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Top 20s in 2019: Women, No. 5-No. 1

December 28, 2019 by
  • No. 5: Bianca Andreescu 
    What an incredible year for the Canadian, with the 19-year-old snaring the US Open. She is such mighty and potent. She may not be so tall, but she is so quick and sturdy. She bangs the ball, and when she gets an opportunity, she honker down and strikes. In California, in March, she won Indian Wells, flipping Angie Kerber. She got hurt, but she came back in August and she won Toronto, upending Karolina Pliskova and Serena Williams. When she won in New York, she knocked down Carolina Wozniacki, Belina Bencic and Serena. Then, everyone knew that she will go very deep for years, if she won’t get significantly hurt. Assuming that she will be healthy in 2020, she could reach the No. 1 at some point, perhaps in February. She is coming up so breathless. 

    No. 4: Simona Halep
    The Romanian had a pretty good year overall, snaring Wimbledon. That was surprising, because year after year, the 28-year-old had never gone to the final on grass in London, becoming frustrated. But two years ago, she finally won a major, taking Roland Garros. After that, she was more smooth. Without a doubt, she gets hurt a lot, but she keeps playing tournament after tournament. At Wimbledon, in the final against Serena, she rose up so high, playing one of the most dominant performances in years. After that, Halep did not play well from August through October. She is so steady, all the time. In 2020, if she wants to win another Slam, she had to be more offensive.   

    No. 3: Naomi Osaka
    At the start of the year, the big basher won the 2019 Australian Open, five months after she grabbed the 2019 US Open. She was so darn good, never backing off, hitting oh-so-hard. Then the Japanese became messy, and she was unsettled. She was over-hitting too often. It had gotten mixed messages from coaches, the old one and the new one. Sometimes it doesn’t matter at all, but there are many more players who really listen to their the coach. When they begin to play on court, they can only react. Osaka certainly can grip it, totally, when she goes for it. She appears to be thinking, so that can be good or bad. In 2020, there will be months when she is happy and playing fantastic. When can she win a major again? Perhaps at Wimbledon, on the cool grass.

    No. 2: Karolina Pliskova
    The tall, powerful Czech was pretty consistent, reaching No. 2. But, for whatever reason, the 27-year-old has yet to win a major. Amongst the top 5, they have all snared a Grand Slam, but Pliskova hasn’t been able to take a slam. She should have it already, and maybe she can, but rather than just panicking, she can reassess and re-think her tactics. When she is on a roll, she can defeat one and all. Her huge first serve are possibly the best one on the tour now, and she can crack her forehead and backhand on the lines. However, Pliskova is not that fast and she doesn’t return deep enough. She is a very smart, talking with her, off the court. But, on court, she still gets confused. She can win a Slam, and she really wants to, so in 2020, on the hard courts, she will take either the Australian Open or the US Open. As long as she breathes.    

    No. 1: Ash Barty
    A few years ago, who would have thought that the Australian could actually become No. 1? Doubles, yes, because she was completely in control, but she also was/is a terrific volleyer and returner. But in singles, she would get very nervous and push the ball. However, this year, the 23-year-old started to change things. Not immediately, but she could tell that her heavy forehand, her slice backhand and her deep return were vastly improved. In April, she won a huge title in Miami on hard courts. And, then in June, on clay, she won Roland Garros. In Birmingham, she won on grass. Three different surfaces. At the end of the year, she won the WTA Finals over the top players. That is why that clearly, she is No.1, hands down. Can she continue as No. 1 for the entire year in 2020? That is difficult, for everyone, now, but given that she can still add some new shots, without a doubt, she will snag more than a few more titles. Maybe at the 2020 Australian Open? Absolutely. 
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WTA Finals: Eight great players, but who will win?

October 26, 2019 by
Karolina Pliskova

Over the past 25 years — or even longer — it usually looked like the No. 1, or the No. 2 were serious favorites at the WTA Finals. But this week coming up, in the eight-player, round-robin event in Shenzhen, China, almost all of the competitors will have a shot to win. That is almost unheard of. There will be a bunch of three-setters, surprises and complicated group calculations. Whoever wins the event, she has to step up and produce top-level tennis.

In the Red Group, it will be Ash Barty, Naomi Osaka, Petra Kvitova and Belinda Bencic.

In the Purple Group, it will be Karolina Pliskova, Bianca Andreescu, Simona Halep and Elina Svitolina.

