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US Open picks: Wednesday, August 30

August 30, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Dominic Thiem over Ben Shelton
In 2020, , Thiem won the tournament, with some tremendous shots. His forehand and his backhand with some heavy spin, and with depth. But he became hurt, and it has taken him in the last year to recover, physically. Now it look like that he is slightly better. He is not 100 percent, but at least 70 percents.
Shelton is only 20-years-old, and he is already pretty good. He can nail on the lines, across and down the line. He can run very fast, and attack the ball. However, he still has a lot of work to do, especially with his serves and at the net. There will be so many rallies, side to side, and while Shelton will put on some great points, Thiem will rise again, and win it in five, tough sets.

Frances Tiafoe over Sebastian Ofner
Yes, the nice and funny person Tiafoe really loves Flushing Meadows, and he has had some phenomenal matches. However, there are times when he over thinks, especially during the rallies. Yes, he is very swift, and he can get it back, but also, he goes for it too early. But in a sense, when he playing terrific, then he can beat almost anyone.

He should be able to beat Ofner, who has yet to reach the top 50, but he did have some fine tournaments. At Roland Garros, the Austria qualified, and then he won three more matches before he lost against Stefanos Tsitsipas. He was more than loyal. They are the positives things, and at the start of the year, he was ranked No.193. Months later, he is ranked No.58, so apparently, he is playing much better. However, Tiafoe has a better backhand, so he will win it in four, muscular sets. As Tiafoe said: “New Yorkers love great entertainment,” says Tiafoe. “Everyone is tapped into tennis. The energy is second to none. Some people are made for it. Some people aren’t. I feel like I can make that stadium shake.”

Elena Rybakina over Ajla Tomljanovic
In Rome, Rybakina won the title, and it seemed like that when she is on, she can step on anyone. But after that, she looked decent, but not skilled. In March and April, she won Indian Wells and she reached the final in Miami, on the hardcourts. She was so powerful, and nailed her backhand, down the line.
Tomljanovic has been playing for a long time, traveling a lot, and tournament after tournament. She is 30- years-old, and when she is on, she can be somewhat fit, but other times, she can back off. She does like the spotlight, but when it is quiet, she can disappear. Tomljanovic will challenge Rybakina, but it won’t be enough. Rybakina will win in two fun sets.

Danielle Collins over Elise Mertens
Collins beat her in Doha, but it was close. The American likes to hop on, and swing very hard, with both sides. She did have a good week in Montreal, taking down a few good players. However, the next week, Iga Swiatek crushed her, so Collins has to be much more devout. Yes, she is a huge hitter, yet she needs to mix it up more.

The Belgium Mertens plays a lot, each month, everywhere. She can be faithful, reaching the semis at the 2018 Aussie Open, and twice at the quarters at the U.S. Open. She does like to change her tactics, but her serve, and at the net, are so-so. Collins will beat Mertens in three, close sets.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Collins, Mertens., Ofner, Rybakina, Shelton, Thiem, Tiafoe, Tomljanovic, us open

US Open 2023: Which women will reach into the quarterfinals?

August 24, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

1st quarter
The current No.1 Iga Swiatek won the tournament last year, and she has had a very good year, but not perfect. When she starters rolling, then she can smash the ball, side to side. However, when she is not playing well, she can get very frustrated. However, she will reach into the quarters, unless Jelena Ostapenko rises up immediately, then the contest will be very tight in the fourth round. Assuming Swiatek will win, then she will face against the No.6 Coco Gauff, who just beat her two weeks ago. The American has really improved with her forehand, and her return, too. She should get there into t he quarters, but while the terrific person Petra Kvitova has never liked the heat in New York, she can play tremendous, so she could hit some huge winners. But not this time as Gauff will out hit her, forehand to forehand.

2nd quarter
In July, Elena Rybakina won Wimbledon and she looked terrific, bending down, and putting it away with some massive shots. She is very quick, and fast, but a couple weeks ago, she hurt herself. If she is healthy next week, she will be right there, grabbing the title. But she has to prove it, as Karolina Muchova came up playing very consistently, and she is also fast, side to side. They should face each other in the quarters, but there are two others can beat Rybakina, including Vika Azarenka [who still retires a lot], and Belinda Bencic, who loves to rally. At the end, though, she can miss some key shots. The Czech Muchova will upset Rybakina in three wild sets.

3rd quarter
Jessica Pegula has yet to reach the semis at the U.S Open, ever. Now the No. 3 seed is much more mature, on court, so this time, she will be jumping up and down in the second week. She hopes, as in the third round, she likely will have to play against Elina Svitolina, who has had a very good summer. Is that a toss-up? Yes, but Pegula will trip her down, in a very long contest. Other than that, the No.7 Caroline Garcia is not playing well at all, which is too bad, because early this year, she has been so thoughtful, but not now. The current reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova is playing more than decent, currently, as does the young, good player, Anastasia Potapova. Vondrousova did beat Pegula in three, savage sets on the grass, but this time, on the hardcourts, the American will beat her in two, delicious sets.

