Archives for July 2017

Djokovic announces he’s taking rest of year off

Novak Djokovic is now gone this year as his elbow is way too sore and he can’t hit as hard as he can. So, next year, he will return in 2018 — we think. When he gets used to playing again, the 12-time Grand Slam champion can eventually win another major.

He hopes.

In the past year or so, all the great players pulled out for quite a while. In 2016, Roger Federer stopped playing after Wimbledon and and needed to rest his body. In October, Rafa Nadal decided to stop playing the rest of the year. His legs were super sore. This season, Andy Murray might pull out of the US Open. He is hurt, too, with a lingering hip injury. Only Stan Wawrinka is physically OK, but it has happened before, and it could happen again.

All of them are 30 years old and above. All of them are fantastic players. Since 2003 — 14 years ago — they have combined for 52 Grand Slam titles. That is a phenomenal.

But eventually, all of them will retire. It could be soon, it could in a few years, or possibly longer, but at some point, it is time to go.

You cannot be perfect all the time. Not just the strokes, but your legs and arms will break down … and the wrists are event more susceptible.

The good thing is that the great 35-year-old Federer has rarely been hurt. At the start of this year, he was fresh, fast and oh-so quick. He won the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami. Then he stopped for two months — on clay — just to rest. That was a great move, because when he returned on grass, he was as fresh as a daisy. He won Wimbledon without dropping a set.

The same goes with Nadal. He came back at the start of this year, and he looks very fast and strong. His legs and his arm were muscular and, once he got on clay, he was ready to race. He easily won Roland Garros, his 10th.

Djokovic never looked great this year. He was mediocre at the Australian Open, Roland Garros (he almost gave up) and Wimbledon, he was mentally out of it. Today, he is pretty upset. However, when he gets his surgery, he will eventually heal. Will he return to his championship form? He can, if the doctor will do it the right way. But we don’t know that yet. 

Will keeping Andre Agassi in his camp help lift him out of this funk, even though Agassi has no coaching experience?

Murray has had a tough year. His first serve is OK, but it is not great and his second serve is right down the middle. His backhand is phenomenal, but his forehand lands too short. He is confused and he might stop until his arm is powerful again.

Wawrinka seems to be OK, but he was pretty flat at Wimbledon. Whether he can mentally rise up again and win the US Open once again? We will know when he returns to the courts of Flushing Meadows.

Look, the elders are the favorites until they retire, but maybe someone else can win the US Open in six weeks: Marin Cilic, who won the tournament in NY three years ago. Juan Martin Del Potro, who won it in 2009. All four of the big guys have won the USO: Federer, Nadal, Murray and Wawrinka. It could be them again.

There are a few outsiders who have a chance: Thiem, Nishikori, Raonic, Dimitrov and Zverev.

But not Djokovic, who will not play in August in New York. That is too bad, because the Serbian loves to slide on the hard court. He must rest and let it heal.

Wimbledon final: Federer is the favorite, but can Cilic shock Roger?

How good is Marian Cilic right now? Very good? Incredibly good? Fantastically good? 

It’s very hard to tell, because in the 13 days at Wimbledon, he has been more mature, his forehand is finally consistent again, his serve is gigantic, and he is very forceful at the net.

But he can actually stun Roger Federer? He did upset the Swiss almost three years ago in the semis at the US Open. But that was it, because Federer has beat him six times, on hard courts and clay, and obviously, the 18-time Grand Slam champion can changed it inside the court and mix it up until the Croatian gets frustrated. On occasion, that can happen with Federer, but it is very rare, and even when he is not feeling the ball, he has so many different shots, which is why he has won 85 titles, and Cilic has grabbed 17 titles. That is a huge difference.

The 28-year-old Croatian says he is playing almost perfectly, and that if he plays as good as he can, he will have an opportunity to win it. Maybe, but if Federer plays great, then he will beat Cilic, hands down. 

The 35-year-old Federer might be a little older, but he has always been so quick, he can bend down so low and see everything coming at him. His forehand is better than anyone on the tour, his backhand has so much variety, and his serve is amazing. It is big, it twists and it moves to the left, to the right and down the middle to knock at his opponent’s his chest. At the net, there are times that Federer misses it, but still, he is right on top of the net and can put it away.

Look, Federer is a huge favorite. This season, he has been almost perfect. His body is just fine, he is strong and he is extremely happy. 