The odds
Although Barty, Andreescu, and Osaka all share the same odds going into the Finals, I believe that perhaps that Pliskova has a decent chance.”


Red Group
Will Barty stay at No. 1? Probably, because she has a big lead in points. But while the rankings are important, the Australian still wants to win the event. She has improved a tremendous amount this year, staying patient, and she really mixed it up a lot. But, at times, she should become more aggressive.

Yes, Barty won Roland Garros, her first victory at a Grand Slam. In the final, she showed no fear. Then at the US Open, she exited in the fourth round against Qiang Wang and couldn’t hit it into the corners often enough.

She reached the semis of Wuhan and at the Beijing final, so she enters the event in good shape. But, in her group is the player who won Beijing, Osaka, who beat Barty in three sets. Osaka usually goes for it as soon as she can and Barty likes to work her way into the points. So if the Aussie wants to win it, she has to go for her shots, immediately.

In the fall, Osaka turned around her play. She had won the Australian Open, but then slumped, on clay, grass, and the US Open. She is a terrific hitter, but the pressure affected her mentally and she wasn’t focused. Now she comes in with wins at Osaka and Beijing, and if she can find her rhythm, she’s another one who can win it for the first time.

Talking about being up and down, there’s also Kvitova. The Czech can be fantastic, jumping on balls with her massive forehand and cracking first serve. She can scramble, she can re-set, and she can be very competitive until the final ball. But, the two-time Grand Slam champion can also unravel mentally when she can’t get her game going. So does the 29-year-old, one of the most popular and friendly players off the court, really want to win the tournament badly? To do it, she must be totally focused, day after day.

At the start of the year, Bencic didn’t look like she’d be among the top eight at China. A few years ago, she cracked the top 10 and beat a lot of top players with her variety and tactical ability. But, she had a few injuries, and took at least a year-an- a-half to become good again. Right now, she is patient or aggressive as she needs to, and is winning against the biggest names again. To win the tournament this week, though, will be difficult with all the quality opposition.

Purple Group
Pliskova can play fantastic ball. Her first serve is massive, she can go down the line with her forehand and backhand, and she is pretty good when she goes up into the net. But, she has yet to win a Grand Slam. She has been at the top for years, and she has got fairly close, darn close. But, in important moments, she backs off, mentally. Also, the Czech is not very fast, and opponents can break her down. If she immediately starts to roll, she can bash the ball, put together a ton of winners and win the WTA Finals. The No. 2, though, is not the favorite; there are very solid players in the field who can run her around.

Where did the Canadian Andreescu come from? Yes, the teenager looked very good in the juniors. But, to join the WTA and then almost immediately win a few huge events, such as Indian Wells, Toronto, and the US Open, was a shocker. Of course, Andreescu is very young, but she already knows the right way to play. While she isn’t very tall, she is super agile, has a huge amount of shots, and she can move forward regularly. She can surely win a Grand Slam again, assuming that she stays healthy, and she can become No. 1. But she hasn’t played before at the WTA Finals, and many of her opponents haven’t played that much against Andreescu, nor she has played against them. They will have to adjust. One way or another, she’s one of the favorites to win the WTA Finals.

You never know with Halep, a true grinder who now competes hard. In 2018, the Romanian won a major for the first time at Roland Garros, which took a lot of pressure off her. The 27-year-old she stopped being so nervous and she dug deep.

Halep is one of the best returners and, she can run side-to-side forever. Plus, she is pretty good tactically, so in the final at Wimbledon, she locked in and only missed a couple of shots. It was possibly her best match ever, crushing Serena Williams in the final. But since, she hasn’t done much at all. Halep was frequently hurt in the run up to this week, and to win the Finals, she would have to hit the lines constantly. Right now, though, she might just want to go back home.

Svitolina is also in question. Having won the WTA Finals in 2018, she looked like she had a real chance to next win a major. She did improve a bit, reaching a pair of semifinals, but she has yet to reach a final at the Slams. 

She is a very strong player, running back and forth, and side to side. Physically, when she is healthy, she can beat everyone, but Svitolina can be frustrated on court. Winning a second straight title will be tough.

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Who is the super young Cori Gauff?

July 6, 2019 by

Over the past 51 years, it has been very rare to see the 15-year-old women players have reached the second week at Wimbledon. It has happened here and there, but when you beat three players on grass, and you are an American, who grew up largely on hard courts, then to upset experiences players, well, is quite an accomplishment.

