You are here: Home / Archives for Kei Nishikori

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.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Olympics in Tokyo: Barty, Osaka have early exits

July 28, 2021 by
Kei Nishikori


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: , , , , , ,

ATP Finals: Zverev wins biggest title, stunning Djokovic

November 19, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Here’s a wrap-up of the 2018 season for the eight ATP Finals singles players.

Alexander Zverev
From August all the way through November, Zverev played well at times, but mostly mediocre. But last week in London, Zverev stood up tall, stunning Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3 to win the title. 

He was so locked in, so good, smashing his serves, his forehand and backhand and also being patient. The 21-year-old won Munich, the ATP 1000 Madrid, Washington and now, London. “I’m unbelievably happy, obviously it’s the biggest title that I’ve ever won,” said Zverev. And how. 

This year, he beat eight Top 10ers. On Saturday and Sunday, he overcame Roger Federer and Djokovic. That is almost impossible to do. The No. 4 Zverev has yet to go very deep in the Slams, but in 2019, he will be very confident and stoical.

Novak Djokovic
The 14-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic has had a terrific second half of the year, winning Wimbledon, Cincy, the US Open, and Shanghai. On Sunday, he had only lost twice since June, to Stefanos Tsitsipas in Toronto, and Karen Khachanovin in Paris. It looked like he was almost invincible. 
But in the final, he played OK, didn’t serve well during the second set, and he didn’t return with his usual tour-topping skill. However, you cannot win every week; it is going to happen, once in a while. Djokovic will stay as the No. 1 at the start of 2019, but the most important thing for him is to keep on churning.

Roger Federer
The 37-year-old Federer had two good wins against Dominic Thiem and Kevin Anderson, and two losses against Nishikori and then in the semis to Zverev. Not good enough for him? Probably not, because he wants to win at the most important events, and the No. 3 really, really wanted to grab it in the ATP Finals. He would have had 100 titles, in front of everyone, and he would have been so darn happy. But, he did not and for the next two months or so, he will be stuck at 99 wins. He must be think: “Ugh.”    

Kevin Anderson 
The South African/American looked terrific, winning two matches against  Nishikori and Thiem to start, but then the tide turned, and he lost easily to Federer and Djokovic. Yes, he had a fine year, winning two small events and he reached the final at Wimbledon. Can Anderson win a major in 2019? Hard to say. He has improved his backhand and speed, but the tall man is still a little bit slow. However, if he can return better, then maybe he can raise the Slam trophy in 2019. Maybe.

Marin Cilic 
There are days when you think that he is playing so clean, so smart, and so intense. But there are also days when inside his head, that he gets frustrated and then he gets mentally down. Yes, he had a very decent year, but for Cilic, unless he gets to No. 1, he is very disappointed. He has won one major title, the 2014 US Open, and he has also reached the final at 2017 Wimbledon, and this year,  at the Australian Open. There is no doubt that he will be a force again in 2019. But, to get his second Slam, he has to be steadier and focused at the net.

Kei Nishikori
After the Japanese stunned Federer, it looked like he was ready to take down all of them. But he did not, and he flipped out, losing so easily against Anderson and Thiem. Later, he said he had no idea why. That is so true. However, he did play pretty well most of the season, and he wasn’t that hurt at all, which is very good, considering that he had been injured for so many years. 
Nishikori is very fast, he leaps up into the sky a lot, and he puts the ball away.  
Can he actually win a Grand Slam someday? That is questionable because in the second week, he eventually gets tired and then starts coughing up the unforced errors. Hopefully, in 2019, he will continue to be healthy. If he does, Nishikori will go deep at some big events.
   
Dominic Thiem 
The Austrian has been creative this year. He mixes it up, he will spin it, chop it, and flatten it out. On clay, he was way up there, reaching the final at Roland Garros. But, on the hard courts, while he has improved during 2018, it has taken the 25-year-old a pretty long time to be a force. He is trying, though, he is stuck on the baseline. Maybe, he can push himself forward. He played a few good matches last week. He wasn’t able to reach the semis, but maybe next year in London at the O2, he can grab and actually win it.
  
