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US Open picks: Friday, Sept. 1

September 1, 2023 by
Caroline Wozniaki
Ron Cioffi/TR

Caroline Wozniacki  over Jennifer Brady
The former No. 1 Wozniacki played pretty well when she knocked off Petra Kvitova. Her backhand has always been excellent, and her returns were terrific. However, her forehand is pretty good, but not great, which is why she has only won more than one at a Grand Slam. Can she do it again? That would be a huge challenge.

Brady was very good for a long time , but in 2021, she got hurt, physically, and she could not play in the WTA for two years. That is very long. Before that, she made it in the semis at the 2020 U.S. Open,and in 2021, she reached into the 2022 Aussie Open. Yes, she was darn good. However, Brady still is trying to get back, physically and mentally. She does really like to crush the ball, but Wozniacki is more in control. The Dane will win it in two tough sets.
 
Karolina Muchova over Taylor Townsend
The Czech can look so good, when she is sprinting, and slap it back. Over the past three months, she reached the final at Roland Garros and Cincinnati. She didn’t win it, but she is right there. Muchova appears to be healthy again, so the American Townsend has to play great to upset her. She is quite good in the doubles, but in the singles, she has improved this year, but she has not beaten a lot of top 10 players. Yes, the veteran wants to show the fans that she is legitmatety very good, but to watch it, she is going have to play great. She will at times, but really, Muchova is a better player. She will win it in two basic sets.

Tommy Paul over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
This should be a terrific, wild match. The American Paul beat him in Miami in straight sets, but the Spaniard wants to play much better at the U.S. Open. At the Australian Open on the hardcourts, again, Paul edged him 6-4 in the fifth set. Davidovich Fokina pushed himself back, and Paul attacked him, with some excellent shots. His forehand is a little bit better, but Davidovich Fokina has a more consistent backhand. Paul is more comfortable at the net, while Davidovich Fokina likes to add some different shots.
They will have another long five sets, and once again, Paul will beat him again, 7-5.

Taylor Fritz over Jakub Mensik
The 17-year-old Mensik qualified, and he has played almost every week, going to a bunch of small events. However, the teenager can be pretty steady, and also, he is tall, so when he gets a chance, he can swing hard and try for a winner.  He beat a number of juniors, but this time, he has to play substantially better to upset Fritz, who has gone deep in a lot of events. Fritz once won Indian Wells, but he has yet to go into the second week at the U.S. Open. The San Diego native really wants to, so he has to be super consistent.  As he said, the American Andy Roddick won the title in 2003, but that was it. Will it be this time?

“We’ve all been hearing about who’s going to be the next American (after) Andy Roddick 20 years ago our entire careers. We all want it so bad,” said Fritz. “Hopefully it’ll be one of us soon.”
He will win it over Mensik in straight sets.

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Taylor Fritz: ‘My goal is to move into the top-10”

March 17, 2022 by
Taylor Fritz

In Indian Wells it is somewhat odd that so many people can go very deep

Of course the top 10 players can go up the charts. But the reality is that outside of the top 32, the chances are somewhat slim.

Eventually, someone will rise up and have a great show. The fans can watch in a terrific, fun match.

Except for one, the American players are now gone in California, including Reilly Opelka, John Isner, Jenson Brooksby, Tommy Paul, Steve Johnson, Frances Tiafoe, Cori Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens, Jennifer Brady and Danielle Collins.

The sole American standing is Taylor Fritz, who won two matches two days ago, winning third-set tiebreaks over Jaume Munar and Alex De Minaur. He  in the quarterfinals.
 
In January, Fritz began to mix it up a lot, and he almost beat Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Australia, Open in a classic five setter.

When he lost, he was very upset. He should have grabbed it, but he missed on a couple of key errors.

“I think obviously chances were there. It was just one of those matches, like, literally was decided by a couple points here and there. I felt like I just need to put myself in those situations a little more so I can play better in those moments” Fritz said. “The level is there to hang with those guys. I feel like I can play at that level consistently. I just got to keep having that consistency, keep getting in those situations, and it will just get easier.”