4th quarter
Aryna Sabalenka did win the Aussie Open, this year, and she can pulp her forehand and her backhand, and also, she can slap it, when she returns. But she can throw some odd strokes, and then she can lose. Yes, she certainly can win it, but she will have to play great in the second week. She could face the No.5 Ons Jabeur, who reached here in 2022, when in the final, she tripped up. Perhaps she will try to do it again, but it really looks like that Barbora Krejcikova will chop down Jabeur in the fourth round.
Sabalenka can be strange, on court, but she is maturing a lot, so yes, she will reach into the quarters, but there are two people who will challenge her, such as Donna Vecic and and Daria Kasatkina . Good luck for both of them. Sabalenka will win it in two sets.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story

The picks at Cincinnati: Friday, August 18

August 18, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

There has been a lot of rain, in Cincinnati, and also, the same thing last week in Canada. It is odd in August, during the heat. Every year, the players pull out when they are injured, because they played so many matches, on the clay, at Roland Garros, on the grass, at Wimbledon, and now they started to play on the hardcourts. It can be brutal. However, some of the excellent players can control what they are doing, and not play every second. Many of the Slam winners have learned within him or her bodies, just like Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek, for the most part. They are playing this week in Ohio. They can actually win the event. Here are four matches on Friday.

Karolina Muchova over Marie Bouzkova
Believe it or not, Swiatek edged Muchova in Montreal a week ago. It was darn close, so right now, if the excellent doubles player can play wonderfully, the No. 17 can go very deep at the tournament. She did reach into the final at Roland Garros, so when she is healthy, she can beat anyone. The other Czech, Bouzkova, is very decent, and she does have some interesting defense, point to point, but she has yet to be in the top 20. Maybe she will do it, eventually, but not now. Muchova will win it in straight sets, around 6-4, 6-3.

Carlos Alcaraz, over Max Purcell
Alcaraz edged Tommy Paul 6-4 in the third set. He could have lost, as in the second set tiebreaker, he threw so many errors, which is very unusual. But the young Spaniard re- composed, and he was more consistent. When he attacks, he can crush the ball. Purcell is a very good doubles player, but currently, he is trying to hit some bigger shots, in the singles. However, he did have a very good year in the singles, the small ones, so it looks like his forehand and his backhand are stronger. Yet Alcaraz will push him back, into the wall, and he will win it in two sets.

Alexander Zverev over Adrian Mannarino
The German had a terrific match on Thursday when he beat Daniil Medvedev in three, brutal sets. Yes, Zverev can be super steady, and now he can really mix it up. As he said, “But at the end of the day I did what I had to do. I kind of fought it out and I’m happy to be sitting here as winner.” He can belt it, into the corners, but as he has said, he still is not 100 percent after he became hurt last year. Mannarino plays almost everyday, and he is older, but he just keeps moving on, on the court, consistently. He does like to mix it up, and change it around, but on Friday, Zverev will be tired, but he will go for it, early. Zverev will win it in three sets, 6-4.

Iga Swiatek over Marketa Vondrousova
Almost once a month, Swiatek can turn it on, and then she can rush forward, to hit some massive shots. His first serve is very big, and she can return and hit it very deep. Yes, though, she can become frustrated, and over hit, it. Vondrousova is skill full, and she can aggrieve. Her backhand is powerful, and her forehand is improving a lot. She can upset Swiatek, as long as she can be super consistent, and really go for it, into the corners. However, Swiatek is on fire again, so she will win it in three sets, 6-3.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Alcaraz, Bouzkova, cincinnati, Karolina Muchova, Mannarino, Purcell, Swiatek, Vondrousova, Zverev

In Canada: McDonald beats Raonic

August 10, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

This is the first time that Mackenzie McDonald has reached into the semis at the ATP 1000s in Toronto. On Thursday, he beat Milos Raonic 6-3, 6-3, who looked very good in his two matches, but then, he was a little bit flat, or he must have been to tired. But not the American, who had decided to win the match, and he had to really go for it. He looked very good, going cross court and down the line. McDonald can be very steady, but the reason why he has yet to crack into the top 45. Maybe he will, as long as he can add some strategic shots. He is 28-years-old, so this is a perfect time, on court, but you can pretend that you will survived, for years, but to go much further, he has to really push himself.

Another up and down competitor, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, won a very tough match, and the Spaniard outlasted Casper Ruud 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (4). They will play each other in the quarters on Friday.

Davidovich Fokina is still pretty young, but he has also lost some super close matches, and he lost. When he is locked in, then he can bash his forehand and his backhand. He is pretty fast, running, and his first serve and his return is decent. Yes, he did reach into one final, period, at Monte-Carlo last year. Then, when he did, he would continue to build and finally, win a tournament. He still isn’t, yet. If you look at this year, he has lost five super closes against the top players. For example, at Wimbledon, he lost against Holger Rune 7-6(8) in the fifth set. That was brutal, but he eventually has to be more calm. If he going to win a tournament, he must be sealed in. Davidovich Fokina, will win the match, 7-6, 7-6.

Alex de Minaur beat Taylor Fritz 7-6 (7), 4-6 6-1. He will face Daniil Medvedev on Friday, another difficult match, The Aussie 24-year-old is also extremely good, when he is on, and just like the former two time champion, Lleyton Hewitt, he can be highly consistent, but not all the time. This time, he will have to grind it, as the Russian really thinks out there, many times. Medvedev will win it in two long sets.

Each week, Jessica Pegula can look very good, early on, and then after that, she has to decided whether she can be damn loyal, or swing harder. It is hard to tell whether this season, she will win an event. She did easily beat Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-0, which was impressive, but last week in Washington, she went down against Maria Sakkari. She will face Coco Gauff or Marketa Vondrousova on Friday. That will be very intense.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Alex de Minaur, Jessica Pegula, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Toronto

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