Cilic will try as hard as he can, but that doesn’t mean that he can out-hit him and wear him down. Federer can, and he will, take his record eighth Wimbledon title in four sets. That will be 19 Grand Slams for “Rog.” Phenomenal.

Venus vs. Muguruza: Who will raise the Wimbledon trophy?

WIMBLEDON WOMEN’S FINAL – Venus Williams has won Wimbledon five times. When she was young, it looked like she could win every year. She was so fast, so determined, so into it. Her first serve was hard and dominating, her backhand could produce winners crosscourt and down the line. She was quick, she was aggressive, she could be steady.

But things changed over the years. The last time that she won a major was 10 years ago, right here at Wimbledon. She beat her younger sister, Serena, who cried. Venus hugged her and, at that point, it was hard to say which one of those two would have more titles,and more Slams. 
But almost immediately, Serena rose up. Venus looked pretty good, but she couldn’t approach her best friend.

Now, Serena has 23 Grand Slams while Venus has eight majors. Cleary, Serena is better than she is, but not much. In fact, if Serena wasn’t playing tennis at all, Venus could have 15 majors. In reality, though, Serena has a much better second serve, forehand and concentration.

Venus is 36 years old and, at least during the past 12 days at 2017 Wimbledon, she actually looked fantastic. She is a little slower than she used to be, but her forehand is deeper and she is very adept at the net. She can return, too.

Is she the favorite against Garbine Muguruza in the final on Saturday? That is a very tough one, because over the past six weeks, the Spaniard finally calmed down, became consistent and very smart. Yes, she is fast and she can smoke her first serve, her forehand and backhand. She likes to go for it.

Muguruza won Roland Garros last year. She is not too young, she is not too old, she is right in the middle. She will not get nervous. 
As she says, now, she can play smarter and be more mature than her younger version. Perhaps, because when they walk on the Centre Court, Muguruza will look around and think, “I am more powerful and directed.” 

It will go to three sets and, on match point, Venus will sprint to the left, take her two-handed backhand, swing it as hard as she can and kiss it on the line. 

Number nine for Ms. Williams.

Phenomenal Federer crushes Raonic, to face Berdych in semis


Wimbledon, Day 11 — Roger Federer keeps on cook’n. The Swiss essentially destroyed Milos Raonic 6-4 6-2 7-6(4). Going into the match, Raonic thought he could beat him into his own game, but Federer out-thought him; he was so precise, his serve was excellent, he could mix it around or hammer it. Spin, slice, drop shots, essentially, anything he wanted to.

Once again, the 36-year-old Federer is already the clear favorite to win Wimbledon. If he wins on Sunday, he will have 19 Grand Slams. That is beyond phenomenal.

“I can’t believe it’s 100 matches. It’s a lot but I’m very happy my body has kept me going all these years,” said Federer about playing in his 100th Wimbledon match. “You have to make sure you average is as high as possible every day and I think I’m doing a great job this week.”

Raonic, who reached the final last year at SW19, said that he tried, but he couldn’t shake him.

“He kept a very high gear the whole entire time without giving many real glimpses. I think that was the most defeating thing,” the Canadian said.

On Friday in the semis, Federer has to play Tomas Berdych, who moved on after Novak Djokovic retired in the second set with an arm injury. That is a tough blow for Djokovic, who can’t find out exactly what he needs to do, and why? His body hurts, and he isn’t sure which way he should hit the ball. He has to sit down and really think about how he should approach it. Win or lose, he has to take a deep breath and think…

Good for Berdych, who was pretty slow early this year, but he is getting better and better. He did reach the final here before, so maybe the Czech has a chance to upended Federer. Yes, Berdych has beaten him few times, but not a lot (18-6 for the Swiss, 1-1 at Wimbledon). So Tomas has to change a few tactics and jump on the Swiss as fast as he can.

I am not shocked that Andy Murray lost, going down against the American, Sam Querrey, 3-6 6-4 6-7(4) 6-1 6-1. Look, we all knew that Murray was out of it this season. He has been OK, but not great, and clearly, his hip is very sore and he cannot run as he used to. If he can rest, and be patient, and feel 100 percent, then yes, eventually, he can win a Grand Slam again. But if he wants to play all the time, and he isn’t 100 percent because his body is a little bit messed up, then maybe he cannot win some huge events for a long time.

It is up to Murray.

