Matt Cronin – TennisReporters.net

In the Queen’s final, Tommy Paul finally likes on the grass

June 22, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Well, well, in London, Tommy Paul makes the semis on grass, unusual, and he defeated another American, Sebastian Korda 6-4, 7-6(2). He has to face the Italian, Lorenzo Musetti, who took down Jordan Thompson 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

That should be fascinating, as neither of them have been dominating on the slick grass. Maybe they became to hit the ball, at the right way. The current No. 13 Paul won a small tournament, in Dallas, on the hard courts, but the consistent player can really mix it up, and he also reached into the semis on Rome, a huge event. He does drive, from his forehand and a his backhand, and he can stay a very long time. However, on the grass, the points will be shorter, and to bend down at the net, and put it away.

The 22-year-old Musetti has had a mediocre year, and he has lost seven first rounds, so maybe he is hitting harder, and deeper.

He play a lot, all the time, but he will be very excited when he walks into the court and to win it in England.

“It would be super nice to win here in Queen’s with so much history,” he said. “I love this sport. I’m really passionate about tennis since I was a kid. I dreamed to be a tennis player and become number one in the world.”

The other terrific Italian, the No. 1 Jannik Sinner, has reached the final in Halle, and he will have a difficult match with Hubert Hurkacz, who has had a fine year. He upset Alexander Zvereve in the semis. Hurkacz might upset Sinner, and he can smash the ball with his huge forehand. Yet Sinner can attack him, early, and also, to be more patient, if he has to.

It is not even the middle summer, and there has been a lot of injuries, including this week with Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Marketa Vondrousova, and Ons Jabeur. Maybe next year, they should not play too many tournaments.

That was a fine match when Anna Kalinskaya beat Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-1. If Kalinskaya wins a title, that will be the first time, but it will be tough, against either Jessica Pegula or Coco Gauff.

Pegula was up 7-5, 6-6 with Gauff, but the rain, came, and it had to stop. Talk about a very tight match, and now they will have to do it again in Berlin…

Where did the 31-year-old Ajla Tomljanovic come from, reaching the final, as she is always up and down. But not this time, as she beat teenager Anastasia Potapova 6-3, 6-2. Tomljanovic has not reach the final since five years, which means that the Aussie can be pretty good, but not fantastic. However, at least she is there, in Birmingham , and she will face Tomlajnovic versus Yulia Putintseva.

“Whenever I’ve done well, I’ve never looked ahead, and I’m not going to do it now either. I’m going to do my best to prepare, give it my all tomorrow, and when it’s over, I’ll reflect on the week, ” Tomlajnovic said.”

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: coco gauff, Jannik Sinner, Jessica Pegula, Lorenzo Musetti, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Tommy Paul

Andy Murray injured again, can he play Wimbledon?

June 20, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Andy Murray became hurt again, and he had to pull out in Cincy Championships, in London, Great Britain, but hopefully when Wimbledon begins, he will look respectable, on the court. The Scot has won it twice, yet to win it again would be stunning, as he hasn’t gone very deep at the Slams for the past four years. It is lucky that he will retire at the end of the summer, and wave goodbye.

The other day, he practiced with Carlos Alcaraz, as the Spaniard just won Roland Garros. Murray just practiced with Alcaraz, and the 37-years-old was pleased.

“I was really excited to practice with him, well, because I love watching him play. [Carlos] for sure one of my favorite players to watch,” he said. “He’s obviously one of the best players in the world, so I was really pumped to go and practice with him. It’s interesting for me, having played against Roger [Federer], Rafa [Nadal], Novak [Djokovic], getting the chance, like, I practiced with [Jannik] Sinner before the Australian Open, practiced with Carlos and stuff. It’s cool for me to get a chance to play for this newer generation and see what do they do better or worse or differently to, the guys that I competed against my whole career. I really enjoyed it.”

Unfortunately, Murray pulled out of the cinch Championships, in London, as he won the first match, but he had to retire after five games due to his super sore right leg. In the past three years, it was difficult, as his injury mounted. However, he did beat a number of good players, but not over the spectacular competitors.

“Although the last few years might have seemed okay, it’s been hard, it’s been really hard on the body. Physically it’s been tough,” he said. “A lot of days where it’s not been that much fun to train and practice and everything. But, yeah, obviously I have tried to work through it and find ways to get on the court and compete at this level. But tennis is a really, really hard sport.”

