Australian Open – TennisReporters.net

Tommy Paul to face Novak Djokovic

January 26, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

In September, Tommy Paul said that “ultimately the goal, to go really, really deep in the Slams, try and win big tournaments.”

Now he has reached into the semis at the Australian Open. A couple of years ago, he was decent, but he was not able to win regularly over the very good players. But in Melbourne, he won five in a row, beating Ben Shelton, Roberto Bastista Agut, Jenson Brooksby, Alejandro Davidovich Kokina and Jan Struff. When Paul was playing at the Davis Cups, in Glasgow, he beat Dan Evans 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. “We had a war there, really high level,” he said.

He is rising fast.

Paul will face the 21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. Paul will give it a go. But, to beat him, the American is going to have to be super aggressive, just like the Serbian.

The 25-year-old said that last year, he wasn’t playing well consistently. In 2021, he could become angry, and then he lost quite a bit.

“I get pissed,” he said with a laugh. “I’m really competitive. I’m not, like, super up or down. I try to stay pretty levelheaded. But I’m super competitive. It’s all a game, you know? If you are practicing something, you feel like you perfected something in practice, you’re excited, man. If you love the game, it’s exciting.

“Obviously I think you could ask every tennis player, they’ll have like a love-hate relationship with tennis because it’s not always the most fun being away from home, traveling all the time. I’ve been really enjoying my time on court. I think I’ve kind of figured out like a pretty good system to keep myself there.”

Paul has improved his serve and now with his forehand and his backhand, he can be steady. When he is sets up, then he can attack and try to put it away. However, it took him a while to really understand how he plays.

“There hasn’t been one jump at all. It’s just been like super steady on the way up.” Paul said. “It hasn’t been like a semifinal of a Slam run or anything. That’s ultimately the goal, to go really, really deep in the Slams, try and win big tournaments. Last year was a tough one. [But] I’m having a lot of fun on court. That has a lot to do with it. If you’re enjoying it, that makes a huge difference.”

In the quarterfinal two days ago, he edged Shelton, 7-6(8-6) 6-3 5-7 6-4. It was close, but he pushed him back.

But how can he stun Djokovic, who just crushed Andrey Rublev 6-1 6-2 6-4? That was very surprising, not that he beat him, but he destroyed him. The Serb was playing as well as he can. Over the past year, he has some odd matches. He knows, though, if he can dominate with his famed backhand, his first serve and return, he will beat Paul.

It is almost going without much media notice that Stefanos Tsitsipas can play great. Last year, he struggled against the top players. However, the Greek can be so steady, and he can move it around with a lot of spin. He can also try to nail the lines and attack. But mentally, you never know how well he will play, but at least he pushed into the semis. When he is feeling fantastic, then for sure, he can win a Slam.

But hold on. First he has to face Karen Khachanov. Once again, the Russian played smart. He overcame Sebastian Korda, who had to retire down 7-6(5), 6-3, 3-0. The 26-year old Khachanov has played five times, against Tsitsipas, and he has lost each time. Whatever he is going to do, he must change it up. He certainly can swing very hard, but he also has to find a way into the net, and hit his forehand deep, crosscourt and down the line.

As he said: “Not everything was going as smoothly, but, you know, look, I always believed in myself and my abilities, and what I need to do in order to be at my best.”

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Australian Open, karen khachanov, Matt Cronin, melbourne, Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Tommy Paul

Sebastian Korda wins: ‘Having a new motto of, positive energy’

January 22, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Sebastian Korda was cruising and looked like he was about to win. He was ahead in the fifth-set tiebreak versus Hubert Hurkacz and he was up 7-3. But then he began nervous, and he made four errors in a row. He could have lost it right there. But all of a sudden, he locked in again, and knew that he could slam the ball at the right time. He did, and he won it, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(7). He was finally overjoyed.

“Maybe nerves got a little bit to me,” Korda said. “He stopped missing a little bit more. Came closer to the line. And I made some easy mistakes, and he took advantage of that.”