He loves tennis, and he loves competing, but when you get older, you have to stop once in a while. Then, when you return, you can be healthy. Just like Federer…

That is a huge win by Querrey. It took him 10 years to reach a Grand Slam semi. Finally, he has improved his speed and his backhand. Plus, when he gets up to the net, he can put it away. He is a happy-go-lucky boy/man, and he smiles a lot, but tonight, he is thinking that if he can play as well as he can, he can actually reach the final.

Really, he can, because of Friday he will go up against Marin Cilic, who also is playing fantastic ball. But, the former US Open champion can go way down and fast. Querrey has to be patient and look for openings.

Cilic is the favorite because this year, he has played smart and intelligent. With these two, it’s all about who serves into the corners, and nail forehands on the lines. It’ll be smash ball tennis.

Venus out-hits Ostapenko, to face Konta in semis

Wimbledon, Day 9 – Who would have thought that Venus Williams would keep her cool and dominate with her forehand? We all know that Venus has won five Grand Slams at Wimbledon, but she hasn’t won since 2008, which is a long time.

However, Venus never gives up, and I mean never, ever gives up, because in the past 20 years, even when she wasn’t playing well at all, she continues to try. It is so, so true. Others bail, but not Venus, who figures that once in a while, when her form returns, and she can crack it deep, touch the lines, crush a first serve, then she can beat anyone, which she did on Tuesday.

Williams defeated the Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko in two sets. Ostapenko is super young, and she still needs to learn the nuances of grass. Eventually, she will win Wimbledon someday. But not yet.

Venus has to face Britain’s Jo Konta, who overcame Simona Halep in three fantastic sets. There is a good amount of pressure from Konta, but when she is playing, she doesn’t listen to the fans yelling when she is hitting the ball; she locks in and she focuses. That is why she has reached the semis, the first time for her in ages.

Can she beat Venus? Possibly, as she is much younger than the 36-year-old Williams, and we all know that the British fans will be jumping up and down for Konta. They will be celebrating Konta reaching Wimbledon’s second week — for the first time ever. The fans are learning who she is. Is Konta fast, super aggressive, happy, smart, erratic, super nervous, in trouble? We will find out on Thursday.

We have been watching Garbine Muguruza pretty closely over the past eight weeks. Yes, for a year, her brain was all over the place. But eventually, at Roland Garros, she rose, she didn’t get angry. Now, she is more patient and has begun to she believe in herself again. She bested two-time Grand Slam winners Angie Kerber and Svetlana Kuznetsova, and now, she is in the semis.

Muguruza is favored to reach the final, but you never know. Not with her. She can rip her forehand and backhand, but there are days when she doesn’t like her racket and could snap it. If the Spaniard is calm, she will win. She is that good.

She will play Magdalena Rybarikova, who upended the American Coco Vandeweghe in straight sets. Rybarikova has never reached the semis before, but the veteran plugged on. Against Vandeweghe, she hit it deep and she mixed it up all over the place. It took her eight years to reach the semis at the Slams, and finally, she understood that she needs to be patient, and also, swing away when the opportunity rises. She better do all these things, or Muguruza will crush her.

For the second time in two Slams, Halep had one match to win to ascend to No. 1. But, with the loss to Konta, following the slip in Roland Garros’ final to Ostepenko, Karolina Pliskova will be ranked No. 1 next week. She will be the 23rd top player in WTA history.

Muller shocks Nadal, Venus to face Ostapenko

Muller exploits his lefty serve in Atlanta. Brandon Feusner/ATC

Wimbledon, Day 9, JULY 10 – What a great win by Gilles Muller, who stunned Rafa Nadal  6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 15-13.

The Spaniard was darn close of grabbing the match against the veteran but Muller never gave up as he came charging into the net, time and time again. He didn’t panic when the match was approaching five hours, He believed that if he could hang in, bend low, hit some sweet shots and serve like the demon, the he could actually win. 
And he did. It has taken him during many, many years and finally, Muller found some confidence and stability. Next he will play Marin Cilic, who is very thoughtful. Yes, Muller played as well as he could against Nadal, but Cilic is intelligent now and his serve is phenomenally good. Ace after ace, boys …
Obviously, Roger Federer is the favorite here, especially now that the red-hot Nadal is gone, but Grigor. Dimitrov played terrible and lost in three. Is Dimitrov ever going to win a Slam? Too much is clogging up his head.

How about that classic coming up: Federer versus Milos Raonic. The Canadian overcame Zverev in five sets. In the 5th, he locked in and wiped him out 6-1. Federer has beaten Raonic many times, but in 2016, Milos stunned Roger. It should be damned close on Wednesday.

