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Raonic turns back the clock to kickstart comeback tour

August 8, 2023 by Kamakshi Tandon

TORONTO–Milos Raonic not only turned back the clock but almost got to rerun his career during a memorable opening night win in his hometown of Toronto.

The 32-year-old Canadian, currently ranked No. 575, defeated No. 10 Frances Tiafoe 6-7(12), 7-6(4), 6-3, but even that eye-catching scoreline doesn’t fully capture the exuberance of the victory.

Raonic is three events and five matches into his comeback tour, having spent two years away from the game and 14 months not picking up a racquet, gaining 40 pounds during an injury break that he thought had likely finished his career. During the more than two-hour 44-minute contest played minutes from his childhood home, he hit 37 aces, almost a career-high for a three-setter, including one on match point to seal a spot in the second round against Taro Daniel.

But the statistics were secondary to the spills and thrills, especially in a tightrope walk first-set tiebreak that finished amid controversy and boos. Having fallen behind right at the start of the match, Raonic broke back to send the first set to a tiebreak that went on and on, highlighted by a scintillating Tiafoe dropshot that spun back onto his side of the court. Even the pro-Raonic crowd cheered that winner, but Tiafoe’s flicked running forehand on set point got quite a different reception. “Initially appearing to be a winner, it then seemed umpire Fergus Murphy had given the point to Raonic as Tiafoe had touched the net, followed by a long discussion between all three — and even an appearance from the tournament supervisor — before Tiafoe was given the point, and with it the set.

Though Murphy attempted to tell the crowd that Tiafoe had touched the doubles portion of the net, considered a “fixture” with which contact is allowed, there were loud boos that only amplified when Raonic walked back to the side of the court and smashed his racquet on his chair.

“So I guess the part that’s confusing is he did call it my point,” Raonic told press following the contest. “Then the change — then the issue was the amount of times the whole conversation was changed.

“Then it was, okay, which part of the net he touched.”

But though admitting he’s “not necessarily the best player involving the crowd” — largely due to his staccato play and stiffness — Raonic was energized by the atmosphere.

“I think that kind of got everybody going. That, and that game that I got fortunate to break back at when he was serving for the first set,” he said. “And I think that just kind of gave me some momentum and some force going forward.”

There were loud cheers and chants of “Let’s go, Milos” accompanying his comeback in the second and third sets, during which he slowly took control with his big serving and improving consistency off the ground.

“It wasn’t the first time a Raonic contest has involved a controversial call — ten years ago on the same court, he won a point against Juan Martin del Potro despite a double hit he eventually would say he should have admitted on court.

There was also an appearance from the trainer for a lower back injury, so frequent during all the physical problems Raonic has had during his career.

And along with that were the other hallmarks of Raonic matches — easy holds, tiebreaks, plenty of aces. But for Raonic, it was more about again having the feeling that goes with it — getting to play in front of friends and family, the roar of the local fans, all in the stadium he once watched from the stands.

He’s not sure whether he’ll retire before he can play this event again, but on this evening, it was like old times.

“For me — it’s incredibly special for it to be here,” he said. “The embrace between my mom and dad, that’s probably the thing…that means the most to me.”

And with his win, there’ll be another repeat of some of those sights and sounds.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Frances Tiafoe, Matthew Cronin, milos raonic, Toronto

Andy Murray wins in Washington

August 3, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Andy Murray won in the second round in Washington.

The three-time Grand Slam champion beat Brandon Nakashima. He is hoping to be seated at the US Open, in the top 32, but he does have an opportunity in the next three weeks. He almost retired, due to his massive injuries four years ago, but now, since he came back, it took him a long time to recover, as he lost a lot of matches. But he kept trying, moving faster, and with some new shots. He also really liked to do in the rallies, backhand to backhand, crosscourt, or down the line. His forehand is very good, all over the place, when it is flat, or when he can spin it, a little bit. But when he was losing a lot, maybe he was down in the dumps. A lot of players, men and women, have to stop playing for months. Perhaps they were very sad.

“I was in that place, and most of the athletes that I would speak to that are thinking about having this operation are in a pretty bad place, like physically and probably have been in a lot of pain for quite a long time. I spoke to Bob Bryan [the former player] quite a lot about it, which was helpful, probably wish I had had the opportunity to speak to more athletes about it and what that process was like and what the operation, the rehab and I’m able to give a bit of positivity to those athletes in that situation now,” Murray said. “It is possible to get back to competing and doing the sport that you love after having this surgery.”