That is for sure, because usually, after 35, your body is starting to break down. It is possible to have a terrific couple weeks, but then, the pain will come again. Eventually, you have to retire, pretty soon.

Regardless, he has now 1000 matches, which is amazing. The former No. 1 has played some tremendous matches winning the 2012 US Open, and the 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon. He would yell a lot, on the court, but he was so darn consistent, both sides. Mentally, if his body was hurt, he didn’t really care, and to stay in there. That is why he has won 46 titles.

“There’s the kind of mental side of things on the court, the way that you’re dealing with, stressful situations, in the matches and everything. There’s sort of like a performance state you want to get into, and then also how you deal with the highs and lows of the wins and losses, and also the day-in, day-out kind of training and traveling and being away from friends and family and things that, you obviously need to take care of as well,” Murray said.

He will have to, and last year at Wimbledon, in the second round, he lost against Stefanos Tsitsipas in five dramatic setters. Maybe he can do it, or maybe not.

He did speak with Alcaraz, off the court, and the 21-year-old really listened to what he said. He knew that, and now he has won three Slams, too. A great comment.

“Every time that I talk to him, we had a conversation, I was really focused,” Alcaraz said. “Every word I’m hearing from him, it is amazing for me,” he said. “He watched a lot of my matches. Yesterday when I practiced with him, he congratulated me about the French Open, that it was an amazing stuff. He’s a legend.”

Alcaraz is playing in cinch Championships, but lost in straight sets to Jack Draper in the round of 16.

“I love watching him play. I mean, his style, it’s really amazing to watch. He’s really aggressive. I love these kind of players.”

Four Slam champions were given wild cards into Wimbledon: Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Emma Raducanu and Caroline Wozniacki.

There was a fine match on Thursday with Jessica Pegula taking out Donna Vekic 6-4, 7-5.

Both Taylor Fritz and Sebastian Korda won, so maybe if they can really understand on the difficult grass, they will even further, just like Pete Sampras did.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin

Sebastian Korda is rising, almost the top 20

June 16, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Sebastian Korda has reached into the final at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, and the American has played very well this week. However, the 23-year-old is still up and down, but that is why that he will reached into the top 20 for the first time. He might reach into the top 10, at some point, as long as he can stay the course, and understand whether if he has to hit harder, or be more patient. He plays a lot, not only in the United States, but also in Europe. He has been doing it for a very long time, as he lives in Florida, and his father, Petr Korda, also played, and he won the 1998 Australian Open.

He talks with his son, but Petr also has to watch his daughters, Jessica and Nelly, who are pro golfers on LPGA Tour. At the top. Wow.

However, Sebastian Korda not only his dad, but another coach is Radek Stepanek. The Czech reached No. 8, and he won five titles, but he never was able to go to super deep at the Slams. Maybe Sebastian Korda will try to do so, but he does want to go much better.

“Radek, we’ve been around each other for basically my whole life. My dad coached him for 15 or so years, so he’s family,” Sebastian Korda said. “He knows me better than anyone else out there. We’ve put in a lot of great, hard work. It’s been unfortunate that I had a wrist injury for so long [in 2023], so you can’t really do too much. Now hopefully that’s passed us, and we can put in some good work. We’re definitely trending the right way. We’re playing some better tennis now and putting a lot more work on the tennis court, which is great. Hopefully we can have some better results in the near future.”

Last year, he did get an injury, and he stopped for three months. He was barely so-so, so gradually, he got a little better. This week on the grass, he beat Tommy Paul in the quarters, which was huge, but he has yet to beat a top 10 in 2024. Very good luck in the final, because he has to face against the No. 9 Alex de Minaur. Korda will have to play excellent, as he hasn’t beaten anyone in the top 10 since a year ago. Plus de Minaur beat him in Rotterdam. Is Korda really rising?