But not for long. Over the past five years, the American could look pretty good, but then he collapsed a lot. His father, Petr, won the 1998 Australian Open, and he could run all day. Plus, he could move forward, even into the net. But Sebastian needs more time. His forehand and backhand are powerful, but his serve, his return and net game, aren’t quite good enough. But he worked hard, mentally, and now, he is much more mature.

“It was difficult but I’m very happy with the way I kind of just stayed down, kept going through it,” he said. “Throughout this whole year, I haven’t had one negative thought, whether it’s waiting for transportation to go to the courts, whether it’s eating lunch, whether it’s doing anything. That’s one of the biggest things is just having a new motto of, positive energy is more positive than negative energy. As soon as you get something negative, it can take you the opposite direction. Anything that happens, just thinking in the most positive possible way, just going forward.”

Now he is in the quarters at a Grand Slam for the first time. Obviously, he is confident. But in the second weeks of the Slams, you have to face the talented players. He realizes he would back off when the match is tight.

“I think I’ve had a tough match with Rafa [Nadal], serving for it a couple times. Match point with [Novak] Djokovic. I think that really helped me, especially in the last match with Medvedev, closing out that tiebreaker,” Korda said. “Then today as well. I think all those little moments that I’ve gone through, learning from them, staying patient, staying positive, going through the process I think have really helped me going forward.”

Korda will play Karen Khachanov, a player who showed a lot of potential a few years ago. The last time they played the Russian beat Korda 10-8 in the fifth set at Wimbledon. This will be a tossup.

How about Stefanos Tsitsipas, who advanced after he survived Jannik Sinner 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3. He could have lost, but he kept on trunking. He was composed.

It was a bit of a stunner when Jiri Lehecka upset Felix Auger-Aliassime in four sets. Apparently, Lehecka is super steady, and he will snap the ball when he had to.

Jelena Ostapenko won 2018 Roland Garros and then she almost disappeared. She is a huge server, from both sides, and she goes for it immediately. But she can hit it way too long. Time and time again.

She just beat Coco Gauff and, as she said, she finally has became more thoughtful, on the court.

“My life changed a lot [after winning Roland Garros], so I needed a few years to really get used to what happened because I was really young,” Ostapenko said. “I was 19 and then turned 20. I always knew and believed in my game. If I play well, I can beat almost anyone. I was trying to work more on my consistency, especially in the preseason. Yeah, just to step on the court and play my game.”

In the quarters, Ostapenko will play Wimbledon champ Elena Rybakina, who is 2-0 over the Latvian. Ostapenko is the favorite, but not by much.

Once again, Jessica Pegula won a fine match, advancing over Barbora Krejcikova. She made few errors, and she also nailed her forehand and backhand. She has a real chance to reach into the semis for the first time at the Slams.

“It feels like there’s still a long ways to go, to be honest,” Pegula said. “I look at the draw you have Rybakina who won Wimbledon last year, you have Vika [Azarenka] who does really well here, Caroline [Garcia] won the [ATP] championships. It doesn’t really feel like I’m the highest left, even though I guess that’s a cool stat.”

She will face against Azarenka, who won this tournament twice but that is a long time ago. They have met four times and have split. Azarenka is a huge hitter from both sides, but her serves can be spotty. Still, she is very confident.

“I’m so happy I was able to manage it. At the beginning of the year there were a couple of very close matches that didn’t turn my way, so I’m very happy that I took my chances,” Azarenka said.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Australian Open, Herbert Hurkacz, Jessica Pegula, karen khachanov, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Sebastian Korda, Stefanos Tsitsipas, vika azarenka

2023 Australian Open: Rafael Nadal, Casper Ruud lose to Americans

January 19, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

American, Mackenzie McDonald just played his best tennis, ever, upsetting the No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.

He was so quick, and he crushed his forehand and his backhand. Who, knew? He was been decent, but he had not defeated top 10 players.

Nadal was clearly hurt, and while he could have retired in the second set, he decided to play on when he suffered a hip injury. He was breaking down, and his legs were very sore. Usually, he can run so fast, and nail his famous forehand, but he put together so many errors. That is the way it goes. The 36-year-old has rarely retired, but he wanted to just play, win or lose. This time, he lost, and he has to deal with it.