Everyone who gets hurt and he or she will return, such as Kei Nishikori and Jennifer Brady, who has been out a long time, and again, the troubling surgeries. At times, they can look 100 percent, on court, but other players can become injured again, and then they have to re-set there bodies. It is very difficult.

“I think it definitely takes time like for the body to get used to playing like multiple matches again at the highest level. There will definitely be some aches and pains,” Murray said. “That can sometimes be quite hard to deal with mentally, because you forget what it is like to play like the highest level of sport isn’t easy. You don’t play a match and wake up next day and feel perfect, but when you’ve been out a long time with an injury, understanding what that pain means, like if you wake up the day after playing a match and your back is sore, is that pain because of an injury? Like do I need to back off here? Should I be playing today? Or is it just part of playing and your body getting used to playing, the matches again and competing. Like playing in front of the big crowds again when you have been away from it for a long time, that is different. There is a different pressure and a different intensity to that.”

Murray will have to face Taylor Fritz on Thursday night. The American looks pretty clean, and finally, he looked pretty solid, recently winning Atlanta. Before that, he was not played great this year. However, on the hardcourt, he is more thoughtful. “I did a lot of big emphasis on like the cardio and fitness and just normal training and was able to play last week. Last week was extremely hot, as well, in Atlanta. I think that I’m in just a much better place, for sure,” Fritz said.

In Canada, in Montreal at the ATP 1000, Fritz crushed Murray 6-1, 6-3. But that was a while ago, so at night in Washington, they will some very long rallies, and change it where he has to. Move forward.

MORE NOTES
Elina Svitolina is once again, on fire, as she crushed Daria Kasatkina in Washington. At Wimbledon, she reached into the semis at Wimbledon. That is pretty darn good.

“I have a lot of experience. You know, now coming back to the tour, starting from zero, I have experience still of playing many years on the high level, and I try just to analyze what I did well and take the best from that years and just build on that.”

Just coming back, Brady was gone for almost two years, another big injury, and on Wednesday, against Madison Keys, she lost very fast . Again, Brady will take it so long to play well again. … In Los Cabos, Tommy Paul took a tough match, but he won over Felipe Alves. Now he will go up against Alex de Minaur. That is a draw. Pick em.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Andy Murray, Elina Svitolina, Matthew Cronin, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Washington

Taylor Fritz in Atlanta: ‘He needs to be stronger, more explosive’

July 27, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

The American men are now playing the hellacious hard courts. The grass is finally finished, and while there are some other players who went back again on the clay, for the next three weeks, but many other people want to grab and go in the United States.

None of the guys have won Toronto or Montreal, or Cincinnati, or the U.S. Open. Yes, they have won some of the ATP 250s in the summer, but they could not win the ATP 1000s. Well good luck, once again.

Here they are, ready to hop again, such as Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda, the top 30 players. Fritz is playing in Atlanta this week, but they other players decided not to. However, the rising Christopher Eubanks is there, as he is ranked in the top 31. That is really good, considering that last year, he was out of the top 100. He has improved a lot.

Since Fritz reached the semis in Monte Carlo in early April, he lost against Andrey Rublev on clay, and he didn’t win hardly at all after that. On the tough grass, at Wimbledon, he lost in the second round, darn early. But while he was struggling, he knew that he needed to really train, very hard. His fine coach, Michael Russell, also played on the tour for many years. There were some tough moments, but he just kept going, and he added some new shots. Really, as Russell said, each week, you can be intense and drive, again. Here is what he said on ATPTour.com: “We’re looking to have a good hard-court season coming up. He trained really hard after Wimbledon, and I think that’s given him a lot of motivation,” Russell said.

“On the grass the margins are so fine; a few of the matches he lost were so close. It can come down to a couple of tie-breaks and a couple of shots. But in general, I feel that he’s been playing well and his fitness is getting better, which is the main thing. He needs to be stronger, more explosive.”

At least Fritz won the 2022 Indian Wells, an ATP Masters 1000, but again, in 2023 in the summer, he didn’t win enough with some key matches. At the U.S. Open, another American in the first round, against the new, young player, Brandon Holt. One was happy, and the other was sad.