John Isner 
The American was pretty thrilled that he made it into the ATP Finals, slipping in when Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro had to withdraw because of another late-year injury. He was excited and he was hopeful. He tried but lost all three of his matches. As he said before it started, there are some amazing players here. So, Isner had a small chance. Unfortunately, he couldn’t raise his game. Without a doubt, he did improve his backhand, and at net game, bending low. Maybe in 2019, Isner can crack the top 5. That would be even more special. 

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

ATP Finals: Anderson wins, Federer loses to Nishikori

November 12, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Kevin Anderson has had such a solid year. The 33-year-old veteran has improved his backhand,  his speed, and net play. Go back five years and he was struggling mentally, but now, he is pretty calm and directed.

On Sunday in the ATP Finals in London, Anderson overcame the Austrian Dominic Thiem 6-3, 7-6(10), attacking the net regularly.

Thiem has also improved this year. He was always very good on clay, but he had to understand what he needs to do on hardcourts, which are much faster. However, both of them still have return substantially better, just like Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer do. And today, Nishikori also did it, especially serving.

Champions like Djokovic and Federer return well all the time, and that is why they have thousands of  break points. Indoors, in London, it is warm and there is no wind, so Anderson  can swing out — when he wants to. Maybe the South African can reach the semis, but he has a long way to go. He was nervous, but today, he settled in.

“I definitely felt a little bit nervous. But very quickly and find a really good rhythm, taking care of my service games nicely [and I] created quite a few opportunities on his serve,” said Anderson. “He wasn’t serving at a very high first-serve percentage. I felt I was getting into quite a few points. The second set could have been anybody’s set. When it’s 12/10 in the tiebreak, it really could have gone either way.”

At night, Kei Nishikori stunned the 20-time Grand Slam winner Federer 7-6 (4), 6-3. Now that was surprising, not because the Japanese has had a very decent year, but because the Swiss has played in London extremely well over the years, on grass and indoors on hard courts. But in his first match, he was frustrated.  

“I hope I don’t go on vacation with three losses. Let’s put it that way,” Federer said. And how.

So Federer lost, but it is a round-robin, so he can reach the semis, but he has to re-compose. He committed 34 unforced errors, and that is a lot. He does not do it often, but he received a code violation for banging a ball into the crowds. Ouch. Federer won the Australian Open, skipped Roland Garros, and then he was ousted at Wimbledon and the US Open. Recently, he won Basel again, but the 37-year-old might be aging a little more. That is inevitable.

“My season [in 2018] was never going to be exactly like last year,” Federer said. “I knew that going into the season. If you thought I was going to have, I think you are dreaming. I’m happy how I played this season. I didn’t feel like playing less was a problem.”

He did add that Nishikori had a very good year. At the end of 2017, he was hurt and he couldn’t play. He came back in February and it took him awhile to be comfortable. He is now.

“I’m really happy for [Kei] that he qualified for this event – not taking me out today – but I’m happy for him because he started playing challengers this season,” Federer said. “That was a bold decision early on and deserves credit and respect. I think we all have that for Kei because he’s a great fighter.”

Federer will plays Thiem on Tuesday, while Anderson will face Nishikori.

NOTES
The United States lost 3-0 against the Czech Republic in the Fed Cup finals. That is the sixth time in eight years that the Czechs have won it. They are so good. Katerina Siniakova  saved two match points and won it 7-5, 5-7, 7-5 over Sofia Kenin. Close but no cigar for the Americans. …

Stefanos Tsitsipas won the Next Gen ATP Finals title in Milan over Alex de Minaur. The Greek will crack into the top 10 pretty soon. He is very tall and he just crushed the ball off of both wings.
 
The coach and broadcaster Darren Cahill has stopped coaching Simona Halep. “I’ve decided to take a 12-month break from coaching to be home more for support as our children enter important stages of their lives with the final year of high school, sports and college preparations all becoming more time consuming,” Cahill wrote.