Will Nadal return next year in the 2024 Australia Open? It is tough to say.

“It’s a tough moment, it’s a tough day, and you need to accept that and keep going. Just can’t say that I am not destroyed mentally this time because I would be lying,” Nadal said. “I don’t know what’s going on, if it’s muscle, if it’s joint. I have history in the hip. I had to do treatments in the past, address a little. It was not this amount of problem. Now I feel I cannot move.”

Believe it or not, McDonald, who was born in Berkeley, Calif., is only ranked No. 65, and the 27-year-old has never won a tournament. However, gradually, they can get better, but they have to construct the points. Plus, they have to try every second. This time, he swung hard.

“[Nadal] didn’t even want to roll over and quit. He kept fighting until basically the end, even though he maybe didn’t have all his game,” McDonald said. “I was like, `Hey, that’s actually really big for me, because I haven’t beaten someone of that caliber.”

If he can reach into the second week, then maybe he will think that he can upset other excellent players.

Brooksby ousts Ruud
In another stunner, a Northern Californian – Jenson Brooksby – took out another the second-seeded Casper Ruud 6-3, 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-2. The Norwegian threw in 55 unforced errors, giving the consistent Brooksby an opening to advance into the third round. This is Brooksby’s first time playing the Australian Open.

Ruud said, “I didn’t feel like I played particularly bad or not at the level that I wanted to play, but he just ended up winning many of the longer rallies and had an answer to all the questions that I asked him.”

A number of the American men won on Wednesday and Thursday, including Frances Tiafoe and Sebastian Korda. Michael Mmoh eliminated Alexander Zverev in four sets. JJ Wolf ousted Diego Schwartzman 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.

Taylor Fritz, the top American man, lost to Australian Alexei Popyrin in five sets. Cressy fell victim to the ninth-seed Hunger Rune in straight sets in the second round.

Brandon Holt outlasted Aleksandar Vukic 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. It is never easy to play for many hours in a five-setter, but he stood in there, and he was very consistent. He has only won few matches in the ATP Tour, so he has to be powerful, and to mix it up more. But Holt is young, so gradually, he will understand what he should do.

Lauren Davis on a roll
Who would have thought that Lauren Davis won another match? Davis has played in the WTA for 12 years, and while she plays all the time. Incredibly she has won eight matches in a row, coming off a victory in Hobart. She decided to really go for it, rather than just be more stable. It seems to be working.

Coco Gauff is playing with intelligence and hitting the balls deep. She took down the former US Open champion, Emma Raducanu, 6-3, 7-6(4). She can beat most players, but she still has to improve her serve and return. Maybe she can do it over the next 11 days…

For other American women, there are some impressive wins by Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Bernarda Pera and Claire Liu.

What a match it was when Danielle Collins edged Karolina Muchova 6-7(1), 6-2, 7-6(6). The rallies were tremendous.

Two of the women lost, Sloane Stephens and Alison Riske-Amritraj. Once again, Stephens is unsure where she is going. This year will be fascinating. Can she comeback into the top 10 again, or stay under the top 50? She will have to change, something.

Riske-Amritraj plays a lot, too, but perhaps she can find a way into the net and put it away, or attack when she is returning.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Australian Open, Brandon Holt, Casper Ruud, coco gauff, Jenson Brooksby, lauren davis, Mackenzie McDonald, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Rafael Nadal, sloane stephens

Coco Gauff wins, preps for Australian Open

January 10, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

The 18-year-old Coco Gauff had a stellar week in Adelaide, winning the tournament and easily beating Rebeka Masarova 6-1, 6-1 in the final.

When she gets going, Gauff can be forceful and reactive. She can move forward when she is feeling good. Last week, she rarely went backwards. She has yet to win a huge tournament, but she has now won three small events in Linz, Parma and now the 2023 Auckland.