Fritz will face against Wu Yibing on Thursday. Also, in Atlanta, J.J. Wolf will face against Maxime Cressy. That could be a very close match, a wild, three-set encounter.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: atlanta, Christopher Eubanks, Matthew Cronin, Sebastian Korda, Tommy Paul, With Frances Tiafoe

The picks at Wimbledon: men’s final

July 15, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Novak Djokovic over Carlos Alcaraz
How incredible that Novak Djokovic on Sunday that is a record with 35 Grand Slam final, but he hasn’t won all of them. However, he has had some spectacular events, winning everything, with his phenomenal backhand, his intelligent return, and his thoughtful when he is rallying. However, the young Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz thinks that this month, he is locked in, and he certainly wants to play as well as he can.

He has to, as in the semis at Roland Garros, Djokovic destroyed him, on the clay. But this time, he wants to play much better. As he says, he will.

“I will believe I can beat him here,” said Alcaraz.”Everyone knows the legend he is. He is going to be really difficult. I will fight. I will believe in my self. I saw that he is unbeatable here on Center Court since 2013 so it’s going to be challenging but I am ready for this.”

That is a very good decision, but Djokovic won Wimbledon seven times, which is remarkable. Ten years ago in the 2013 Wimbledon final,he lost against Andy Murray. No one can be perfect, but the next time, you can do it again, and change it up. Last year at the 2022 Wimbledon final against Nick Kyrgios, the Australian was on fire, but the Serbian Djokovic stood tall. He won it in four terrific sets, and now the 36-year-old will try to out-last against Alcaraz.

“Judging by the performances that we have seen from all the players, I think this is probably the best final that we could have,” said Djokovic. “We are both in good form. I want to take this title without a doubt. I look forward to it. It’s going to be the greatest challenge that I could have at the moment from any angle really: physical, mental, emotional.”

He will have to. Yes he played stunning in Roland Garros, but in 2022 in Madrid, Alcaraz beat him 7-6 in the third set. It was a little bit slower, but not that much. Now, in London, it will be much faster, so Djokovic will have to start to blast the ball, early, and control him.

“He’s one of the quickest guys on the tour. He can do pretty much anything on the court. I consider myself also a very complete player,” Djokovic said. “We had a very good match until he started struggling physically in Paris [at Roland Garros]. I think we really took the level of tennis very high. Obviously completely different conditions here. I do have more experience playing in many more Grand Slam or Wimbledon finals than him. Still, he’s in great shape. He’s very motivated. He’s young. He’s hungry. I’m hungry, too, so let’s have a feast.”

They are both hungry, but once again, Djokovic will hit some huge forehands when it counted most in the fifth set. That will be 24 Grand Slams, the most ever.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right

The picks at Wimbledon: Friday, July 14

July 13, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Novak Djokovic over Jannik Sinner
Remember that last year, at the 2022 Wimbledon, Djokovic was down 0-2, but then he came back and he roared, grabbing it 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. The Italian was clearly tired, and then he broke down with so many errors.

But the Serbian has done it so many times at the Grand Slams, owning 23 majors. He knew what to do, and while Sinner is improving, he still isn’t playing excellent, match after match. He has won seven titles, which is fine, but he has yet to win it at the Slams, or the ATP 1000s. He is very good, but the 21-year-old has to set it up, ASAP.

Djokovic thinks that he has improved, but even when he beat him in Monte Carlo, it was pretty easy. However, he does think that eventually he can be more consistent.

“He’s playing on a very high level. He likes to play on grass,” Djokovic said. “He likes to play on quick surfaces because he likes to be aggressive and take control of the point. From both forehand and backhand, he’s smashing the ball really, really hard, trying to be the one that is going to dictate the point from early on. I know his game well. He’s so young, so of course it’s expected that he’s going to improve. He is improving, no doubt, I think with the serve, he’s been serving better. On grass, it obviously makes a difference. He’s a very complete player.”

Is that true? Yes, Sinner is concise, and his forehand down the line is can be very impressive. His hard backhand can slap it, and his first serve is flat and inhuman. However, he doesn’t return that well, and he isn’t fabulous at the net. Likely, that is because he has yet to reach into the Grand Slams final. But it is time to do it this year.

Sinner thinks that he is going to play 100 percent to upset with Djokovic.