Cori “Coco” Gauff fended off two match points, but somehow, she rose up and knocked off Polona Hercog 3-6, 7-6(7), 7-5.  

“When [the last shot] was going overhead, I was like, ‘Please go out, please,'” Gauff said. “Then after, when I was jumping, I was like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe it. It’s been one long match, it’s finally over!’ “

Yes it was. She is very fast, she really concentrates, and she can smack her forehand and her  backhand. Without a doubt, she has a long way to go, because she is very, very young, and she has to improve a lot of different things. But what I can already say, if she continues to work, and really focus, then soon enough, she will crack the top 20 within a year.      

NOTES
I think we all know that Karolina Pliskova is almost on fire — almost. She just won Eastbourne last week, she was hitting the ball very hard, and of course, her first serve is massive. Still, though, in the past decade, she can look great, and she can be pretty lousy. She has matured a great deal, though. She has never loved grass, but right now, maybe she finally will. She will faces her fellow Czech, Karolina Muchova, in the round of 16… 

Caro Wozniacki went down. We all knew that on grass, she doesn’t know to be patient enough. Or to be more aggressive. She has never gone deep at Wimbledon, but in a few weeks, she will be on the hard courts again. You have to think that she will play pretty well in the U.S. and Canada, but she has to prove it again. …  

Elina Sviolina is still there. Maybe she can reach into the quarters? On grass? Outside at the Grand Slams, she is a top-5 player over the past couple years, but at the majors, it gets into her head. Maybe, she has changed… 

On Friday, Simon Halep played almost perfectly, while Vika Azarenka did not play well at all. Pretty bad, in fact. If Azarenka comes back into the top 10, she will have to concentrate better. 

We expected a terrific match on Saturday between Sloane Stephens versus Jo Konta. It turned out to be exciting, as Konta had to overcome losing the first set. Stephens said that she would be changing up her tactics. But, it didn’t work, especially in the final set. Konta won 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.

For another story from me about Stephens and Naomi Osaka, go to: Tennis.com.

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Rafa is rarely missing again, to face Tsitsipas

January 23, 2019 by
Rafael Nadal, Rafa Nadal

FROM THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN, Jan. 23 – Rafa Nadal has not lost a set over the past 10 days. The Spaniard hasn’t played for almost five months, he was injured, and when he came back at the Aussie Open, he was unsure how he would play. but, one way or another, he had to come on the court and just hit the ball. Right off the bat, he was aggressive, hitting deep with his big forehand and his twisting first serve. His crosscourt backhand improved a decent amount and the lefty can put it away at the net. He rarely misses it.

The 17-time Grand Slam winner has a chance to win Melbourne. A decade ago, he won it, but after that, he did not grab it again. He really wants it though, badly.

Nadal has to face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semis. You know, the Greek who upset Roger Federer as well as beating Roberto Bautista Agut. The 20-year-old Tsitsipas is rising fast.

“I think Roger in the second set was unlucky,” Nadal said. “A lot of breakpoints in key moments that probably if he takes one of them, one of that breakpoints, probably will be a big difference on that score.

“Surprising or not, I will not say no because always when Federer is on court, is always surprise when he loses, no? But we know they are good. We know that Stefanos is one of these players that can win against everybody. Was a surprise but not a very big surprise. I know Stefanos is ready to win against everybody.”

The top players have been playing for 15 years in the majors, and they have been winning forever. The current young guys looked pretty good, but they have yet to win it all at the Grand Slams. Can Tsitsipas beat Federer, Nadal and possibly Novak Djokovic to win it all? That would be unbelievable, but he has to get there first.

“Being honest with you, for me, I play another match if they are the NextGen or not. For me what really matters is win the match and give myself a chance to be in the next round,” Nadal said. “That’s the real feeling for me at this stage of my career. Is not like don’t give them confidence or not. I know they are good. I know they will be fighting for the most important things during the next couple of years. I don’t take it that way. I just take it like a difficult match against players that they have a lot of energy. That’s all.”

Pliskova rolls over Serena
How about the Czech Karoline Pliskova, who upset Serena Williams in three sets? She was down 1-5 in the third, but she did not want to quit, she kept going for her shots, she found her huge serves and she returned deep. After she turned her ankle on match point, Serena made more than a few errors, and all of a sudden, Pliskova jumped on the ball. Her eyes were very clear, she knew where she would go, flat and deep. She beat Serena 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. As Pliskova said, it was her best match ever. And for Serena: If she wants to win another Grand Slam, this year, she has to play a fair amount of tournaments. Here, she hadn’t played in four months. That is tough for anyone.     