Next week, she will still be ranked No. 7. When she arrives at the Australian Open, she will be thinking that she can take a huge shot of winning a Slam. She is not quite there yet. If she keeps her focus in the first week, then should could power through to a title. However, at the AO last year, she lost to Carolina Garcia, the current No. 4. If they match up again, then Gauff is going to have to play almost 100 percent to win it, as the Frenchwoman can be spectacular.

Speaking of another American, Sebastian Korda was so close of beating Novak Djokovic, but he came short, losing when the Serb 6-7(8), 7-6(3), 6-4. That was a marathon, yet Djokovic kept changing, hitting his astounding backhand, solid volleys and big spin in his forehand.

Korda played a wonderful week, not because he lost, but he was very patient and mixed it up a lot. He also knew that to win the match, he had to try seriously hard, and many times over the past few years, he would slide into mediocracy. He was so-so last summer, but in the fall, he began to rise. For the first time, at the Australian Open, he will be seeded.

Djokovic is clearly on fire again. He has now won 92 career titles, which is a huge amount. He has won the Australian Open eight times, and in Melbourne, he is favored again. But he is not a huge favorite, just by a slight edge, Last year he arrive in but then was asked to leave Australia because he hadn’t taken the COVID-19 vaccine. When he is on the court, in a match, there will some fans who will boo him. That is a fact.

American men and the women won the United Cup with Jessica Pegula, Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys. Clearly, they played very consistently and made sure they dominated. All of them were having a great time.

None of them have reached the final at the AO, and of course, they really like the hardcourts. So they have a realistic shot to beat down the excellent players. Pegula has never gone deep at the Slams. Tiafoe reached the US Open semis when he played terrific last year, but, in the fifth set against Carlos Alcaraz, the Spaniard rose way high. Tiafoe will have another chance to prove himself. He actually lost to his friend Fritz and the San Diego resident won 2022 Indian Wells, the best he had ever played. He has yet to win a Slam, a big test.

Keys has put in a few wild and fun matches at Melbourne, and she went into the semis twice. She can mash the ball, but when she cannot run that fast, then she can lose when she is mentally down. Keys looked very good until the semis, and then the former No.1 Ashel Barty crushed her.

Aryna Sabalenka just won an event, beating newcomer Linda Noskova. The former No. 2 Sabalenka can rock and roll, but she can throw in a lot of double faults. If she can hit a lot of first serves then sure, she has a chance to win it all.

There has to be at least 10 women who can grab the Aussie title, given that Barty retired.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Auckland, Australian Open, Frances Tiafoe, madison keys, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Novak Djokovic, Sebastian Korda, Taylor Fritz, United Cup

Rafa Nadal wins the Australian Open, now has 21 majors

January 31, 2022 by Matthew Cronin

Who would have guessed that the Spaniard Rafa Nadal would keep moving, trying, throw in some new shots. He was down two sets to love against Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open, and it looked like that the Russian would continue to dominate.

While the 35-year-old Nadal will always to continue to fight, mentally, here and there, he got frustrated.

But not now.

Oh, he just wanted to push himself until the cows come home. And he did, minute after minute, and eventually, the No. 21 Grand Slam winner won it, 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.

“If we put everything together, the scenario, the momentum, what it means … yeah, [it’s] probably the biggest comeback of my tennis career,” Nadal said.

Oh really, considering that he won some amazing matches in the finals of Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. However, he said that the reason is because he could not play for five months due to an significant injury. So, when he came down to Australia, he wasn’t sure of himself, but he really wanted to attempt it.

He was not fantastic at the beginning, but each day, he started to be more consistent, and then he began to hit harder.

“I think during all my tennis career I have been improving in all the surfaces. That was always my goal, no, be better player in general terms,” said Nadal. “On hard? I think during the years I needed to adapt a little bit my game to it because I had a lot of problems, physical problems, so I needed to find a way to be competitive and to play sometimes more aggressive because I was not able to move that fast like in the beginning.”

He has improved so much. His backhand, at the net and his returns — which has always been very good — but now even though he is way back close to the back fence, he can hit it pretty deep.