Czech Lucie Safarova, who peaked by reaching the 2015 Roland Garros final, will retire at the Australian Open in January. Her body is declining. “I had a great career, but my health doesn’t allow me to continue,” Safarova said. That is too bad, she always hustles and she always smiles, too.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Spectacular Novak Djokovic wins the US title

September 10, 2018 by Leave a Comment

novak djokovicFROM THE US OPEN – Before Djokovic walked on the court, he knew that if he played well, he would win the title again. He is better than Juan Martin del Potro, he knew that coming in, but he realized that the Argentine was rising, very gradually. If he was very consistent and powerful, he would win.

 And he did, 6-3 7-6 (4) 6-3. In the second set, DelPo had a few chances, to grab it, but Djokovic stayed in there, out-hitting with his backhand, moving so well, returning a lot, which he had to, because DelPo was crushing his first serves.

The Serbian stayed strong, he didn’t play great with his serves, but his backhand beat the Argentine down, especially crosscourt. Plus, his forehand was hard. He wouldn’t allow DelPo to come into the net hardly at all, unless he decided to bend him down, pull him over, and pass him. DelPo crushed his huge forehand a lot, and in the second set, there were times when it appeared that he was getting better and better. Had he won the second set, then who knows? But in the breaker, Djokovic focused, and he locked in, and when he won the second set, it was essentially over.

While the No. 3 DelPo has had a terrific year, still, if he wants to win a major again — and to stay healthy — he must continue to work his backhand and his return. Other than that, he is a darn good player. Djokovic is a fantastic player, because he is now won 14 Grand Slams, tied with American Pete Sampras. Surely, next year, the No. 2 Djokovic can win another title, possibly at the 2019 Australian Open. That would be something else.   

The others

Rafael Nadal
The No. 1 played three marathons, before the semis started against DelPo. After the first set, he became injured, and after he lost 7-6, he told the umpire that he was going to retire soon. In the second set, he pulled out. He was sad,  and a little upset, but the No. 1 Nadal knew that you cannot win all the time.

He will always remember in the quarters against Dominic Thiem, winning it 7-6(5) in the fifth, which ended in four hours and 49 minutes. It was spectacular. But after that, his body and his leg  was exhausted so there was no way he could continue. He did win Roland Garros, plus four more ATP Masters 1000, so in the fall, assuming he is feeling better, he will continue to push, and try to win it again. The last time he and Djokovic played against each other, he lost 10-8 in the fifth at Wimbledon. That was super close. Maybe they will clash at the ATP Final in London, or early. We all hope so. 

Kei Nishikori
The Japanese looked great heading into the semis, beating Marin Cilic in five, running fast, leaping in the sky, and punishing with his forehand. He returned pretty well, too. But, once again, Djokovic is better than he is. His first and his second serve, and he can grind him down, also with his phenomenal backhand. I am not sure that Nishikori can upend Djokovic ever again, maybe once, or twice. In a five-setter at a Grand Slam, he can’t take a quick win. In the two out of three sets, sure he can lock in and upset Djokovic, but he couldn’t do anything on Friday, losing 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. That was a good US Open for Kei, but not good enough to win the title.     

Dominic Thiem
The Belgian played well as he could, especially on the hard courts,  because he has won a number of titles on clay, but the 25-year-old wasn’t ready for long, hard-court contests. At the US Open, he knew he had be very aggressive, with his huge first serves, and his heavy spin, with his forehand and his backhand. He did, and he battled, and he fought, and he pumped his fist, but he couldn’t make it. After he lost, the No. 8 Thiem said that he will always remember this defeat. But, perhaps in the fall, he can shake it off, and during the fall, he will add more variety. I would think that we will reach the ATP Finals in England. But that is a toss-up. It’s all in his head now.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Women’s semis: Kerber vs Ostapenko, Serena vs Goerges

July 11, 2018 by Leave a Comment


FROM WIMBLEDON — Many players are very nervous on court, but others aren’t nervous at all. When you have won a Grand Slam, that nervousness can go away.