Pliskova will face the rising Naomi Osaka, who smoked Elina Svitolia. Pliskova thinks she can out-think her, and to make her sweat. They are both huge hitters, and they can crush their serves. There won’t be too many rallies, but it will be a flashy, entertaining match..

American Danielle Collins is in the semis. She has improved a lot over the past year, a tremendous amount. She can move forward and try to put it away. Most times, in the past 11 days, she has. However, she has to face Petra Kvitova, who hasn’t lost a set. She is another Czech, she is directed, and she is very clean. You never know about her on court, but she will focus a lot. At least right now, Kvitova is better than Collins.

Pouille surprise showing
Lucas Pouille hit the top 10 last March but watched his ranking plummet to 31. He wasn’t on anyone radar to do damage in Melbourne. Pouille’s sneaked through the first three rounds with little opposition. In the round of 16 he knocked off his first seeded player, sending Borna Coric to the showers in four sets. The big win wass over Milos Raonic, seeded 16. With the Canadian showing his old form, Raonic looked like a lock. But, Pouille exploded to grab the semifinal berth — his first ever in a Grand Slam — with a 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-7(2) 6-4 win. Next up is Novak Djokovic, who advanced when Kei Nishikori retired.

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Raonic, Serena, Pliskova rising

January 21, 2019 by

FROM THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN, January 21 — Canadian Milos Raonic has been so steady and lethal over the past nine days. He is powerful, he won’t go too early to try and kiss the lines, and he thinks a lot. He was been injured so many time over the past two years, but today, he was smart and focused.

On Monday, he essentially crushed Alex Zverev in straights, 6-1, 6-1, 7-6. The German destroyed his racket, slamming it nine times after the second set. The young man was, as he said, “I was very angry, so I let my anger out.”

Raonic saw it, but he didn’t want to think about it for a long time. He needs to continue to focus.   

“I think it can have an effect. It’s like if a top guy after winning a game, even though they are behind against a player that maybe hasn’t been in a scenario is a bit more vocal, tries to sort of amp themselves up,” he said.

“It’s sort of that same thing. It could be to try to provoke or make the other guy think, because if another guy is in a very comfortable situation and things are flowing smoothly, it’s sort of a stimulation on the side that can provoke maybe some thought, some doubt, or maybe some, Oh, maybe that guy is going to wake up across. Just make them think something different.”

Raonic reached the Wimbledon final a couple years ago, and after that, injuries slowed him down. It has been a tough patch to deal with him. However, when he is healthy, he looks very good. The big man can shorten the angles. Will he survive the rest of this week? Nobody know, but he is trying.

“If I can do my things well, if I can go away and train, I don’t necessarily always need to hit that much with other players. If I can do my specific things well, if I can serve well, if I can be efficient, coming forward and first chance I get, and I can recognize those moments, I can always put different pressure. And I think all those kind of things and just the process I go about and how I like to keep to myself when I have been away.

It’s always given me certain motivations. I think each injury has given me sort of the feeling I don’t know what’s next around the corner. Am I going to be hurt again or not? But it’s given me more of an appreciation of when I have been healthy.”

He will face the Frenchman Lucas Pouille, who has risen again. That should be some fascinating rallies.

If you watched it on Sunday night, Stefanos Tsitsipas overcame the great Roger Federer in four classic sets. Tsitsipas stood tall, while Federer missed some key forehands and watched 12 break opportunities float away. That’s what happens, when you cannot play perfectly. Tsitsipas almost did it.

The women
Karolina Pliskova smoked Garbine Muguruza in two sets. I mean she knew exactly how to play against her. And she did, with incredible confidence. So now the Czech will have to face Serena Williams, who overcame the No. 1 Simona Halep 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. Pliskova reached the 2017 US Open final, losing in a close three-setter to Angie Kerber. She has been around for a fair amount of time, so at some point, she will have an opportunity to go super deep. But, she has to get over Serena, which is very difficult. However, she will have a decent chance.  