The 6-feet-6 Medvedev really likes to play on the baseline, crosscourt, down the middle, and to re-adjust. His first serve is a blaster, and he only bounces the ball one to three times. He knows he can close his eyes.

However, in the fourth and the fifth set, he began to get nervous and he made some strange errors. It was 5-5 in the fifth, and he was there, tripping Nadal, but he backed off. The Russian was shocked that he lost, and later, when he talked in the press conference — before the questions began — he said: “I’m just talking about few moments where the kid stopped dreaming, and today was one of them. I’m not going to really tell why,” Medvedev said. “From now on I’m playing for myself, for my family, to provide my family, for people that trust in me, of course for all the Russians because I feel a lot of support there.

“I’m going to say it like this. If there is a tournament on hard courts in Moscow, before Roland Garros or Wimbledon, I’m going to go there even if I miss the Wimbledon or Roland Garros or whatever. The kid stopped dreaming. The kid is going to play for himself. That’s it.”

However, even though he was drained, he said that while he lost, he thinks that Nadal is so jaw-dropping when he puts on the show.

“Rafa is a lefty. Next time I’m probably going to say when two sets to love down,’Just do it like Rafa did against you,’ ” he said. “We all know Rafa fights. It’s not going to be surprising if I say this, ‘Suddenly, wow, Rafa fought today in the final of a slam.’ The way he managed to play throughout all these sets, even in the tough moments, for him it’s for making the history. Even for sure he tries not to think about this, it must have been somewhere in his head. Huge respect. Yeah, huge respect for beating me because I tried my best.”

Nadal now has two Grand Slams at the Australian Open, 13 majors at Roland Garros, two Wimbledon, and four at the US Open.

He is extremely happy, that he won, and now eventually, he can win another titanic tournament. But this week, it is all about joy.

“Of course, for me it’s amazing to achieve another Grand Slam at this moment of my career. Just means a lot to me. Of course, I know it’s a special number, 21. I believe today is an unforgettable day,” Nadal said. “I never will say I deserve, because I think a lot of people fight and a lot of people deserve. But I really believe that I hold a very positive spirit. For the last six months, I really fought a lot to try to be back on court. Have been very, very tough moments, moments to really. … Conversations, tough ones, because you don’t know if I going to have the chance to be back on the tour. I feel honored. I feel lucky to achieve one more very special thing in my tennis career. I don’t care much if I am the one or not the one or the best of the history. Means even more to achieve the second Australian Open more than any other thing.”

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Australian Open, rafa nadal

Ash Barty beats Danielle Collins, wins the home country crown

January 29, 2022 by Matthew Cronin

At what point did Ash Barty turn it around? Seven years ago, she quit, and she stopped playing tennis. She went back into Australia, and she put her rackets down. She had lost so many matches.

She was exhausted, mentally. So she decided to play cricket instead, which she likes a lot. However, after one year, it turned on the light. And she started to practice tennis frequently. When she felt that she was stroking on court, it was time to return at the WTA in 2016. It was slow, but better, each month. Her one-handed backhand was sharp, her forehand was powerful, her first serve was strong, and her return was focused.

The Aussie is now in full flight. She won Roland Garros on clay, Wimbledon on grass, and now at the Australian Open on the hardcourts, joining Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal with majors on each surface. She knows all of it now, and she is the best player out there, hands down.

Maybe this year, she can win the 2022 US Open, too.

“They are all very different, all very different stages of my life. I think to be able to have this feeling and experience this a few times over. I just understand how fortunate I am to be able to experience that, because not many people get to do that,” she said. “It’s just been an incredible journey over this past 20 years of hitting a tennis ball but particularly the last five or six years in this second phase of my career.

“I think being able to surround myself with amazing people who have invested so much time and effort and love into my career, and for them to be able to support me and to be able to experience it with me is really cool. I think our drive and determination and passion has always been the same right from the start. I think finding what we love to do and being able to then go out and compete and try and break down some of the barriers and try and achieve new things is really exciting for us always,.”

Barty did not lose a set, in seven matches over the past two weeks. In the final, she beat Danielle Collins 6-3 7-6(2). Still, Collins will rise to No. 10 and the top American woman.