Another vet, Tomas Berdych, overcame Dominic Thiem in five sets. Nice win by the Czech, but it is very surprising that the young competitors can’t move a notch. This year at the Slams? Maybe at the US Open, but to reach the finals at the majors, it is extremely rugged going against the Big Four.
Sam Querrey will go up against Andy Murray, the two-time champion. Of course, Murray is the favorite. But, last year, the American shocked Novak Djokovic in London. This time, or this week, the Brit will be more patient and he is playing better. But, if Murray starts to yell at his box over and over again, then all bets off.

Predcting the women on Tuesday
The 36-year-old Venus Williams will face the RG champion Jelena Ostapenko. Venus is playing pretty well. Ostapenko is up-and-down and playing nervously. What has helped he win Roland Garros and moving into the Wimbledon quarters is her ability to improve slightly every match. She has become more patient. The 20-year-old loves to swing away, even when she is erratic for a few minutes. Forehand versus forehand, Ostapenko will upset Williams.

Here is another classic, as Jo Konta who will go up against Simona Halep. Konta is super powerful, and she will attempt to hit the lines, all the time, but Halep is a little bit quicker. Halep is steadier, but this is on grass, and the Romanian isn’t comfortable at SW19.

What a great win by Garbine Muguruza over Angie Kerber. The Spaniard is finally back, she jumps on the ball and she doesn’t wait behind the baseline. Now she has to face the intelligent and experienced Svetlana Kuznetsova. The Russian can play fantastic, or she can drop mentally, pretty quickly. Either way, they will go three sets. If Muguruza doesn’t get hurt, she’s on to the semis.

American Coco Vandeweghe seems to be feeling the rhythm. She bested Caro Wozniacki and now she has to play Magdalena Rybarikova. You would have to think that the huge server Vandeweghe will win in two sets, but you never know. Sure, she has improved over the past year and a half, but she can check out mentally in smaller tournaments. But not at the majors.

The men’s quarters at Wimbledon

Roger Federer vs Grigor Dimitrov

As the Bulgarian said about to face Federer: “I’m not going to shy away from Centre Court. I’ve played there before, I’ve won [last year]. I know my way now to the Centre Court, which is great, not like the first time I walked out. Just going to embrace it.”

It should be a spectacle contest, as both of them have so many different shots: slicing, over the top, drop shots, down the line, flatting it out. Clearly, Federer has been substantially better, that is why he has won 18 Grand Slams, and Dimitrov has won zero. What will happen tomorrow? It should be very close. It’s all the 5th set, and Federer will rise, heavily, just like he did at the Australian Open, when he leaped way up high and stunned Rafa Nadal.
Dimitrov will want it very badly, and he will push it, but he will make a few mistakes and Federer will win in 5 glorious sets.

Andy Murray vs Benoit Paire

Brit Murray always makes an effort, and while his strokes are on and off, at some point, he will click it again. But this week at Wimbledon? It is hard to say. Regardless, Paire has a lot of variety and he has improved over the past two years, but still, he can let down towards the end. Murray will win in four sets.

Rafa Nadal vs Gilles Muller

The veteran Muller is extremely consistent, and he comes into the net time after time. And that’s fine on grass, but Nadal returns almost better than anyone, and he hits the ball very low, so Muller has to come in quickly, or else, Nadal will pass him dozens of time. The Spaniard will, and win in three sets.

Novak Djokovic vs Adrian Mannarino

Without a doubt, Djokovic is really trying hard to find away why his shots are missing a lot. It’s one thing to take care of the so-so players, it’s another to out-think the excellent opponents. Mannarino is pretty darn smart, but on grass, you have to nail the balls immediately. He cannot and Djokovic will get through in four sets.

Milos Raonis vs Alexandra Zverev

This should be a very fun match. Raonic reached the final last year, and the Canadian came pretty close to winning a major for the first time in London. But he didn’t mix it up enough, and he didn’t return as well as he needed to. Raonic always tries to improve, so mayybe he can finally win it, if he can take a deep breath.

Perhaps he can do that, but he has to face the 20-year-old Alexandra Zverev, who has already reached the top 10, and he is coming up, big time. He can rip it from his forehand, his backhand and his first serve. He can be over anxious though, and he needs to improve his volleys and his second serve. Raonic is very smart and he will out hit Zverev in four sets.