That is why Angelique Kerber and Jelena Ostapenko will face off on Thursday. German Kerber won the ’16 US Open and ’17 Australian Open, while Latvia’s Ostapenko won ’17 Roland Garros. This season, they have been OK, for the most part. But, in the last 11 days, they were so good and so driven. Kerber has been around a long time, while Ostapenko is very young. Kerber is super steady as she is very fast, while Ostapenko crushes her forehand and backhand. 

However, after you win a major, the so-called pressure is on in the next year. You are the champion, so do it again. Ostapenko admitted that last month that she was emotionally messed up. But not now.

“I’m not like at the French Open because I had all that pressure, now it’s gone. Finally it’s gone,” Ostapenko said. “Now it’s another tournament, another great opportunity for me. I’m just not afraid to miss. I’m just going for the shots. In general, I think my level is much better the last Grand Slam.”

Kerber has reached a number of semifinals this year, but she has yet to win tournament since she won Sydney at the start of the year. In Australia she reached the semis, and she was very close, but Simona Halep pushed her back 9-7 in the third set. Since then, Kerber has been gaining momentum. When she goes deep in an event, she will back off and lose. Perhaps on Thursday, Kerber will be substantially more aggressive and return well. She has to. Her young opponent will make Kerber step it up.

“It’s a big challenge, especially with Ostapenko where I never played against her. She won also a Grand Slam,” Kerber said. “The match starts from zero. The pressure is not always on my side. There are no favorites anymore. We are in the semis. I’m not looking left or right. I’m not looking about the others. I’m really taking care about my game.”

This is a toss-up, but in the third set, Ostapenko will hit the corners and capture it. 

Serena Williams is once again back into the Wimbledon semifinals. She is the favorite, but she still is not playing 100 percent, yet. She needed to best Camila Giorgi 6-4 in the third. Her serves were tremendously good in the last hour, but still, her forehand is a little off. Regardless, she is still so smart, her backhand is lethal, and her returns is very deep. As long as the rallies go quickly, she will be find her game.
     
Julia Goerges will go up against Serena. Goerges is relentless, and even when she gets down, she goes forward, and she finds ways to win. It has taken the 29-year-old many years to reach the pinnacle of her career. Now, she is in the semis at Wimbledon, so the folks will say, “Who is Julia?”

Well here it is, things changed: “It was almost three years ago when I decided to make a change in my team. I went completely a new way. I took a new physio, a new coach [Michael Geserer]. I changed my residence,” Georges said. “I went from the north to the south of Germany really to start everything from zero.

“I thought there is much more potential in my game and in myself to reach my goals I want to achieve, to become the best player I can be with my abilities I’m having. This work we are putting in every day, you can’t expect it happening in three months, and it’s just there. It needs a lot of time and a lot of work. I think it’s everything worth it for the season I’m playing now, that I’m sitting here right now. I’m able to play on the semifinal against Serena Williams. That’s something what a player is dreaming of.” 
 
She is correct. Last year, she won two titles, and this season, the German has beaten some very good players including Caro Wozniacki, Daria Kasatkina, Karolina Pliskova and Ash Barty. She is strong. But here is what is crucial: At Roland Garros, she lost to Serena 6-3 6-4 in the third round on clay. So how is she going to attack on grass? That is risky business. Even if she does, Serena will win in straight sets.

The men
It was a heck of a day on Wednesday, very long with a couple of wonderful contests.

The famous Roger Federer went down in a spectacular fashion, losing to South African Kevin Anderson 2-6 6-7(5) 7-5 6-4 13-11. Federer had a number of chances, but Anderson stepped up to the plate, hit some huge forehands and his slamming serve. He came though, perhaps his best match, ever. Federer was a little bit shaken up.