The American was sharp in the second set, up 5-1, and she was blasting the ball. Collins can attack all the time, but she can miss, and perhaps it would have been a good idea to stay in the rallies, before it is time to rip it. But she did not, and all of a sudden, her first serves went astray. The errors came again, and Barty rose up. Her forehand was lethal, and her backhand was steady, with her slice, her spin and flat two-handers. Barty won four straight to even the set at 5-5.

“She did a great job on her service games in runs. She’d make a lot of first serves, and for the most part I was having to chip returns and just trying to find a way to get into points,” Barty said. “I think when I was able to be more aggressive, that was a change, and I was able to dominate with my forehand a bit more, particularly from being 5-1 down in the second set, I just found a lot more forehands and tried to work harder with my feet and take half chances and create forehands even if they probably weren’t there, and I wasn’t too concerned if I was going to miss them. It was more trying to change the look of the match than the outcome of the individual points.”

In the tiebreak, Barty had no fear, going for winner after winner. Staying very cool, she as found a way to keep her focus.

“As Australians, we’re extremely lucky to have the tennis history and the rich history that we do, particularly here at the Australian Open. But across all Grand Slams, we’ve had champions that have stemmed back years and years and years and have really set the platform for us to come through and try and do what we do and try and create our own path,” she said. “I know them more as a person. Those people that come to mind, Pat Rafter and Evonne (Goolagong), in the way that they handled themselves on the court, there’s just no one better. I think I’m a very, very small part of that. I’m still trying to figure out what I’m doing myself, but to be a very small part of an amazing history in tennis as an Australian is really, really neat.”

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: ash barty, Australian Open, danielle Collins

Australian Open semifinal: Daniil Medvedev vs Stefanos Tsitsipas

January 27, 2022 by Matthew Cronin

Daniil Medvedev was on the verge of being ousted, sent onto the street and wave goodbye. He was down to sets to love, and Felix Auger-Aliassime was on fire. The Canadian was bouncing around, he was slapping the ball, going for the shots, and making it in. In the first set, he grabbed it, 7-6, and in the second set, Auger-Aliassime did it once again, leaping on the lines and took 6-3.

Medvedev was frustrated.

“The thoughts going through your head, like ‘What if I lose it? I’m going to be in the locker room in 10 minutes probably changing my flight to go back home and something.’ I had zero confidence after the two sets. He was playing insane, like better than I have ever seen him play. It was unreal.”

In the third set, Auger-Aliassime was so close to winning it that night, but the former US champion Medvedev kept his cool, and finally, he took control, keeping his head down. He recovered and hours later, he won it 6-7, 3-6, 7-6, 7-5, 6-4.

“In a way, you just focus, you’re there, and at least me, I’m like, ‘Where do I serve, T or wide?’ Well, I decided to go wide, managed to make it,” No. 2 Medvedev said. “Because second serve is tough, second serve is where you’re like do I go for the big one, do I go for the safe one? Your hand is shaking a little bit more than on the first one and just slap it and pray. There were so many tough pressure points. I did handle them pretty well starting from the third set. I had zero confidence in myself and in the outcome of the match. I just tried to fight.”

He really fought. On Friday, he will face another a fine player, the No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas. Both of them are pretty young, and the Greek blitzed Jannik Sinner 6-3 6-4 6-2. Tsitsipas played perfectly, but you never know what he feels the next day.

Medvedev beat a variety of players, even when he is playing so-so. It was not easy against Nick Kyrgios, Maxime Cressy and Auger-Aliassime. He also will have to play another top draw when he has to put Tsitsipas against the wall.

The No. 4 Greek has yet to win a Grand Slam, but he was right there at the final at Roland Garros, losing to Novak Djokovic in five amazing sets.

Now, Tsitsipas is ready. As he said, “I feel like I’m in the zone.”

Medvedev can be so steady, and then he can pound it and pound it again. He has always been a terrific first serve, and his massive forehand and backhand. But two years ago he started to improve his return, and also, when the tall man can bend down and put it away. He badly wants to raise the trophy again.