Speaking of which, Coco Gauff is No. 2, and that is terrific, but in the semis at Roland Garros, she could not play consistently, and she lost against Iga Swiatek. She wasn’t hitting the ball, cleanly, and she went to make way too errors, a lot. She is still young, but she has been around for four years. Yes, she has improved her forehand, and with her serve, too, and it is still good, but not great, yet. She has won one Grand Slam, and eventually, she will grab it again, but exactly when? Maybe at Wimbledon, coming up? Perhaps, as Gauff will rush the net a lot, on the grass, and to attack. Swiatek has now won four Slam in Paris. She is just so darn good, with her forehand, her backhand, and returning. The No. 1 Swiatek hasn’t won Wimbledon either, so that will be a huge challenge. The same goes with Gauff, who hasn’t won it either, so there has to be eight players to go very deep in the second week. But which one?

“If you’re playing against anybody in I would say the top 10, I feel like the margins are smaller. Even against Ons [Jabeur] I felt like my margins were smaller,” she said. “And that’s just when you play higher-ranked players, you know that some mistakes that you make aren’t going to — when you’re playing somebody who maybe isn’t as experienced or just not as talented maybe, you know that eventually you’re going to get back some of the mistakes. When you’re playing anybody, honestly, in the top 10 at this point, you know that you can’t give anybody free points. I feel like against her and against any top player you do feel like your margins are smaller because you know they’re probably not going to give that back to you. If they do, it’s not maybe at a scale of somebody who’s less experienced.”

That is correct, when you are playing, you almost have to play well and win it. If someone is sick, and slow, or kick it out, then you could win, almost easily. However, if she is playing terrific, then you have to play almost perfect.

Gauff said that while she lost against Swiatek, she wasn’t horrible. However, she has to be calm, and accurate.

“I think it was the execution that I didn’t do well on. I had a couple of break points early in the first set to break back,” who will play in Berlin, next week. “I made errors, a lot of short ball errors. I feel like I wasn’t always, hit off the court today. Now if I want to transcend to the next level, there’s a different way to play. Not that I can’t play defense, not passive, but making them work for the point, but I also know if I want to win more and stay at the top, then I have to be aggressive in certain moments and especially against [Iga].”

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: coco gauff, Iga Swiatek, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Sebastian Korda

Carlos Alcaraz: three-time Slam winner

June 11, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

In the Roland Garros final fifth set, Carlos Alcaraz was locked in. He knew that if he could crack the ball, everywhere, then he could win another Grand Slam. He certainly did, when he defeated Alexander Zverev 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.

That was stunning. However, in the last two sets, he became to hit it very hard, and he attacked, whenever he had to. He had played for hours, but he believed that he could still smash the ball, and throw in some incredible shots.

“I know that when I’m playing a fifth set, you have to give everything and you have to give your heart,” Alcaraz said. “I mean, in those moments, it’s where the top players give their best tennis.”

He has now won three Grand Slams, winning Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. He is only 21-years-old, and if the No. 2 continues to be healthy, he can certainly win many more Slams. He is content and he is getting better each month.

“Different tournaments, different aura, but I’m going to say: same feeling. I mean, winning a Grand Slam is always special,” he said.

No. 4 Zverev had a fine event, but in his last two sets, he collapsed, and he looked tired. Maybe in the final of a Slam, he could be be more forceful, or try to rush the net more.

But not with Alcaraz, who is so much smarter. In the semis, the Spaniard edged Jannik Sinner in five, tough sets. Once again, he hammered his forehand and his backhand.

“Last year I clearly failed that exam, but this time we’d done our homework,” said the Spaniard. “This year I managed to do much better. I think I passed the exam, but not with flying colors. It’s something I have to keep improving and as the years go by, I’ll feel even better.”

The Italian Sinner became No. 1, for the first time, and while he couldn’t win at Roland Garros, at least he won the Australian Open, the ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami, and he reached the semis at Indian Wells, Monte Carlo and RG. He was disappointed in Paris, but now he is thrilled. That was a gigantic achievement.

“It represents a great result of work ethic. It was one of my goals for myself and my team this year,” he said. “The most important goal is always to improve as a player and as a person, surrounding myself with great people. In the last period I’ve played some really good tennis. I’m very happy to be in this position.”

Here comes the grass
Will Alcatraz, Sinner or Zverev grab the Wimbledon title? Maybe, but it is totally different on the lawn. Perhaps a few of the American men will go deep there, such as Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda and Frances Tiafoe.

Fritz is not playing this week, but the rest are, in Netherlands and Germany. Even the current No. 12 Fritz lost super early at last year’s Wimbledon, so is it possible that maybe one American can reach into the second week? That would be good, as the US guys won it at Wimbledon, such as Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Sampras won it seven times, and Agassi did it once in the 1990s and the early 2000s. Will the young players push it and learn from it?