“Physically, I have improved,” Sinner said. “I’m much stronger. I can stay on court for many hours without suffering. Also, mentally, you’re going in with a slightly different mental side on court knowing you are also top 10 player. It is a little bit different. I have some good things now in my game, and hopefully I can use it in the right way. I’m going to stick with my game plan. Hopefully I can execute it in the best possible way.”

He sounds that he really wants to do, but the Serbian will chuck in some his amazing backhand, and because of that, while Sinner will push it into the fifth set, at the end, Djokovic will win it in once again. Ka-boom.

Carlos Alcaraz over Daniil Medvedev
The Russian has had a really good year, winning a number of the tournaments, but also, he can let down. Medvedev won in Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai, Miami on the hardcourts, and in Rome, on the clay. But on grass, he began to struggle, yet 12 days ago, he switched at Wimbledon, and he became more patient. That has been good, but when he beat five players, and he clapped and cheered. Yet none of those were in the top 30 players, so to beat the No. 1 Alcaraz, he will have to play unreal. He knows that in March at Indian Wells in the final, Alcaraz jumped high, and he won it 6-3, 6-2.

“I think Indian Wells is not going to count a lot here. It was so slow in Indian Wells,” Medvedev said. “It’s not going to be the same. At Wimbledon, the ball bounces lower. The serve is more important. There, I felt like I couldn’t get free points with the serve.”

There will be a number of the points where they can hit both sides, with there forehand and there backhand. When they are into it, they can also hit a number of aces, in the first serves, as well as when they can spring on the second serve.

“It’s interesting to play someone like Carlos,” said Medvedev. “He is an amazing, amazing player. What he continues to do is just unbelievable. He doesn’t stop. I don’t think he will, but I’ve played a lot of great players in my career. I managed to win many times. So I’m going to try to do my best. If I show my best, I’ll have my chances.”

Believe it to not, at the 2021 Wimbledon, they played each other for the first time in the round 64, and Medvedev crushed him 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. An early blow out. And then in 2022 at the U.S. Open, Alcaraz waxed up, quickly, and he won it.

Just like Rafa Nadal when he won it the first time at Roland Garros, the Spaniards began to beat everyone. Perhaps the 20-years-old can eventually win all four Grand Slams . But he has a long way to go.

“[Medvedev’s] really a complete player,” said Alcaraz. “I’m going to say, like I think [Andrey] Rublev said a few times, he’s an octopus. He catches every ball. He’s an amazing athlete… He does almost everything well.”

This will go into the fifth set, and there will be some great points, into the corners, and changing it up, too. Neither of them have reached into the final at Wimbledon, so it is crucially important. Whoever can put together more than a few shots close at the end with his terrific forehand, then he will win it. It has to be Alcaraz, who will win it with an amazing dropshot.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Carlos Alcaraz, daniil medvedev, Jannik Sinner, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Novak Djokovic, wimbledon

The picks at Wimbledon: Wednesday, July 12

July 11, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Elena Rybakina over One Jabeur
Exactly one year ago Rybakina found her forehand, and she came back, and grabbed the Wimbledon title, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 over Jabeur in the final. Can she do it again? Perhaps, but Jabeur played fantastic when she clubbed Petra Kvitova easily.

The former seven-time major champion, Mats Wilander said that Rybakina is on fire, “When she starts getting going we realize ‘Oh okay, here we go again.’ She’s perfect for the grass with the big serve and then the confidence from last year. So out of the three, you most probably have to put Rybakina half a step ahead in terms of being the favorite.”

They have played each other four times and they have split. Jabeur has so much variety, and she can slice it, spin it and flatten it out. When she is feeling good, she can throw in her terrific drop shots. However, she can hit it too short and her serve is so-so.

Rybakina can be nervous at times, but she can also really think about the different strokes. There are times when her forehand goes off, and her second serve can be too short. But on the grass, she believes that eventually, she can jump to grab her winners. For the second time at Wimbledon, Rybakina will edge Jabeur in another fun three-setter.

Aryna Sabalenka over Madison Keys
They have split their match, one to one, with Sabalenka winning almost five years ago in Cincinnati on the hard courts and Keys grabbed it in Berlin two years ago 7-5 in the third. Sabalenka won a Slam for the first time this year, taking the Australian Open.

Keys has not done it yet, but she has gone very deep at all the four Slams.
She thinks when she is healthy, she can beat almost anyone. She can mash her forehand and her backhand, and her first serve is extremely powerful, but her second serve can be weak. She will hustle, and she also will try to put it into the corner and put it away.