“I need to continue fighting and try to win next two matches. If it’s true, then it will be history. It’s perfect.”

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Australian Open, daniil medvedev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Stefanos Tsitsipas

Alize Cornet upsets Garbiñe Muguruza, but could retire soon

January 20, 2022 by Matthew Cronin

In 2006 at the Australian Open, Alize Cornet was ready to hop and start her Grand Slam career. She has never won a Grand Slam, but she has played the tournaments week after week when she was very good and mediocre.

On Wednesday in Melbourne, she played terrific, upsetting the No, 3 Garbiñe Muguruza 6-3, 6-3. After the match, she said that she played almost perfect. She was on top of the ball. Last week, as she said, she played awful Time is ticking now. So this year, she wants to have a lot of fun.

“Last week I played one of the worst match of my life in Adelaide. I was not free at all. I was, like, completely stressed,“ Cornet said. “I don’t feel this way yet maybe because it’s not so clear in my mind. I wish I could play relaxed like I did today on every match. That would make things so much easier.”

The 31-year-old might retire as the end of this year. She hasn’t decided yet. She is still pretty fast and she can scramble. Her forehand and her backhand are decent, but not fantastic. If she had better strokes, she would have gone into the quarterfinals at the Slams, but she hasn’t yet.

“This is pretty much how I feel that it’s going to go, playing a whole year, playing 100 percent, trying to beat this Grand Slam record of consecutive play in Grand Slam. After that I think it will be a good time for me to retire,” said Cornet who was won six titles. “I’m not sure. I don’t want to say it’s going to happen this way. I’m not closing any door to keep going. But I gave so much to this game and to this tennis life, yeah, I feel I’m pretty much ready for the next chapter. At least by the end of the year, I think I’ll be ready.”

There were some great days, and even months, when she understood how to play, the right way. However, when she was on the court, she could get nervous or angry when she misses. Her mental focus would waiver.

“There were definitely some tough times during my career, but I think it’s the same for everybody. Like everybody, I wanted to quit tennis many times because sometimes it’s just too painful to work and not to be rewarded for your work, to have some tough losses,” she said. “Sometimes you lose, for example, with match point. You go back to your hotel room and you go, ‘What’s the point of doing all that?’

“This is not an easy job. You’re on the road basically 10 months out of 12, so you never see your family. It’s really hard to have a love life. All these things around tennis make it complicated. But the love of the game has always been stronger. I’m telling myself that I’m playing probably my last year. I’m not sure yet. When I stepped on the court, I was like, ‘You know what, just enjoy the moment because you don’t know if you’re going to come back.’ I think that’s what made the difference.”

NOTES
Muguruza won the 2021 WTA Finals and it looked like the No. 3 was ready to win another Grand Slam. But not now. “It’s a tough day. I didn’t fell at all my game,” she said. “My serve wasn’t there. I think my shots weren’t there also. Tactically, I think I wasn’t doing the right decisions either. Yeah, a little bit surprised about my level. I am a little disappointed, too.” I would say so….

The 18-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz is on fire, and he really wants to reach into the second week. He is already very good.

Roberto Bautista Agut had a huge blowout, crushing Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-1, 6-0, 6-3. “You have to give of course a lot of credit to Roberto, which I think played absolutely solid and maybe kind of a perfect match. But in tennis there are always two people involved. His level was great, and mine was maybe poor.”

Reilly Opelka and Taylor Fritz are still in the tournament. Maybe in the second week? That would be huge, given in the third round they will have to play Denis Shapovalov and Bautista Agut, respectively The Americans are the underdogs.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Alize Cornet, Australian Open, Garbiñe Muguruza, Reilly Opelka, Taylor Fritz

Notes on a draw sheet: Serena, waiting for Wimbledon

February 25, 2021 by Matthew Cronin

No. 2 Naomi Osaka won the 2021 Australian Open, beating Jen Brady in the final. We talked a lot about both of them, playing with some amazing points during seven matches. Now, it is better to talk about other people, to see how well they did, and what is ahead.

