori got him at 6-4 in the fifth. It was darn close, but the Japanese hit a bit harder at the end and was more confident – that time.

Will it be the same, or will it change? Not much. Now in Australia Wawrinka thinks he can out think him and change it up. But that does not mean that he has gotten better than Kei has since last May until now? Nishikori has everything: speed, forehands and backhands, aggressive style and a much better volley. Wawrinka will push him for three hours plus, but in the end the 25-year-old Nishikori will take him out, winning in five emotional sets.

Rod Laver Arena / Night

1-Novak Djokovic v 8-Milos Raonic
The Canadian Raonic is ready to play ball. His serve is massive, he hits his forehand as hard as anyone and he doesn’t mind charging up to the set. But Djokovic is almost perfect – again. So few players can even get a set, much less a win. He is so steady and so relentless. It’s hard to find where to attack him because he will take it from anywhere and turn it around.

Yes, Raonic can serve gigantic and take him into the tiebreaks, but how is he going to get into his head? Yes, Djokovic has disappeared at times in the past two years (like in the 2014 US semis) but that is extremely rare. It may occur in the semis this week, or in the final, but not in the quarters against Raonic, as Novak can see the Canadian in his sites. Djokovic will win in four sets.

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