Yes, the same goes for Sabalenka, who hops on balls very early and she will swing it very hard. She can blitz her forehand and her backhand, and while she is returning, she can over-hit. Yes, she has matured a lot of the past year, and she is much more secure. Without a doubt, Keys wants to go even further, but in the third set, the No. 2 Sabalenka will win it in three massive sets.

Daniil Medvedev over Christopher Eubanks
It was predictable that Eubanks was going to lose against Stefanos Tsitsipas, but he did not. Last year, the former Georgia Tech star was unable to beat anyone of the top 20 at all. But he realized eventually if he can hit the ball even harder, and then he can crush the balls off both sides. The 27-year-old changed it up, and his first serve became more consistent. “It’s a bit nuts right now. It’s crazy to see my social media feed that I’m just used to kind of going to, seeing it’s a lot of me,” he said. “I’m like, What is this? This is weird. The entire experience all together has just been a whirlwind. It’s been something that you dream about. But I think for me I didn’t really know if that dream would actually come true. I’m sitting here in it now, so it’s pretty cool.”

That is darn cool, but he has to something that he can reject Medvedev. The Russian has had a strange year, winning a lot, and then, almost out of nowhere, he over-hits. Yes, the former No. 1 really likes his brutal forehand and his heavy backhand, and also, when he returns, too. He doesn’t love at the net, but it is pretty darn good, yet here and there, he can mentally check out. However, on the grass, in London, Medvedev will swell up, and he will step on the top against after the American. Medvedev will win it in four interesting sets.

Carlos Alcaraz over Holger Rune
These two have tied, one to one, which is interesting, but not really. The first time was in 2021 Next Gen ATP Finals in Italy, and Alcaraz, won it easily. Then in the fall, last year in 2022, in Paris indoors, Rune won it when Alcaraz retired, due to an injury. So really, that was important, yet the 20-years-old still haven’t played each other enough, and because of that, it is all most even.

It is pretty clear there will be some long points, down the line, and crosscourt. They can mix it up, and they can also rush into the net. They are very potent, and while they are still young, they have played a lot since they started, so they know how to hit the ball, intelligently.

As Alcaraz said: “If I have to take some weapon from him, I’m going to say the backhand. I’m not saying that my backhand is bad, no. I think he has a great backhand. He has a lot of passion; he loves the game. He’s a very competitive guy, as well. I could describe him like this.”

It is highly unlikely that they will go into the glorious five-setter, and while Rune wants to win a Grand Slam, he will miss a few shots at the end. Alcaraz will win it with four awesome winners.

Matt’s yesterday picks at Wimbledon

Correct: Novak Djokovic over Andrey Rublev
Correct: Jannik Sinner over Roman Safiullin
Iga Swiatek over Elina Svitolina
Jessica Pegula over Marketa Vondrousova

Matt’s picks from Wimbledon

11 out of 17. 64.7% correct

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, Christopher Eubanks, daniil medvedev, Elena Rybakina, Holger Rune, madison keys, Ons Jabeur, wimbledon

The picks at Wimbledon: Monday, July 10

July 9, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Stefanos Tsitsipas over Christopher Eubanks

The hard-running Greek Tsitsipas is finally playing very well, outstanding when he beat Andy Murray in five wonderful sets. He has been there before, but the American Eubanks has suddenly become much better. Over the years, he could not beat the top players, but this year, he has become much more powerful. He is the only American who has made it into the second week at Wimbledon. When they started to play at the event, they thought that they had a chance to go very deep, but they all went down, day after day. But not Eubanks, who is thinking on court, and really to go for it. However, he might be aggressive. Tsitsipas will push forward, and change it up with his massive forehand and his potent backhand. Tsitsipas will win it in four stellar sets.

Petra Kvitova over Ons Jabeur
The two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova is barreling again with a tremendous confident. On the hard courts, she can look wonderful, but she can also play awful. But, not now, as she is running all over the place. She can be so rugged, and she will scream after she just slapped a terrific winner.

Jabeur finally began to guess on the court again. Clearly, she has so much variety, and she also loves to hit drop shots. She also likes to spin it and fool her opponents. However, Kvitova knows exactly how to play against her. Yes, she can mentally check out, but right now, she has checked in. As she said: “I love playing on grass, for sure,” said Kvitova. “When my serve is working I love it even more. I don’t think it was the case today but somehow I found a way, which I’m very happy with.” Kvitova will win it in three demanding sets.