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, paris, roland garros, roland-garros, wimbledon

A toss-up: Alcaraz versus Sinner in the RG semis

June 6, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

The former No. 1, Rafa Nadal, has won Roland Garros 14 times. On clay, he is the best player, ever. However, the other Spaniard, Carlos Alcaraz, also really likes on the clay, and in the past 12 days, he has played very aggressively. He out hit Stefanos Tsitsipas in three tough sets, and while he did a few odd errors, he was composed, at the end.

Now in the semis he has to go against Jannik Sinner, who will soon be No. 1 on Monday. He will be thrilled, but if he loses in the semis or the finals, then he would be upset. Or maybe not. The first thing is he has to be super patient, and really go for it, when the time is right. Sinner has improved this year, and his forehand and his backhand can mix up, and smash it very hard. Alcaraz has an amazing ground strokes, and the two-time champion has improved his first serve. The young player is very fast, when he is running, and he also is very solid at the net. They are close when they have played each other, as they have had eight matches, 4-4. Is that close enough? Yes. They have only played on the clay once, and Umag, and the Italian Sinner won it. At the Slams, Sinner beat Alcaraz at Wimbledon, but at the 2022, the Spaniard defeated him, and he won the US.Open. They have played only once in 2024, at Indian Wells, and Alcaraz beat him in three demanding sets.

In a sense, they know each other, pretty well. Both of them think that if he is totally on, then he can really go for it, with his first serve, close to the lines.

“Everything [Sinner] does, he does it perfectly,” Alcaraz said. “The way that he hits the ball is unbelievable. The way he moves, it’s really, really [good]. He pushes you to the limit in every ball, in every point. I think it is the hardest thing to face Jannik. At the same time, I love that. I love these kind of matches. I love this kind of challenge, to have a really difficult battle against him.”

Sinner will try to slap with his forehand, somewhat deep, yet Alcaraz will attempt to go down the line with his quick spin. It will likely be a marathon, and in the end, in the fifth set, Alcaraz will win it 6-4, in four hours.

Can Alexander Zverev will finally win a Grand Slam?

Well, over the past week, he was struggle, but he made it. From the backcourt, he was so consistent, crosscourt, and down the line. He rarely gets tired now, and his goal is to win a Slam for the first time.

“I’m in another semifinal here, which I’m very pleased about. Of course I want to win one,” said Zverev. “I want to be in the finals. That’s my main focus.”

He has to face the 25-year-old Casper Ruud, who really loves on the clay, having reach into the final at the 2023 Roland Garros. He lost against Novak Djokovic, but in the semis, he beat Zverev. Yes, this year, he came big again, but in the semis, Ruud was on fire, while Zverev collapsed. Maybe the German will do some knew shots, that fool him. Or, Ruud can trick him, again.

“Okay, I won’t play perfect, but I’m going to be a tough player to beat in best-of-five sets on clay,” said Ruud. “That’s the kind of mentality that has been working for me. I know if the opponents want to beat me, they’re going to have to play really good tennis for at least three full sets, and I’m going to try to make it tough for them. Physically I’m going to try to be in good shape and make them suffer if I can.”

Ruud knows that Zverev can be very intense for hours, but he does know that on the clay, he can exhaust him. He will, and Ruud will win it 6-7, 7-7, 6-4, 6-3.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, french open, Jannik Sinner, Matt Cronin, paris, roland garros, roland-garros

Tough matches, but Djokovic keeps winning

June 2, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Given that Novak Djokovic played for four and a half hour, and when he finished, it was 3:00 a.m. at Roland Garros. It had rained a lot in Paris, but he stayed there, and he beat Lorenzo Musetti 7-5 6-7(6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-0. He finally looked very good, but Musetti collapsed. The No. 1 Djokovic has been struggling this year, but each match, he could play very well, and more confident. His backhand is amazing, and he can return deep, close to the lines. Now he has to face against Francisco Cerundolo, who has had a so-so year, but the Argentine can rise up. He will have to, as Djokovic will push him into the fence. The Serbian will win it in four, tight, sets

Alexander Zverev is still playing darn good, while he almost lost in a marathon, but he managed to survive, but now he has to face versus Holger Rune, who really likes on the clay. Zverev can crush the ball, on the hardcourts, but the German can become impatient,with his forehand and his backhand, and he will rush it. Zverev has yet to win a Grand Slam yet, but he has come close, at the U.S. Open, yet in France, he has been up and down. “I kind of had this conversation with myself and I realized that you know I don’t do any good to myself and especially to people and kids watching so, I’m glad it’s working out,” he said. “I mean, I worked on myself quite a lot uh in that department.”