“We played [at the 2018] US Open. I didn’t play well that match, so for sure would be good revenge to play [Serena] again,” Pliskova said. “Different conditions here. I think I’m playing a little bit better than I was last year, so looking forward.  I think she’s playing very solid this tournament. … I have my game, so of course I have to take care a little bit of them, too. But I have to play my game so I don’t have any plan B, C, D,” she said with a smile.

“Of course if Serena is playing at her best, then it’s tough because she can serve, put a lot of pressure on her returns, but she can also miss.”

Everyone can miss, but not right at the end. Once in a while, in the past 20 years, Serena has missed some key ones in the Slams, and she lost. But not many. That’s why she owns 23 Grand Slams…

Last year, outside of college, very few fans knew who Danielle Collins was. Not anymore. The 25-year-old crushed the two-time Grand Slam champion Angie Kerber 6-0, 6-2. Earlier, she took down Julia Goerges and Caroline Garcia. Those are three top-10 players. Over the years, it is very rare for the college players to go on to the tour and eventually crack the top 10. Or eventually make the top 20. Right now, though, Collins has already reached the top 25 and if she keeps playing this way, she can go way up high. She will face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who stunned Sloane Stephens, very late at night. … A tougher match for Ash Barty, who played a great contest, beating Maria Sharapova, but she has to play Petra Kvitova, who is on fire.

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Svitolina wins the WTA Finals, beats Stephens

October 29, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Elina Svitolina was not playing fantastic during the last few months. But when she arrived in Singapore, she decided that she would swing out. And she has always run super fast, and extremely strong.  
 
Svitolina knocked down Petra Kvitova, Karolina Pliskova, Caroline Wozniacki, Kiki Bertens, and in the final, she played terrific in the last two sets, jumping on Sloane Stephens 3-6, 6-2, 6-2,

She has never played great at the Slams, but outside of that, she can be very cool and calm.

“It’s definitely a good statement for myself and good boost of – I can’t say confidence, because I try to always have confidence in myself, to have it is my personality,” Svitolina. “I think for me it’s just that the third set really showed that I was mentally tough. That’s what made the difference…When I qualified for this tournament, definitely decided that I’m going to just go for it and I’m good enough. I’m going to trust my game, going to trust myself.”
 
She is going to have to do it once again at the 2019 Australian Open, in three months. Then, the No. 4 can lock in, breath, and think of things that I am darn good — and not pretending that I am going to lose.

She didn’t in Singapore last week, and just Wozniacki, who it took her 10 years to finally win a major. Svitolina can do it, too.

“I was staying very positive, and I think that’s what made the difference in this week. I was able to play well and to compete.”

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WTA Finals: Svitolina revives, upends Pliskova

October 24, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Elina Svitolina
Back in the spring, Elina Svitolina was ready to pounce. She hadn’t won a Grand Slam, but in the big tournaments, she was very strong, fast and powerful.

From January through May, she won Brisbane, Dubai and Rome against very good players. She upset the No. 1 Simona Halep in the final in Italy — on clay. She was legitimately one of the favorites going in Roland Garros. But she lost in the third round. She wept and she was very upset.

The same thing happened during the summer. She lost in the first round at Wimbledon, but back in the hard courts, she began to feel a little bit better, and she reached the semis at Montreal and the quarters in Cincinnati. Not great, great, but decent. 

But after she walked into the US Open, in the first week, she looked pretty good. But, then in the third set against Anastasija Sevastova, she totally disappeared, and she went down 6-0 in the third. Wow. Credit to Sevastova, but Svitolina  totally crashed out. It is all about the Slams, and she has yet to go super deep in the majors.

But not now. In the past four days, she is into it again, beating Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. In the third set, she looked healthy and concentrated. Two days ago,  she smoked Petra Kvitova, serving and running substantially faster. 

“I think my serve was not great today at all, but it’s also, on the other hand, she’s returning pretty well, so she’s putting a lot of balls back,” Pliskova said. “So, there is the pressure that you always have to play the ball after the serve. … Obviously, the third set I didn’t hold much my serve, which is always frustrating, but she’s a good player, too, so I was not there alone.”

And now, in Singapore, Svitolina had a decent chance to win it all. She is pretty honest. Here is what she said after the match about the Czech:  “It worked really good, because I think Karolina was up and down and struggling sometimes.”

Yes, she did, and now, on Thursday, Pliskova has to down Caro Wozniacki to make the semis. Right now, both of them are feeling good. There will be some long rallies, and Svitolina has to be patient. The same goes with Wozniacki, who has to be step in, rather than going way back on the court.