Dominic Thiem vs Tomas Berdych

Good for the young Thiem for playing more aggressively on grass, rather than on clay. Here though, Berdych understands Wimbledon better, and he will bother Thiem, who will get frustrated. Berdych will win in five sets.

Marin Cilic vs Robert Bautista Agut

Cilic has been very consistent this year, and the one-time US Open champion believes he can win Wimbledon. He has a shot, but Bautista Agut really seems to like grass. It will be a marathon, and the Croatian will get through in five sets.

Sam Querrey vs Kevin Anderson

American Querrey is a huge hitter, as is Anderson, who knows how the balls bounce. Anderson can crack his serve, and he can smoke his forehand, but so can Querrey. There will be short points, so it is all in the head. Querrey will win in four sets — in four tiebreaks, by the way.

The Big Show: women’s round of 16

The Quarters, on Monday, at Wimbledone The women

Simona Halep vs. Victoria Azarenka
More than a year ago, Azarenka was on fire, winning Indian Wells and Miami, and she was ready to grab Roland Garros and Wimbledon. But she could not because she had to pull out to have a baby. Now, she is back as a mother. Is she playing perfect ball? No, not yet, but each day, she gets better and better. Clearly, the No. 2 Halep can play great, and then she backs off her game and the losing ensues. Someday, she will change and win a major title but not yet. Azarenka will win in three sets.

Angie Kerber vs. Garbine Muguruza
This is a classic match. The No. 1 German has done almost nothing this season, but during the past week, her confidence is back and now the two-time Slam champ is ready to be super-steady and aggressive. The same goes with Muguruza: at Roland Garros, she looked very decent, which was an improvement, because during the first four months iof 2017, her head wasn’t there. But now the Spaniard can feel that she can be in control and go for the lines. This is a tossup here, but pick Kerber to win in three fantastic sets.

Venus Williams vs. Ana Konjuh
Ms. Williams has won Wimbledon five times, so we all know that she loves London and she knows exactly how to play. However, the 36-year-old hasn’t won at SW19 in the past eight years. Can she do it for the last time? I doubt it, but she will really push herself. However, Konjuh is getting better every second. She will raise her game in the third set and stun Williams.

Johanna Konta vs. Caroline Garcia
Brit Konta looked like her body was pretty tired, but on Friday, she rose up and she was extremely fast. Garcia is comfortable again, and the doubles player is pretty good at the net, but Konta will jump on her immediately and win in two sets.

Aga Radwanska vs. Sveta Kuznetsova
These two vets know each other very well. Russian Kuznetsova can grind it, but Radwanska is super quick on grass. Aga will win in straight sets.

CoCo Vandeweghe vs. Caroline Wozniacki
Vandeweghe appears to have gained more composure, and, of course, she is a huge hitter — all over the place. Wozniacki doesn’t love grass, but she is finally understanding what to do — especially with her forehand. The American wants it to win right now and she will, winning in two long sets.

Jelena Ostapenko vs. Elina Svitolina

Ostapenko may not look great every second, but the new RG champ never gives up. She hits so hard on both sides. She will destroy Svitolina.

Magdalena Rybarikova vs. Petra Martin
The Croatian Martic has returned, and she is very pleased that she doesn’t get angry anymore. She focuses on the ball and she is in more patient. She will wear down Rybarikova in straight sets.

Andy Murray: the pressure is on

FROM WIMBLEDON, DAY 4

Plus: Federer, Nadal, Ostapenko, Brengle and more

Andy Murray has not played up to par this year, but he is competing at Wimbledon now, and possibly, the Brit will rise and he could grab SW19 once again.
However, he has a lot of work ahead. He has to face Fabio Fognini in the third round, and while the Italian has improved a lot this year, but his prospects sre totally different on grass. You have to go for winners immediately. You cannot sit back and wait.
As Murray said: “I think against Fabio … it’s maybe easier to come up with a game plan because there will be a bit more structure and strategy in the match rather than reacting and kind of instinctive points.”

Rafa Nadal is totally locked in. Now he is super confident again. It has taken him three years to become comfortable, which he has. Nadal has won two times  at Wimbledon. Believe it or not, he is the favorite, except for Roger Federer, who is going for a record eighth crown. Plus, Federer has beaten Nadal three times this season: at the Aussie Open,  Indian Wells and Miami. However, that’s on hard courts, not in grass. Totally different. But that’s for later. .. Nadal has to play against Karen Khachanov, the 21 year old. It could be fun. Or not, it’s all about Khachanov, who has to play 100 percent or his is gone, quickly…

Here is fine matchup: the former US Open champ Marin Cilic versus the American Steve Johnson. Cilic has a gigantic serve, and Johnson is very steady. Maybe five sets.