“I was very happy that I got off to the right start, was able to take control somewhat,” Federer said. “I just don’t know exactly how I couldn’t create more opportunities once the third set came around. I had my chances, so it’s disappointing. No doubt about it. He was consistent. He was solid. He got what he needed when he had to. Credit to him for hanging around really that long.”
 
The other multiple champion, Rafa Nadal, survived in nearly five hours, beating Juan Martin del Potro 7-5 6-7(7) 4-6 6-4 6-4. The fifth set was a true classic, with both men returning well, going side to side, hitting hard or soft, changing everything. But in the end, Nadal was slightly more consistent, and brilliant, which is why he will have a decent shot to knock down Novak Djokovic in the semis. But first, Nadal was thrilled.  

“I am very happy the way that I survived a lot of important points in that fifth set. I think I did a lot of things well,” Nadal said. “I went to the net. In general terms, have been a positive match. Only negative thing is I played almost five hours, and I had the chance maybe to play less winning that second set. For the rest of the things, great news, semifinals of Wimbledon again. Great feelings.”

Serbian Djokovic was extremely good, as he was very focused and his backhand was spot on. In the last hour, he whipped Kei Nishikori 6-3 3-6 6-2 6-2. Nishikori had some good moments, but then he totally lost his game, committing errors after errors.  

“I feel if I have to compare the game that I’ve played, the level of tennis that I’ve had those years and today, I think it’s pretty close,” Djokovic said.

American John Isner finally reached his first Grand Slam semis ever, beating Milos Raonic 6-7(5) 7-6(7) 6-4 6-3. In the second set in the tiebreak, it looked Raonic was going to grab it and go up 2-0, but Isner kept strong and snared it. After that, he was on cruse control. 

“Pure elation right now. With how I’m feeling physically and mentally, I’m in a very good spot,” Isner said. “I think I can keep doing damage here. This is amazing. It’s by far the best Grand Slam I’ve ever played in my career, and I’ve been playing for 11 years. I’m super happy.”

They winners are all happy. Not so much for the those eliminated in a glorious day of tennis.

Filed Under: Lead Story Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Who’s closing in on the men’s semis?

July 10, 2018 by Leave a Comment

FROM WIMBLEDON — In first glance, it looked like Milos Raonic is the favorite versus John Isner. But uh, uh. The American has beaten the Canadian three times, in Canada, in Cincinnati and Miami — all on hardcourt. In 2016, Raonic finally beat him, 7-6(5), 7-6(5) again at  Cincy. Both of them have huge serves, both of them can smoke their forehands, both of them have improved there backhands — slightly. When they come in, and if you have to bend low, then that is trouble because they are very tall and it is hard to put it away.
 
But this is about the grass, and while Isner is playing better in the  fortnight, he is going to have to move up very quickly, because Raonic is feeling it. Yes, the Canadian gets injured all the time, but at least when he is healthy — and that it pretty rare — he can move it around, with a lot of spin. Also, the ace-master Isner can actually scramble. Whomever gets a chance, he has to grab it now

“The keys is going to come down to one, two, three points here and there. That’s pretty much it,” Raonic said. “I don’t think we’re going to have many consecutive opportunities on each other’s serves. It’s going to be coming down to those moments about being sharp in the right moments, who is going to be able to step up, to dictate, putting more pressure on the other guy. It’s going to be decided by small margins.”

It was warm and sunny in the past nine days, but on Tuesday, it was cooler. However, it hasn’t rained. Because of that, the balls comes up higher. Raonic seems to like it, on court, that is.

“It gives you more things to sort of hit down on, hit through the court on. You’re not bending over as much,” he said. “Obviously that’s going to help him. I like to use the slice to come in. I like both conditions when it comes to being on grass. I think it’s definitely been the warmest I’ve ever played here. It definitely is a factor when it’s a living court. It’s the only live surface we play on.”

Raonic certainly loves grass, but he just can’t shake Isner. The American will bomb his big serves and his forehand. Isner will win on five sets.
    