Madison Keys over Mirra Andreeva
The 16-year-old Andreeva came up really fast, as she knocked out Anastasia Potapova to reach in the fourth round. Some people knew that she can swing away, and she can sprint side to side. Clearly, she has a lot of work ahead, but she is very focused, even at her age.

“Honestly, after Paris I just had quite a long talk with myself, just me and myself, and that’s it. I talked to myself. I just talked,” Andreeva said. “I don’t know, just in my head I realized some things. I took some decisions that I think are now important for me.”

She might, but Keys really likes to shorten points on the grass. When she puts it in her first serve, then she sets with the points. She has been around for a while, and she has become hurt,physically, but when she is healthy, she can go very deep, like when she did at the Australian Open and the US Open. Keys is hard to read, but at least over the past eight days, she is secure again. Therefore, Keys will beat the young player in two tight sets.

Carlos Alcaraz over Matteo Berrettini

This is almost a standard analysis that the Spaniard believes that he can win every match. Even if he misses some odd points, when it can go for a few hours, he will change it up and not to try and nail down the line all the time. Alcaraz is growing, not just that he runs so fast, but week after week, he can see what he is really doing.

The Italian Berrettini can be darn hard opponent, and his backhand can also be strong as he bashes it down the line. However, he was hurt a lot this year, and while he has had a few very good wins here, he is not ready to rise up, yet. Alcaraz will win it in three physical sets.

Matt’s yesterday picks at Wimbledon

Andrey Rublev over Alexander Bublik
Iga Swiatek over Belinda Bencic
Novak Djokovic over Hubert Hurkacz
Elina Svitolina over Victoria Azarenka

Matt’s picks from Wimbledon

7 out of 9. 77.7% correct

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Carlos Alcaraz, Christopher Eubanks, madison keys, Matt Cronin, Matteo Berrettini, Matthew Cronin, Mirra Andreeva, Ons Jabeur, Petra Kvitova, Stefanos Tsitsipas

The picks at Wimbledon: Thursday, July 6

July 6, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

These picks were written before play started. Due to a technical error, these picks were not posted on Wednesday, July 5.

Andy Murray over Stefanos Tsitsipas
The Greek finally grabbed it right at the end, when he beat Dominic Thiem 7-6(8) in the fifth set. He almost lost, but he hung in there, so on Thursday, his legs will be tired, but he really wants to win. He has been struggling, but his strokes can be consistent, so against Murray, he must be super patient.

When Murray won Wimbledon, twice, his return was very deep, his first serve was banging it, and his backhand was fantastic. However, he is not that fast now, as not only that he us aging, but he almost retired due to his broken legs. He knows that, and he is trying to bring home again, but he may not as he was not won an event since 2019. As he said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve felt sort of physically this good coming into Wimbledon. The last few years have been very challenging. I’m hoping I’m fit and ready for a good run.”

Tsitsipas can play amazing on the hardcourt, but on the grass, he is still wheezing on the slippy grass. There will some long rallies, yet Murray will rise once again at Wimbledon, and he will win it in five, dramatic sets.

Sloane Stephens over Donna Vekic
The once great American player now has become slightly better, trying to powder the ball. Stephens looked pretty good at Roland Garros, which was somewhat surprising, as she lost a number with some sole matches. However, she has gone deep at a variety of events, so when she is feeling good, she can be highly consistent.

Vekic has had a somewhat solid year, when she reached into the final at Berlin, but also, on clay, she was so-so. She can be aggressive, and she can mix it up, but not often enough. Vekic does think that eventually, she can actually win a Slam for the first time, but she will have to prove it. Stephens has been before, so she will do it again, and win it in three tremendous sets.

Belinda Bencic over Danielle Collins

The Swiss can look that she is going into the sky, touch it, and then go backdown and nail with a damn fast winner. Bencic can really hustle, and she can also grind it until she has a chance to hit the lines. However, when she backs up, she can throw in some strange errors. Collins had a good year in 2022, but over the past nine months, she has lost pretty quickly. Maybe she is confused, or it is possible that she doesn’t know where to go. Bencic will find it, and she will win it in two big sets.