WOMEN

Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko overcame the Canadian Francoise Abanda 4-6 7-6(4) 6-3. Funny comment from Ostapenko: “I wasn’t very happy with the way I played but I’m happy.” Oh, yes, happy.
The 20-year-old Ostapenko will face Camila Giorgi, who out hit Madison Keys. Those two will face off on Friday. Huge backhands coming up. I have absolutely no idea where the American Keys is going. She has had a tough year. Be patient, please…How about Madison Brengle, who upset Petra Kvitova? Now she will face Garcia. Believe it or not, Brengle is the favorite. 

Vika Azarenka played very well on Wednesday, taking out last year’s semifinalist Elena Vesnina. Within a few weeks, she is back, ready to play tennis again. Azarenka has a new baby and she was off for one year. That takes a while, but when you have been hitting since you were very young, and you are playing everyday for hours, even if you stop playing on the WTA for a while, still, even if you are pregnant, you can go on court and hit the ball With conviction. Look it what Serena Williams is doing? She is very pregnant, but she still hits the ball with conviction. She is, how do you say, addicted?:} We all are, tennis people, that is. ..
Azarenka will go up against Heather Watson. She has not played well at all this season. However, Watson loves London so maybe she will lock in and push Vika into a third set. And then?
Jo Konta won a marathon to beat Donna Vekic in three increadable sets. Is Konta injured now? Can she knock out the 21-year-old Maria Sakkari? We would think so, but Konta has never gone deep at Wimbledon before, so on a big court, the pressure will on the UK’s top player. 

CoCo Vandeweghe is ready to roll (we think)

Photo: Mal Taam/MALTphoto

FROM WIMBLEDON, Day 3

Plus, Alexander Zverev, Frances Tiafoe, Alison Riske, Kristina Mladenovic & more

THE WOMEN

Coco Vandeweghe haven’t reached the quarters at a Grand Slam, so now is the time. The SoCal native has improved a tremendous amount over the past two years; she is faster, she is more consistent, and finally, she knows when to hit it as hard as she can, or she can move backwards and wait for the opportunities.
Vandeweghe will play against Tatjana Maria on Thursday. If she wins, she will have to face against either Alison Riske, or Kristina Mladenovic. Riske loves grass, while the Frenchwomen Mladenovic has become substantially better this season. A toss up for sure. Whomever wins, it will be a dog fight. Vandeweghe hits a gigantic serve, as does Mladenovic and/or Riske, who goes for winners immediately.

By the way, Riske beat Sloane Stephens in straight sets. Recall that Stephens reached the semis here before, but last year, she got a serious injury, and it has taken her months to feel much better. She has a long way to go, but if she commits herself, then yes, she can win a Grand Slam. Not this year, but next year, she will have a shot.
Aga Radwanska will play Christina McHale, who will play excellent ball. But when they go deep in the 3rd set, she simply cannot become nervous. She has done that for so many times.

Varvara Lepchenko took down Lauren Davis 6-4 7-5 and to face Polona Herzog. You have to think that the vet Lepchenko has one great chance at Wimby to reach the second week.
Shelby Rogers will have to face Lucie Safarova, which will be tricky stuff as the Czech knows how to play … finally.

Here’s two great matches on Thursday:
Yanina Wickmayer versus Garbine Muguruza, and Beth Mattek-Sands against Sorana Cirstea. The former No. 1 Kim Clijsters is now coaching Wickmayer, who has dropped way down, but Clijsters knows how to calm her. It will take a long time, though.
The same goes with Mattek-sands; we all know that she is nearly perfect in doubles, but in singles, she has to be steadier.

THE MEN

Here is a terrific contest between the very young boys: Alexander Zverev against Frances Tiafoe. The German has already reached into the top 10, and the 19-year-old American Tiafoe is very flashy. It could go five sets, but in reality, right now, Zverev is stronger.

Ryan Harrison has to face Tomas Berdych, which will not be easy. Yes, the Czech hasn’t played very well this season, but he has reached the final at Wimby before, and his legs look stronger. It is up to Harrison to control the match.
Other than Andy Murray, only Brit man left is Kyle Edmund. He has to face Gael Monfils, which is tricky, but Edmund has an opportunity, because Monfils is way up and down. It is all about Edmund, who has to lock in and stay there.