However, in the past month, Zverev was very smart, on the court, winning Rome. His confidence is there, but Rune is trying to reach the semis at the Slams for the first time. He can be steady, and he did have a fine year in 2023, and at Rome, he reached the final, beating Casper Ruud before he lost against Daniil Medvedev. Pretty good. Ruud knows that to beat Zverev, he must be super patient, and really mix it up. Unfortunately, Zverev will gringe him, in five, fun sets.

Taylor Fritz is the only American men are left, so to beat Ruud, he is going to play lights out. Ruud reached the final at Roland Garros, and recently, he won Barcelona and Switzerland. He is so confident when he can chuck it on to the lines, and he can be very creative. Toe to toe, he can also change his tactics. That should be a wild five setter, and Fritz will really be very aggressive, but Ruud will grab it 6-4.

On Saturday, the American Emma Navarro will face versus the No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka. Gradually, Navarro is trying to add some new shots, and also, to be thoughtful.

“It allows for some unique tennis, which is what I like,” Navarro told WTA Insider. “I like problem-solving, I like figuring things out. I like that I can be creative. I like to play with some style. That’s what I enjoy about tennis and the clay allows for that, a little bit more than hardcourts.”

At Indian Wells in March, Navarro upset Sabalenka 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. That was one of the best day, ever. She did lose in the next round, but she seems to be better with her forehand, and her second serve. However, Sabalenka is much more close to the lines, hitting as hard as she can. Yes, Navarro will try to rallied her, but Sabalenka will take it, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Emma Navarro, french open, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Novak Djokovic, paris, roland garros, roland-garros, Taylor Fritz

Roland Garros: Tommy Paul looks very comfortable

May 31, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Are the American men climbing, or are they sitting there, knowing that eventually, they will lose at Roland Garros? At least a few good men put together some terrific matches.

Tommy Paul crushed Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-0, 6-2, as the veteran player looked very old, as his forehand and his backhand was short, in the middle. Paul improved a lot last year, and he pushed himself, going for it, closer to the lines. Over the years, he did not go deep on the clay, but now he knows how to do it, winner or lose. At least he won’t go back, next to the fence.

“For me, it’s kind of just having more experience on the clay,” said Paul. “I’ve had a lot of seasons over here. I’m feeling more comfortable than I probably ever have. I actually grew up playing on clay. That was all I played on, even before going to play hard court tournaments. “I mean, I’m comfortable on it. I’m really enjoying my time on it right now.”

Taylor Fritz looks more than solid, as he beat Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. His patience is there, and he can chuck it around, side to side. He is just fine to hit it during the rallies, and he can also mix it up. He can become frustrated, but he knows that if he wants to stay there, he has to forget it with the errors.

Ben Shelton is rolling along, beating the former US Open finalist Kei Nishikori, who retired. Years ago, Nishikori beat almost anyone, who was so steady and powerful, but he became hurt, all the time, so even to play again, maybe he should just retire. But he will not.

Shelton is still very young, and he can play wonderful, but then he can throw in some wild, mediocre shots. He is growing, so he will be more intelligent.

Sebastian Korda looked very good in the first two sets — sort of — but then in the third set, he was disappointed, and then he was gone. Carlos Alcaraz beat him 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-3. At 5-5, he was right there, and his forehand went down into the net, and then the Spaniard nailed it into the corners. The two time champion Alcaraz will keep trucking, while Korda can crash. He has to be smarter, on the court.