Frances Tiafoe over Dominic Stricker
All of a sudden, Tiafoe actually knows how to play on the grass. Over the years at Wimbledon, he looked cluttered, and he wasn’t going to go the right way. But he just won Stuttgart, so apparently, he could see how he can play, with his strokes. He might be 22- years-old, but he does think that he is a little more sold. Stricker is also very young, as he is 20-years-old, and he his rising, slowly. He is briskly fast, and the Swiss can bash his forehand. However, Tiafoe will be more patient and he will win it in three long sets.

Matt’s picks this week

Correct: Belinda Bencic over Danielle Collins
Correct: Frances Tiafoe over Dominic Stricker
~~Sloane Stephens over Donna Vekic~~

Matt’s picks from Wimbledon

3 out of 4, 75% correct

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Andy Murray, Belinda Bencic, danielle Collins, Donna Vekic, Frances Tiafoe, Matthew Cronin, sloane stephens, Stefanos Tsitsipas, wimbledon

Chris Evert’s Wimbledon predictions and Rybakina’s chances

July 2, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

At 2022 Wimbledon, the aggressive Elena Rybakina won the tournament. During those two weeks, she was totally focused, and she dove on the lines. Her forehand and her backhand were very heavy, and she was also powerful. She finally understood what she had to do and not think about the pressure.

She is not the only one. Petra Kvitova just won a tournament and the Czech grabbed The Championships trophy twice. Iga Swiatek just won the 2023 Roland Garros and Aryna Sabalenka took it at the 2023 Australian Open.

But can Rybakna win it back to back in London? The former 18-Grand Slam champ Chris Evert says that Rybakina has to be more flexible.

“I think any time there’s an injury this close to Wimbledon, it gives anybody pause. You definitely have to be 100% physically to play seven matches and to do things with your body that you’re not accustomed to doing versus a hard court or a clay court,” Evert said. “You have to be adaptable, flexible, you have to be able to move on some slick courts. It all kind of screams you better be careful with your body and you better have that good balance.”

Not too many women have won it back-to-back. Venus and Serena Williams have done it, as has Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King, among others. Evert did win it three times on the grass, as she was so steady, especially with her terrific backhand. She knows that when you had won at the Slams, in the next year, it could be totally different.

“[Rybakina] has going against her, it’s always tough to defend your title. I just feel like she’s shown a little vulnerability this year,” Evert said. “She’s got the perfect game for grass when everything is working, but everything has to be working. She played a great, great match when she won the tournament, but at the same time I don’t know if she’s at that top form right now. I see [Aryna] Sabalenka and Iga [Swiatek]. I only see the other players getting better and better. I wouldn’t put her on the top of my list, even though she’s defending champion. I wouldn’t put her on the top of my list. At the same time there’s a little bit of an unknown as to what her health is, what her fitness is like. I really can’t make a definitive statement on that.”

She is probably correct. This year, Rybakina won Indian Wells and Rome, and also reached the final at the Australian Open, but she lost in a few key matches, including verses Sabalenka.

There are other people who can very deep, such as Kvitova and the 2017 Roland Garros champ Jelena Ostapenko, who is playing great again.

The No. 1 Swiatek has yet to win at Wimbledon, but her forehand and her backhand are phenomenal. Yet she has to re-think what she is going, to be more patient on the grass. Evert things that she could be vulnerable.

“It’s her best Wimbledon result I believe was the fourth round. She’s won tournaments on hard court,” Evert said. “Swiatek won tournaments on clay courts, Grand Slams, majors. She has such great court coverage in the sense of she can slide, her legs are very crucial, the court coverage is very crucial in her game. In order for her to really get set for the ball, she has to know how to move and she has to be very comfortable and her footing has to be solid. Footing is not necessarily solid on the grass. Plus the fact with that extreme western forehand, when I’ve been watching her on grass, anybody has trouble with. Even Coco Gauff has trouble with that low slice forehand when you have that extreme grip to hit up on the ball. It’s very awkward.”

When she was talking, she discussed about Gauff, as the American is very good, but the young player still has to work on the court.

“I think that Coco, and Iga for that matter, like the waist high balls and the balls around the shoulder with that western grip. But the short ones will give them trouble. So I think that and the fact that she can’t really at this point feel super confident on the grass. I think she feels confident. She’s No. 1 in the world, the best player in the world, but this surface may take away a little bit of her strength, which is her moving because of the sliding.