It has this week, but physically, he might feel tired. He has to face Miomir Kecmanovic, the Serbian, who has had a fine week. Kecmanovic needed three sets to oust Matteo Berrettini in the round of 16.

Fritz believes that he has progressed because he been more comfortable, but it is more mental than anything else.

“I think just my level as a player has gone up. I think I’ve gone up several levels. I’m a way better player than I was when I was here last year and I think I’ve improved a lot. I expect a lot more of myself. Back then when I think I was ranked about almost 40 six months ago, however long ago this tournament was, and now I’m in between 15 and 20. I’m looking, my goal is to move into the top 10. So I definitely have a lot higher expectations.”

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TennisReporters.net 2021 year-end review: top 25-21, women

December 16, 2021 by
Jennifer Brady
March 8, 2019: Jennifer Brady (USA) defeated Caroline Garcia (ESP) 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 at the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. ©Mal Taam/TennisClix/CSM

25. Jennifer Brady
Right out of the gate in 2021, the veteran sprinted early, reaching the final at the Australian Open. She played spectacularly versus Karolina Muchova in the semis. In the final, she went down to Naomi Osaka in straight sets. Yes, the Japanese plays amazing deep in the Slams, but at least the American looked very good, even though she could have returned better. After that, she did little the rest of the year, likely because she was injured, and she stopped playing after August. She can hustle, and she is very stout, so when she starts again, in 2022 she will have to rehab and look ahead.

24. Leylah Fernandez
Almost out of nowhere, at the U.S Open, she went ga-ga. She was on fire, smashing the ball from both sides, and she was totally intense. Following up on her Monterrey victory, she ran and ran, into the corners, deeper, and very concentrated. She is only 19, so in the next few years, she will continue to grow, to understand how that the other players tend to hit the ball. The older she becomes, the smarter she will be off and on the court.
 
23. Belinda Bencic
The Swiss can look fantastic, and other times, she mentally went down. She is darn good, and she also had some fun variety. She plays a lot, and when you watch her, she can be pissed off. Yes, a few years ago, her body was very hurt, so she stopped for months. When she came back, it was almost zero, and she had to rethink her path. She does look sharp at times and get back into the top 10. She is going to have to much more find a bigger game or she will never win a Grand Slam.

22. Coco Gauff
The 17-year-old had a very good year, growing up quickly on the court. Sure, she has a lot of learning to do, but she gets better all the time. Her forehand and her backhand are strong, and she can flatten it out or spin it when she has to. Her first serve is pretty good, and, she is decent at the net. She is climbing up the hill of the rankings. However, she has lost a number of matches this year due to inexperience and lack of focus when the match isn’t going her way. In 2022, she will be even more intelligent, and thoughtful.

21. Elise Mertens
This player from Belgium put together some high level tournaments early on, but later, she collapsed, here and there. The veteran can be very consistent, or she can hit the ball when it is too short. She does like to hustle, and also in the doubles, she returns very well. But really, if she wants to go to the Grand Slam final for the first time, she is going to hang it out.

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US Open preview: Is this Pliskova’s opportunity?

August 30, 2021 by

Almost everyone wants to read about Novak Djokovic, who has a chance to win four Grand Slams this year. He is so consistent, and rarely strings together many errors. Once in a while, he does, but he is powerful, and he has a wide-ranging variety. He can smash his serves, he can return from the baseline and at the net. He is the top dog.

However, Djokovic is not the only person in New York. There are more than a few who want to reach the second week, or even further, such as Kei Nishikori, Alex de Minaur, Matteo Berrettini, Jenson Brooksby, Jannik Sinner, Denis Shapovalov and Reilly Opelka. But, the big challenge could be in the semis when Djokovic has to face Alexander Zverev. The German is flying high, he finally likes to be move and to smash it down the lines. He can go cross-court, and he can shatter it into the middle which can be very deep. He has finally matured a good amount. He hasn’t won a Grand Slam yet, but he was very close in the US Open last year. So in the fifth set, he can lock it in and then he can snag it, finally.