NOTES
So many good Italians are rising, such as Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who beat Liudmila Samsonova
7-6(4), 6-2. She has been around for a while, but her forehand has certainly been improved, month after month. Clara Tauson beat the American Sofia Kenin, and she was likely upset, but at least this week, she looked OK. Now Kenin has to be more consistent, on the grass, coming up. … Here was a dramatic match when Holger Rune edged Flavio Cobolli 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 3-6, 7-6(7). Another young player Cobolli was up 5-0 in the final tiebreaker, but then Rune rose up immediately with a lot of winners, and the Italian Cobolli became nervous. Goodbye, but he will learn about it. Here is another five setter, when Casper Ruud beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. It is all about the survival.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Ben Shelton, Carlos Alcaraz, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, paris, roland garros, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul

After taking Rome, can Zverev win Roland Garros?

May 22, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Almost exactly two years ago, Alexander Zverev fell down hard and in the semis at Roland Garros. He had to retire due to his ankle injury. His body was ruined. It has taken the German a long time to slowly improve again, and finally in Rome, he won the title, beating Nicolas Jarry.

He was very patient, he was creative, and he could mash the ball. Zverev can very controversial, but on the court, the 27-year-old can be calm, and thoughtful. The No. 4 is rising again, so in Paris, he will try to be more focused. He badly wants to win a Grand Slam for the first time.

“Because it’s clay, to start with. It’s the most physical one for me, in my opinion,” Zverev said about the three-out-of-five at Roland Garros. “It’s the physically toughest one. But I think it’s the one where I have the most memories, good or bad. US Open, yes, I was two points away from winning the title [in 2020]. Of course, that’s also one that kind of sticks out. Roland Garros, so close to being in the final [against Rafa Nadal] I felt like. I was playing some of the best tennis of my life in 2022. Those kind of things, they are still in the back of my mind. Yeah, that’s the one that I want to do well in.”

At the start of the year, Zverev looked like that his return was more consistent, and his forehand went deeper, close to the lines. But in the semis at the Aussie Open, he was up two sets, but then Daniil Medvedev began to be incredibly consistent, and then Zverev went back, and he missed some critical shots, losing 7–5, 6–3, 6–7(4), 6–7(5), 3–6. That was almost heart breaking. But right now, he wants to try it again.

“That’s the one that I want to win. That’s the one that I look forward the most maybe throughout the year,” he said. “I’m going to do everything I can this year and we’ll see where I can end up.”

It is one thing that Zverev can beat a bunch of good, but not great players, but can he take down Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, at Roland Garros, or one of them? That is a tough order. He says that he can.

“I’m somebody that I know when I don’t play well, I can lose to anyone, but when I play well, I know I can beat anyone. That’s my mindset,” Zverev said. “That’s how I think about it. I know I have to focus on myself, to find my rhythm in Paris the way I did here. Then everything is on my own racquet.”

Once again in Paris in 2023, in the semis, he was very formable, but Casper Ruud was super steady, and the Norwegian won. However, Zverev just won Rome, so on the excellent clay, he is thrilled and more mature, when he is thinking. Now he has to drive it.

“Nole is going to be at his best. You’ll see,” Zverev said. “It’s just the way it is. Rafa is going to play a lot better than he did in Madrid and Rome. I’m certain about that. The other two [Sinner and Alcaraz] they just depend on health. If they’re healthy, they’re two of the best players in the world, for sure, and there’s no question about it. Whether or not they are healthy, I cannot answer because I don’t know. I’m not inside their body. I saw Jannik posted a picture of him practicing again, so I’m assuming he’s fine and feeling good on the tennis court. Look, it’s all about health. When they’re healthy, they’re two of the best players in the world.”

Just like Zverev, who is healthly, and the best player, too? That is a huge question.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, roland garros, rome

Can Nadal win Madrid for the last time?

April 29, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Will Rafa Nadal actually play at Roland Garros, given that over the past couple years, his body is breaking down? Is he finally healthy again, or will start to go down, ASAP? He doesn’t know, but however, he will try, day after day, and then, in a month, if he be confidence again, then he will charge on the wild clay? No one, really knows.

At Madrid, Nadal beat Alex de Minaur 7-6, 6-3 , which is somewhat surprising, as last week in Barcelo, the Aussie beat him in straight sets. Now though, Nadal’s huge forehand is coming back.

“I think last few days my body feelings improved a little bit, but not sure yet,” said Nadal about Roland Garros. “I understand for you sometimes it’s difficult to understand some things, but for me, Roland Garros is the most important tournament of my tennis career, no, and all the things that I lived there, enjoyed there, stays in my heart forever. So is not a thing about losing or winning. It’s about going on court there with the feeling that I can fight and I can be competitive, let’s go on court and dream about what can happen, no? So if I am not able to go on court and dream about even if it’s the minimum percentage, for me don’t make sense to go on court, no? I prefer to stay with all the amazing memories that I have.