“[Against Wozniacki] it’s another tough battle. She’s a fighter and so am I,” Svitolina said. “It’s gonna be a tough match.”

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WTA Finals Race: Wozniacki, Stephens, Kvitova

October 18, 2018 by Leave a Comment



It is in the middle October, and next week the top 8 players are at the WTA Finals in Singapore. On Wednesday, Elina Svitolina and Karolina Pliskova qualified, joining Simona Halep, Caro Wozniacki, Angelique Kerber, Naomi Osaka, Petra Kvitova and Sloane Stephens.

Halep’s back issues flared up enough for her to withdraw. Holland’s Kiki Bertens will take her spot.

Will they go out there and really battle? Mostly, but over the years in Singapore, a few people couldn’t run fast, or they were so exhausted. Right now, we don’t know until they get on the court, but day after day — they have to play three matches, wins or lose —so we will discover who really wants it.

There were some incredible matches last year. Kvitova, who reached the final and had a solid chance, but she lost 6–2, 4–6, 6–3 to Aga Radwanska, when the Pole was healthy and she out-thought everyone. Aga has been hurt over the past year so she isn’t in Singapore, but Kvitova is right there. The Czech has had a some terrific wins this season, but in the fall, she has been so-so at best. Will she rise? Perhaps, as Kvitova won the WTA Final in 2011, knocking out Vika Azarenka in three fun sets.

Kerber, too, is playing once again, but she hasn’t won the event. In 2016, she was on top of it, but she lost toDomi Cibulkova, who was on fire towards the end of the season. Cibulkova isn’t in this draw, having plummeted to No. 27.

Last year in October, Wozniacki won the event, for the first time, and she has qualified so many times. Back in Doha, she reached the final in 2010 against Kim Clijsters, who is now retired, and the Belgian overcame Wozniacki 6–3, 5–7, 6–3, which was pretty close. In 2017, in the final in Singapore, Wozniacki settled down and cracked her wonderful backhand. She was thrilled, which is why a few more months later, she won the 2018 Australian Open, the first time she had won a Grand Slam. Obviously, she was thrilled, but the most important thing is that not only was she confident, but she has improved her forehand and her returns. Maybe she can win it again next week? She is right there.

Who is playing the best in the event?

Kerber just split with the coach, Wim Fissette, andhad a pretty decent year. But, since she won Wimbledon, she has slipped. Winning Singapore would be almost shocking. 

The young Osaka certainly has a chance to win it. Kvitova has been struggling during the fall, and the same goes with American Stephens, is not playing well at all now. Pliskova looked awful in Moscow, while Svitolina has been very shaky.

Who will win it?

My vote for the top three in Singapore: Wozniacki, Osaka and Kvitova.

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Kvitova over Serena, Sabalenka bounces Pliskova

August 16, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Petra Kvitova played terrific on Tuesday at night in Cincy, beating Serena Williams 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. At Wimbledon, the Los Angeles resident played pretty well, reaching the final — again. Still feeling the effects of motherhood, she was still a little bit slow against Angie Kerber.

Like Kim Clijsters, Serena is finding coming back takes more time than expected. If Serena is patient, then the 36-year-old will play more often and win more frequently.

A few weeks ago, Williams was crushed in California, losing to Jo Konta. Now she goes down against Kvitova but she didn’t play poorly. At the US Open, Serena might be nervous, but she has won it six times, If she reaches the second week, watch out.

Win or lose, Aryna Sabalenka is coming up fast. She is powerful and head strong. On Wednesday, 20-year old Sabalenka eliminated the former No. 1 Karolina Pliskova 7-5 in the third. Good for the Belarus, mediocre the Czech, who is sputtering this year.

About the months ago, Pliskova reached the semis in Madrid, beating Vika Azarenka, Sloane Stephens and Simon Halep, before losing to Kvitova. After that, there is not much for Pliskova.

So yesterday, she decided to hire Rennae Stubbs as her coach. A former player and current broadcaster, Stubbs is very smart. But will Pliskova focus? And actually listen, all the time? That is hard to say, because on court, she can be mentally out of it. But when she is locked in, she can beat anyone. It should be fascinating at the US Open.   

NOTES
Azarenka has been given a wild card at the US Open, but in Cincy, she lost to Caroline Garcia  6-4, 7-5. Garcia is substantially better over the past year and a half, but just like Serena, Azarenka has to readjust after becoming a mom.