The No. 1 Ash Barty has only won ‘just’ two Grand Slams. This year, the Aussie has played fantastic, with her variety from her forehand and her backhand to take Wimbledon. It is hard to know where she is going, which is why she has beaten lots of excellent players. But can she win another Slam, this time in Flushing Meadows? She has grown a lot, and she is more intelligent. Without a doubt, she can push down almost everyone.

But, there are a number of players who think that when they are playing excellent, they have a shot to upset Barty.

In the first and second quarters, it could be Karolina Muchova, Jennifer Brady, Belinda Bencic, Jessica Pegula, Iga Swiatek, Paula Badosa, Maria Sakkari and Bianca Andreescu.

Plus, Karolina Pliskova wants to try to win the US Open for the first time. She has reached the final once, but could not pull it off. It’s all about her will. Pliskova thought it about it and she responded, “The next Grand Slam, I’m going to try to play like I was playing here from the first round to the last one.”

Hopefully, not early. Later.

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16 top American women in 2021

April 8, 2021 by

There are 16 American women who are in the WTA top 100. That is a lot, compared to going back all the way into the 1970

Sofia Kenin

Now, there are many players who come from Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa, and South America. Because of that, it is harder to beat many mediocre players, as their forehands have become so much better, including with first serves, net game and returns. The field is now much taller and superfast.

Right now, the Americans are in Charleston but not many from Europe. Here is a 2021 roundup after three months, one week and counting, starting from the top:

Sofia Kenin
She has won the Aussie Open. But, she is a little bit hurt now. When she is healthy, she can smash the ball and win another Slam

Serena Williams
The great players like Serena have great weapons: serves, forehands, backhands and returns. But she is aging, and she knows that she is a slowing down.

Jennifer Brady
In the last two Grand Slams, she reached the semis at the 2020 US Open and the final at the 2021 Australian Open, which means that she is locked in.

Madison Keys
When she is on, she can blast the ball. Still, she always gets injured and now, she cannot move well and is producing a lot of errors.

Alison Riske
She has come a long way into the top 30. She started loving the grass, but now she is addicted on the hardcourts.

Jessica Pegula
She has had a terrific season, showing tremendous confidence. She is gaining every week and can reach the top 20.

Amanda Anisimova
The 19-year-old is gaining ground. By the end of the season, she can be in the top 10, if she shows more maturity.

Cori Gauff
She is super young, and already, she is darn good. But, she has to be develop more strategy on the court.

Danielle Collins
She is 27 years old, and she knows what is going on. As long as she can exploit her fierce competitiveness, she could go into the top 20 this year, a career high.

Shelby Rogers
She had a wonderful second-round victoryagainst Anisimova in Charleston, 7-5 in the third. Next week, she might be in the top 45, a career high.
 
Sloane Stephens
Is the 2017 US Open winner ready to dance again? During the past two years, she was totally out of it.

Ann Li
She is only 20, and she really runs very well, but she needs more power and depth.

Bernarda Pera
There are some good wins, but in the past year, she barely won, so she has to change tactics.

Lauren Davis
She is a huge fighter, and she likes long rallies, but she does not have a hard serve. She needs to go for the lines, very quickly.
 
Christina McHale
She has been around for 12 years, and she will continue to play, because she loves tennis. But now, she must find a way to win more matches.

Venus Williams
She came into the WTA in 1997 and built a Hall of Fame career many times over. Now, she is 40 years old and looks like she will retire pretty soon.

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TennisReporters.net 2020 year-end review: top 25-21 women

December 5, 2020 by
Maria Sakkari

25. Angie Kerber
A few years ago, she was the No.1, and she was amazingly consistent. She would run, left to right in the backcourt or toward the net. She is not that great when she serving, but her return is legendary. In 2020, Kerber was so-so. She hesitated and she was thinking,”What the heck was going?’ She couldn’t flow. Over the years, Kerber had some wonderful matches. She won three Grand Slams: the US Open, Wimbledon and the Aussie Open. She was locked it with no errors. If the German wants to dive into the top 5 in 2020 and win a major again, she has to figure out what is bogging her down.