“Also I think if you’re going to win Wimbledon, you’ve got to have a big serve, you’ve got to win free points off that serve. The players have been attacking her second serve a little bit. She doesn’t have that big Sabalenka, Rybakina first serve. I’m nitpicking here because she’s No. 1 in the world and she’s great, and I think she can win Wimbledon, don’t get me wrong. But there’s some little nuances in her game that might hurt her a little bit on the grass court that don’t affect her as much, that help her actually, on the other surfaces.”

The big basher Kvitova certainly can win it for the third time, and yesterday, Madison Keys won the Rothesay International beating Daria Kasatkina, which was huge.

You can throw in who have a chance to reach into the quarterfinals, like Jessica Pegula, Caroline Garcia, Barbora Krejcikova, Ons Jabeur, Karolina Pliskova and Donna Vekic. They can win in all, or fall down. As Pliskova said, “If you believe in yourself, you can beat anyone.”

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Aryna Sabalenka, Chris Evert, Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Petra Kvitova, wimbledon

On the grass: Will Carlos Alcaraz rise again?

June 22, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

The Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz can be totally be on fire. He is a huge hitter, as is with some strong forehands, and his phenomenal backhand. However, the very young player can be nervous, once and a while, and he knows that when he has to face against Novak Djokovic, he has to really concentrate. Unfortunately, in the semis at Roland Garros, he stopped thinking, in the third and the fourth set. He began to get hurt, and he lost, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1, and he was quickly gone. Also, his brain was collapsing.

“The tension of the match. I started match really nervous,” he said. “The tension of the first set, the second set, it was really intense two sets. Really good rallies, tough rallies, dropshots, sprints, rallies. It’s a combination of a lot of things. And I started to cramp, in my arm. At the beginning of the third set I started to cramp every part of my body, not only the legs. The arms, as well. It was really tough for me to move at the third set, and in the fourth set let’s say I had a little chance, but it was really tough.”

Alcaraz did win the 2022 U.S Open and in May, he won Barcelona and Madrid. It looked like he had a good shot, in Paris, but he fell down. Just like the other Spaniard, Rafa Nadal, when he was 20-years-old, he began rise, fast, winning RG in his first Grand Slam title. However, his forehand was amazing, but his backhand was too short, and his serve was pretty good, but not great. Of course, he worked and he worked all the time, changing his tactics, and adding to it. Now, he has won 22 Grand Slams, at RG, Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, and the Australian Open. The now 37-year-old figured it out, but it took him more many year.

The same thing goes with the No. 1 Djokovic, who won his first Slam at the Aussie Open, and while he was running so fast, and his backhand incredible, his forehand was good, but not great, and his second serve and at the net needed to grow, more. Alcaraz also needs to be more consistent.

“Is not easy to play against Novak. Of course a legend of our sport. If someone says that he get into the court with no nerves playing against Novak, he lies,” Alcaraz said. “ Yeah, next time that I’m gonna face Novak, I hope to be different, but the nerves will be there.”

NOTES
The teenager Ben Shelton lost against Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. The Italian can look terrific, but there are times when he forgets what to do. But this week, he will try to push even harder. Shelton is ranked No. 34, so he does have a small shot to be seated at Wimbledon, but he may not, as a few people can get injured and they pull out before, but you never know.

Sebastian Korda beat Frances Tiafoe, who just won an event, but he looked tired. He has looked very good on the hardcourts, but before last week, he was struggling. This time, he was much more CONSISTENT.

The Floridian Korda has improved over the past few years, but he is still young, so he 22-year-old can miss it a lot. Yes he really goes, but also, he can mix it up. At the Cinch Championships in London, we will see how well he is playing against Cameron Norrie, a very competitor. They are very close…
Taylor Fritz looks very decent, but on the grass, he needs to really lock it in, like he did in 2022. Last year, he won Eastbourne, and then at Wimbledon, in the quarters, he was right there, but Nadal edged him 7-6(4) in the fifth set. He has to be thinking about it a lot, but he has another chance over the next month…

Where is Reilly Opelka? He is still injured but he hopes to resume in August as he is recovering from a wrist injury. Very good luck, but on the court, it will take a long time to be 100 percent again.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Also: Rafa Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Frances Tiafoe, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Sebastian Korda, Taylor Fritz