“I want to be there, and even losing, but go on court with the chance to dream about something important, if that happens, I gonna be on court. If I am not allowed to make that happen, even if it’s a super, super small percentage, I probably will not go on court. That’s the feeling, and it’s best-of-five, so it’s a different story.”

He is so right, especially playing with the best-of-five, rather than the best-of-three. That is a dramatic difference. Nadal has won 14 titles in Paris, the most ever. He is the so-called “king of the clay.” He was so consistent, with his massive forehand, his incredible return, his speed, with his gigantic legs.

But Nadal is aging, and he cannot stop it. However, if he can continue to play well in Madrid, and maybe in Rome, then he will have enough time to recover. After that, at Roland Garros, he will be very intense.

Who would have known that Thiago Monteiro upset Stefanos Tsitsipas two days ago. He has never gone deep at the big events, but now the 29-year-old is playing wonderful. The Brazilian believes that he can grab it, when he is playing tremendous. Good luck with him.

“I knew I had a big challenge ahead against a top player, but I was feeling good. I was just trying to enjoy also, and I just believed that I could create opportunities and believed in my game that I was back to feeling good again,” Monteiro said. “So today it worked really well, and it give me, big confidence to know that in a good day I can play, in high level against these big guys.”

Win or lose this week, even though Ons Jabeur has been up and down this year, but she does lover to really mix it up, and chuck in some fantastic drop shots. Maybe Jabeur will start to win again, but the No. 9 had not played very well since last September. That is a long time. She said that she doesn’t have to know what to do on the court, but to understand how to react. She will have to be more patient.

“I just was going, like, with the flow and seeing how the game was focusing a lot on myself lately. I feel like I want to get back the creativity and the intuition part that I play really well with,” Jabeur said. “I know I’m intuitive person, so the more I let myself play more freely, the better I play. Obviously it’s very important to have tactics, but I feel like sometimes that puts a lot of pressure on me. If I want to go do a dropshot on a return, I will do it. I don’t want to regret it after or having someone, like, Why did you do that? Wrong choice. Yes, it’s my choice.”

She has to face against Jelena Ostapenko, a very aggrieve person. On clay though, there should be some long, physical rallies.

The No. 1 Iga Swiatek lost in Stuttgart, losing against the terrific player, Elena Rybakina, but she won Indian Wells, and plus, she has won four Grand Slams. But first, she has be more clear, when she is playing. She still has to adjust to it.

“You need to kind of switch your mindset sometimes during the rallies or make different decisions. So, yeah, you need time, for sure,” she said. “Everybody needs it, I think. But also, the most important thing is not to treat clay the same way everywhere, because honestly in Stuttgart it’s different. Here it’s much, much different than Rome and Paris. Rome is the slowest. You go from the fastest in Madrid to, the slowest in Rome and then to kind of average in Paris.”

The Americans are trying to win a huge another event, when Sebastian Korda has to face against Daniil Medvedev. He is going to grind it, all day…This should be a fine match, when Danielle Collins has to play versus the No. 2, Aryna Sabalenka. Collins has yet to beat her, so she has to change it up, and be more careful. Something extra.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Iga Swiatek, madrid, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Ons Jabeur, Rafael Nadal, Sebastian Korda

Danielle Collins wins Miami, can she won a Slam?

April 4, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Was it very surprised when Danielle Collins won the Miami Open, beating Elena Rybakina 7-5, 6-3 in the final? Maybe, as for the first time, when the 30-year-old finally won a WTA Masters 1000-level even. That is a very long time, but over the past two weeks, she was very focused, she nailed her forehand and her backhand deep, into the corners. She can try to blast it, all the time, but she can also over hit, and lose her control. Yes she is playing great now, but for many years, she was not close. However, in Florida, Collins locked in.

“That game took a lot out of me and Elena was pushing me all around the court,” Collins said. “At the end I was just like, ‘Thank God.’ It all caught up to me.”

She came ranked No. 53 in Miami, and now she is No. 22. She said that at the end of the year, she will retire, because she’s suffering from the endometriosis, a painful ailment that affects the uterus. That can be painful, but on court, you just have to fight, in the matches. You have know choice.