Rafa Nadal will face Juan Martin Del Potro, which is a very tight match. The Argentine will attack him anytime he can, and he will certainly risk his serves. He can’t allow Nadal to yank him around.  Del Potro will push him early, and try to bother him, but Nadal  will pound him on his backhand and throw in some sweet passing shots. Nadal will win in four sets.

Roger Federer is the favorite everyday, so while Kevin Anderson is so mentally sound now, the South African has never beat the Swiss. Over the past year, he has improved a lot, but still, Federer is quicker, faster and conscious. ‘The Fed’ will win in four sets.

Novak Djokovic is churning. Day after day, he is more comfortable, and the 12-time Grand Slam champion is oozing. He has to face Kei Nishikori, who is right in there, but two days ago, he said that his elbow was hurting him, but he got through  Now Nishikori  has to find away to unearth him. The Japanese says: “This is a fresh start.’ Is it really? We will find out.

“I don’t know if we never played on grass. I think it’s going to be new game for us,” Nishikori said. “But he’s always like big war for me. I always enjoy playing against him. It’s always big challenge. Maybe I don’t have good result, good record with him, but I always enjoy playing him. He’s one of the best player on the tour.”

And so is Nishikori, in a smaller degree. For a few hours, Nishikori will handle him, rallying side to side. But in the fourth set, Djokovic will start to dominating his backhand and his serves. The Serbian will win in four sets, and after that, here comes playing Nadal — 52 times. That is a lot.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Kerber vs Osaka, Djokovic vs Edmund, Kyrgois vs Nishikori

July 6, 2018 by Leave a Comment

FROM WIMBLEDON —

Angie Kerber vs Naomi Osaka
This should be a very tight match. Kerber loves to grind, and she runs to and fro, while Osaka immediately hits into the corners and tries to put everything away. Over the six months, the German has looked very good, and at other times, she looks mediocre and sad.

Osaka can rip the ball, and hit the lines, just liked when she won Miami. However, on clay, she was all over the place mentally. Kerber knows she has to dig in, and when she has a chance, she must go for it, rather than just pushing the balls around. In the third set, Kerber took a deep breath and she invaded her. She will grab the victory.

Novak Djokovic vs Kyle Edmund
The Serbian is getting better and better as he is much more comfortable when he is on the court. The Brit has improved a lot during the past year, and now he can sit back and play calmly and forcefully.

Djokovic knows that pretty soon,he will stop being so skittish, and concentrate. Edmund is smarter now, he moves all around, and he attacks when he sees opportunties. While Edmund is excited about playing in front of the sold-out Centre Court, that doesn’t mean that he can convert. Djokovic can be frustrated at times, but he does believe that he can outhit him. Novak wins in four sets.     

Nick Kyrgois vs Kei Nishikori
This is a true bang-up match. When he is healthy, the Aussie is powerful and sointense. The Japanese reached the 2014 US Open final, and it looked like that sometime he would become No. 1, but he has not. However, Nishikori is still strong, he really wants to go far. While over the years, the 28-year-old didn’t quite get it on grass, but inside his head, he knows that if he stays healthy, he can push the opponents way back in the court. However, Kyrgois can blend his often powerful strokes, and he will find a way to deliver them. That will be a five=setter, and Nishikori really wants to grab it, but Nick will break him early and hold on.

Ash Barty vs Daria Kasatkina
The other Aussie, Barty, is finally showing her bold style. A few years ago, when she quit tennis and then returned, she was incredibly nervous. Now, she is cool as a cucumber.  The ambitious Kasatkina is very headstrong, and on court, she is very fierce. There will be a lot of rallies, from side to side, and back and forth. Both of them like to spin, and jump on the returns.  If Barty continues to progress, she will enter the top 10 pretty soon, or even the top 5 at the end of the year. Kasatkina is still very young, and she will rise soon enough, but Barty will beat her in two tough sets.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Report card: top five men in Rome

May 21, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Here are the men with the best results last week in Rome.