24. Jennifer Brady
The American had a fine year. At the US Open, she made it all the way into the semis, winning five matches in straight sets. Nor even close. However, in the second week, she had to face Naomi Osaka. She is totally different. Brady was close until when she lost 6-3 in the third. She had a few chances, but right now, Osaka is more powerful, and playes with more variety. Overall, Brady. 25, showed that she improved a lot, and she believes 2021 can be another break out year Her chances of reaching the top 10 is narrow.

23. Anett Kontaveit
At the Austrian Open, Kontaveit edged Iga Swiatek 7-5 in the third. In the last few games, there it was, ready to nail it and embrace it. She was thrilled, but in the quarters, she was exhausted. Simona Halep quickly blew her out. Kontaveit had some good wins in the summer, but she couldn’t upset Osaka, at the US Open. She is 24 years old, and she grew up in Estonia. In a nation without a tennis history, she will need more time to progress at the highest level. However, as long as she clubs her forehand, she will have some terrific shots in 2020.

22. Maria Sakkari
The Greek had a fine summer and fall, upsetting Elina Svitolina and Serena Williams. At the Aussie Open, she took donw Madison Keys. Then she had a tough three-setter, losing to two-time Wimbledon, champion Petra Kvitova. Over the past two years, the fast Sakkari is getting smarter. There are times when she falls apart, not thinking during the points. But at the other times, when she is really thinking, she can play without fear. In 2021, maybe she can reach the top-15, if she can beef up her mediocre serve.

21. Marketa Vondrousova
Five years ago, in the juniors, she was No. 1. Many people saw that the Czech is darn good. Now in 2020, she is already gaining month by month as she adds more shots and variety. However, this year, she couldn’t put it together. She didn’t not win a lot of big tournaments. She did upset Svitolina, but that’s it. After she reaching the 2019 Roland Garros final, she was gone for the rest of the year due to left wrist surgery. She is still coming back, and if she is 100 percent in 2021, then she will make a run again.

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The US Open: Shaky Osaka & Dominant Djokovic

September 6, 2020 by
Naomi Osaka

The US Open can be thrilling, or dull, depending on who is really focusing. At the conclusion of the first week, it can be a blast, but winning and reaching the second week is the hardest. Many people — and I mean hundreds of players — have never made it into the quarterfinals at the Grand Slams. It is pretty rare. That is reality.

On Friday, there were some cool wins in a hot, sticky day. Four of the women won it, with Naomi Osaka, Petra Kvitova, Petra Martic and Jennifer  Brady. Osaka and Kvitova have won twice at the Slams. Both of them can be some of the biggest hitters out there, cracking forehands and backhands, complimented by heavy first serves. They may not love the net, but they can bend down and put it away. But they have triumphed on the big stages before and they could do it again

Martic does push herself now, for more than for a year now, but to get even deeper, she has truly mix it up. The American Jennifer Bradly had a few wonderful wins, punching down Caroline Garcia. However, on Sunday, she will have to run for a long time because she has to play against the former No. 1 Angie Kerber, who can be steady for a long time. Because of that, Brady has to push herself more than ever.

You have to think that Novak Djokovic may never lose this year. He is totally brilliant, but there were some so-so patches being ticked off. Yet really, in three-out-of-five-sets matches, his confidence is right there. The No. 1 Djokovic is heavily favored in every match.

Denis Shapovalov wouldn’t quit, and it was very close, but he was pretty tired at the end. He edged Taylor Fritz 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2. That was a huge victory, and the Canadian began to return. He is bigger and stronger than he was last year. He is growing up…

Alexander Zverev is so unpredictable at all the Slams, but he is so good when he is on. He could go far, into the semis, and then, it could face Djokovic. He would have to play his best ever to stun the Serbian.

At 1 am on early Saturday monring, Borna Coric edged Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7(2), 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(4) in 4 hours, 36 minutes. There were so many different strokes in many different rallies, but Coric never went down. He is playing more solidly, but on Sunday, he could be exhausted. It only Sunday, seven days, and now they can see that if they want to go further, they have to trust themselves.

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