Ash Barty just lost to Danielle Collins, which means that she isn’t quite right now and has withdrawn from Qatar. She will recover, eventually. Essentially, she is anxious. Click here for a piece I wrote about her a couple days ago.

Let’s talk about the three terrific veterans who have won the Slams:
Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Garbine Muguruza. Serena looked very good at times in the Oz Open, but she also had so many errors. Instead of waiting and getting into long rallies, she should nail a few winners with her forehand down the line. The 23-Grand-Slam winner sort of knows that, and she does have another chance, to grab No. 24 major. But not at Roland Garros on clay. Serena loves to play on grass, so here it is, waiting at Wimbledon. The tension starts mounting now.

When it just before at the AO, it looked like Azarenka said that she was feeling very good and slightly improved. You just had to watch her, because when she is calm and focused, she can smash her forehand and backhand. But, other times, she is irritable, she loses an important edge and starts complaining. The 31-year-old Azarenka loves to give a speech at press conferences. When she first started her career, she could be mean and she didn’t want to talk. Silence. Even though she isn’t playing great on the court, she finally has become a super nice person.

Muguruza is playing fancy once again and she almost downed Osaka, but she lost 7-5 in the third. Had the Spaniard captured the match, she could have won another Grand Slam. But, she did not, because she hesitated. At Roland Garros, if she goes for it, then she could win. Her forehand and backhand are potent.

A few more notes: Karolina Muchova is so competitive, and very quick. … Bianca Andreescu is finally back. She didn’t play at all in 2020 and, if she is healthy, then she will go into the top-5. She can be spectacular. … Where is Karolina Pliskova going this year? No one really knows. …The same goes for Jo Konta, who hasn’t won a lot of matches over the past two years. Maybe because she gets injured a lot, or she isn’t really thinking. … American Madison Keys is stuck, currently, and if she can get back into the top 10, then she will have to find her forehand again. Or she hopes.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: ash barty, Australian Open, Garbine Muguruza, Serena williams, victoria azarenka, wimbledon

The hearts of men, proven during Grand Slam finals

February 21, 2021 by Matthew Cronin

The 33-year-old Novak Djokovic has won the Australian Open eight times. Each year in Melbourne he lit the candle and on court he can crush the winners. In 2020, he won the AO again, beating Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem

But while he is the favorite. He knows that on court a five-set victory can take for many hours. Now, he has to face versus Daniil Medvedev. The Russian has gradually become super steady in the past couple years, with some hefty strokes. He has to improve because he hasn’t won a major yet. In the final, the Medvedev has to do something different and better, like coming more into the net and changing direction.

Djokovic knows how to be composed, and his serve is terrific. He also values hitting his wonderful backhand, especially down the line. He wants to win another major, and a few days ago, he admitted it.

“I would lie if I said that it’s not a goal, besides a Grand Slam title that’s the pinnacle of the sport,” Djokovic said. “I give the maximum when I come to a tournament to win.”

He might again, but he has to do it first. Against Medvedev, he will depend on his world-class returning, and Djokovic can also smack his forehand, pretty deep, with spin.

Medvedev is robust and smart. In 2019, he won Cincinnati, Shanghai, Paris, and the ATP Final. He is very tall, moves well side to side, and can counterpunch. He rarely gets tired. At the 2019 US Open, against Rafa Nadal, he was right there in the fifth set, but the Spaniard went for it, and he won it again. But with Medvedev, in the last few games, he backed off and he was just hoping that Nadal would throw some errors. He did not, so Medvedev mentally strung out.

Djokovic and Medvedev have played each other seven times, four for Djokovic and three for Medvedev.
On Sunday, Djokovic will not play horrible, or mediocre. He will play like he is the master of the house. That is reality, as he understands how to play three out of five sets. If Medvedev can edge the Serbian — he beat Djokovic at the 2020 ATP Finals — he will have to turn the tide. Then, Medvedev can jump into the ocean and exalt. However, the real picture, though, is the Djokovic will win the 2021 Australian Open for the ninth time.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Australian Open, Novak Djokovic