Rafa Nadal A+
The Spaniard can be so-so at times, and he knows that, and he says that, even if we don’t always believe him. On clay, when he is on top of his game, he is control 95 percent of the time. When he was close to losing the final to Alexander Zverev, he stepped up, smacked his forehand and weaker backhand, and he found his range. He is super smart and driven. Nadal will come into Roland Garros this week and be a serious favored to win it again: that would be 11 times. Wow!

Alexander Zverev A-
The German was pretty close to winning Rome, moving forward, pounding his backhand and serving big. The 21-year-old has had a terrific three weeks, beating 13 different players, knocking down a few of the best. But as Zverev has said, he was so close to put down Nadal for the first time but coulnd’t make it happen at the end of the match. With a break in the third, he lost his fire. Can he win in Paris? That is unsure.

Novak Djokovic B+
At least the former No. 1 reached the semis. While he lost against Nadal, he was finally a little bit confident and focused. He may not love clay, but he is a very good player from top to bottom. As long as he stays healthy, he will return to the top 10, then into the top 5, but after that, to win a Grand Slam this year? The jury is out.

Marin Cilic B+
The Croat had a very good week in Rome. Yes, he didn’t win, but at least he hustled and changed his tactics. Reaching the semis on clay makes Cilic smile.

Kei Nishikori B
The Japanese also had a good week, not retiring, staying in there. He never gave up. He and Djokovic had some fun rallies, and coming up to Roland Garros, I am sure they will be practicing for many hours.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Sloane Stephens finds her footing on clay but falls to Garcia

May 17, 2018 by Leave a Comment


American Sloane Stephens said this week that she understands how to play better on clay now. She used to get frustrated at times, but now she is learning what she needs to succeed. However, she has to be more tolerant. On Wednesday in Rome, she knocked down Kaia Kanepi 6-0 5-7 6-4.

But, she couldn’t extend the magic against Caroline Garcia, losing 6-1 7-6(7). Garcia has improved huge amount over the past year — in the singles, that is. Both of them can sit back and rally for ages. They are both very accurate, rarely missing some easy shots. Eventually, however, they can swing hard and try to kiss the lines. This match can go for two and half hours. At the end, whomever is willing to go for it and not push the balls back, she will take it, with Stephens or Garcia.
 
Simona Halep smoked Naomi Osaka pretty quickly and then got a walkover when Madison Keys pulled out. That will keep her atop the WTA rankings.

Venus Williams overcame Elena Vesnina 6-2 4-6 7-5, as the Russian faltered in the last games. But Anett Kontaviet took down Venus 6-2 7-6(3) in the third round. Kontaviet aslo knocked Venus out of Madrid last week.

The amazing thing is for the first time, or very rarely, over the past 20 years, that Venus decided she could play doubles without Serena. Unfortunately, she picked Keys, who withdrew from singles and doubles, citing a rib injury.

On the rise is Maria Sharapova, who dispatched Gavrilova in straight sets. There was no doubt that Sharapova would find her form. Now, the question is can she get back into the mix of the top 5. If Sharapova wins a few more matches, she will be in the top 32, which will help at Roland Garros.

Here is a marathon when Daria Gavrilova took out Garbine Muguruza 5-7 6-2 7-6(6). Muguruza had a few match points and she couldn’t convert. She rarely chokes, and Gavrilova kept pushing her. I am just not sure that the former RG champ Muguruza can take the Paris title again.

Two other notable matches with the guys on Wednesday: Kei Nishikori beat Grigor Dimitrov 7-6(4) 5-7 6-4 in nearly three hours. Good for Nishikori, staying in there, going backhand versus backhand, hitting it hard down the line. Nishikori continued to show he is improving when healthy, pummeling Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-1 6-2 in the third round.
 
Props to Fabio Fognini, who out-hit Dominic Thiem and then sailing through Peter Gojowczyk. Next up is Rafa Nadal who had no problem with Canada’s newest top player Denis Shapovalov. They have had some classic matches over the years, and they might do that again.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Next Page »