Just before she played in Miami, she woke up, and she was ready to dance, and to put it in.

“When I walked in today, I immediately had, like, a few cameramen on me and we were having some great moments with my team. I said, you know, these are some really special moments<“ Collins said. “I don’t want to be so focused on everything else where I don’t get of take it in.
Part of the reason why I played so well and did a good job today was because I had that mentality of, like, I’m going to enjoy every minute of this. This is my last year, and these are some of my final events. I want to remember these moments. I do look back on sometimes different stages of my career, and be like, wow, that’s a blur and I don’t really remember it that much. It doesn’t really seem that long ago when you say, oh, four years or six years, but in a lot of ways it can feel like an eternity.”

She has yet to win Grand Slam, but at least she reached into the final at the 2022 Aussie Open, and then she finally lost, versus Ashleigh Barty. Really, Barty is a better played, even after she retired then Collins. So that is not a big deal, but maybe, in the next seven months, she can win another tournament. Maybe the U.S. Open? She has only won three events, so then why not to go for it again.

Many times, Rybakina can play amazing, but then, she can trip it up. She was not thrilled when she lost in the final. The No. 4 Rybakina said that about Collins “she’s playing very aggressive…Physically I was not at my best so I couldn’t push myself. Maybe I should have maybe just risked a little bit more when I had these break points.”

She didn’t, but on the clay, she will try again with more patience…All of the three top players — with Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff— all lost. It is impossible to win all the matches, month after month, so if you lose, you can take a huge breath, and move on…This week, in Credit One Charleston Open, Collins will face against the No. 6 Ons Jabeur. That should be a crazy match, as Jabeur can really mix it all around, but she has been slumping, so she will have to really center…Almost all the American women who are playing, with also with Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys and Emma Navarro, among others. Hopeful the weather will be decent, as there have been some tough days over the past four weeks, including in California, Florida, and South Carolina. Good luck…

With the men, at the 2024 Aussie Open, Jannik Sinner said, “I like to dance in the pressure storm.” Well he did it, and the won it at Miami 6-3, 6-1, over over Grigor Dimitrov. He is winning all the time, now. This year, he could become No. 1 for the first time. Maybe, because on the clay, it will be totally more feel, on the court. However, he is so darn good, now. He has only lost won match over the past three months. He is solid and powerful. Now he is No. 2, ahead of Carlos Alcaraz , slightly. A few years ago, he wasn’t understanding what to do, a lot. But now, he is very calm, and conscious.

“You go through, when you’re young, you don’t handle these situations as I handle them now. Maybe in the future I handle them even better, ”Sinner said, who also destroyed Daniil Medvedev in the semis. “But my personality is very trying to stay calm. But in the other way, you have to don’t sit back. You have to attack it. You know, if I lose the match by attacking and trying to take it, for me it’s better than standing back and then seeing what’s happening. That’s also how I am. So you have to stay focused, mentally in every situation. On the courts, many things can happen. The momentum can switch so fast even if you’re up a set and break. So you have to be very aware of this.”

He has to go to Monte Carlo, to play, next week. weeks. The Italian is also thinking about playing at Roland Garros, but he is already thinking about Rome. Or anything.

“Now the clay season is coming, so usually I struggle there. So let’s see what I can do this year,” he said. “For sure, I am living a good life now…For sure, the main goal is Roland Garros, yes, but trying to work slowly into this tournament and trying to play it in the best possible way. Before I have Rome, for me, especially is a really, really important tournament. Playing with the home crowd, it’s always amazing. No, I’m very relaxed. Physically I’m in a different shape than I was last year, which the clay is a lot physical. Then we’ll see how it goes.”

He will go somewhere… The American men are in Houston this week, on clay. It has gone for a very long times, and the fans who see to like it. However, there are not any of the top 10, but at least there are a couple men who are in the top 20 with Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton. The Argentine, Francisco Cerundolo, is also there, who is rankedNo. 23. Whoever will win the event and then they will travel into Europe. When they land, they can continue to cheer. But after that, can they beat the tremendous players, to win, or fold, again? That is a huge question.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Charleston Open, danielle Collins, Elena Rybakina, Houston, Jannik Sinner, Matt Cronin, miami