Here’s a good win: Elina Svitolina beats Svetlana Kuznetsova in a marathon: 7-6(1), 3-6, 6-4. Svitolina may be reviving. 

Miami champion Naomi Osaka is suffering, losing  early again. Time to pick it up …

CoCo Vandeweghe is still hurt, I would imagine, when she was smoked by Kiki Bertens. The next day, the Belgian won easily as the No.  2 Caro Wozniacki has to retire with an injury. Caro is getting hurt a lot, again.

How many injuries? A billion, in the summer.

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Monday magic in the rounds of 16

July 7, 2018 by Leave a Comment

FROM WIMBLEDON —

John Isner vs Stefanos Tsisipas
We are talking about John Isner, still here at Wimbledon. As he has said, he has lost many so long, very close matches over the years, all in the fifth sets, going down against Marin Cilic, Jo Tsonga, Alejandro Falla and Dudi Sela. But finally, this week, he pushed himself, he served huge, and for him — which is very unusual — he actually returned very well.
The 19-year-old Tsisipas is very young, and apparently, he is pretty good. He is 6 foot 4, and he has already cracked the top 30. He can get frustrated, but he is a big, healthy hitter. Isner has to get on top of him early. The American will in four sets.

Karolina Pliskova vs Kiki Bertens
This should be a doozy. Pliskova has finally reached in the second week at Wimbledon. She has done deep at the US Open, Roland Garros and the Aussie Open. But, on the grass, she checked out. Not anymore. Bertens is also knocking on the door. She is strong and agile. They played in Stuttgart, and in the first round, Kvitova crushed her. However, Bertens kept chucking along. She won Charleston, on the hard courts, and reached the final in Madrid on clay. Now, on grass, the Dutch player has a more positive attitude. While Bertens can push the Czech, Pliskova will out serve her in two long sets.

Roger Federer vs Adrian Mannarino
Federer is just moving along, side to side, front and back, so casually. Mannarino has been smart at times; he can chop it, and whack the ball. Once again, Federer has all the tools, especially when he is playing extremely well. He likes to be creative, and he is very happy when he is bombing serves. Federer will win in three sets.

Serena Williams vs Evgeniya Rodina
During the first week, even though she was struggling, Serena was totally in control. That is why she has moved into the second week — many, many times. Serena might be a little off, but her first serve is gigantic, she can hustle, and she can blast her forehand. 

Rodina has been around a long time. She is almost 30 years old. While the Russian has never been great, this week, she kept fighting and battling. She stunned Madison Keys. But that’s different, because as Keys said, she was looking ahead, which was a bad move. Rodina will push her again, but Serena is substantially better than she is, so the American will win in an easy contest.

Julia Goerges vs Donna Vekic
German Goerges has become so much more dependable than she used to be. The Croatian is more consistent, she really loves the grass, and she can hit it very hard from both sides. Goerges has finally reached the top 10, and she really thinks — finally — that she belongs there. While Vekic is hungry, but so is Goerges, who wants to move up. She will win in two sets.

Kevin Anderson vs Gael Monfils
This should be a terrific contest between the two vets. Anderson is quicker, his backhand has improved, and he is thoughtful. When Monfils is healthy, he is so much fun to watch him. His backhand has gotten been a little bit stronger, and at the net, he loves to dive and put it away.

I am somewhat surprised that Anderson finally understands how to play at Wimbledon. It took him awhile but now he is right there. There will be few rallies, but Anderson will survive in four sets.

Milos Raonic vs Mackenzie McDonald
I have see Raonic many, many times, but I haven’t seen McDonald much. He has now cracked the top 100, which is better than nothing, but after he left UCLA when they won the 2016 NCAA Championships, it was time to move up. He has worked and worked, and now, he is hitting harder with depth.

However, Raonic is much older, he knows grass, and he is very smart when he is serving, as well whacking his forehand. The Canadian is pretty calm against the younger players, so he will win in straight sets.

Camila Giorgi vs Ekaterina Makarova
Is this a tossup? Possibly. The Italian scrambles and then she leaps in the air and puts it away. The Russian is a natural strong person, and while last year she was out of it mentally, now she is much more composed.

While Giorgi likes to run, she cannot crush the serves like Makarova can. This will go three. The Russian will raise her game and win it, but it will be very close. Super close.

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