Archives for November 2019

Nadal and Spain win the Davis Cup

Rafael Nadal


It is the end of the year, for the men, after almost 11 months. They are done, finally, at the end of November, and the No. 1, Rafa Nadal, has had a tremendous year. 

On Sunday, in Madrid, Spain won the title at the Davis Cup, beating Canada 2-0. 

Nadal won everything, in singles, and believe it or not, in the doubles, too. Through the year, the lefty Spaniard rarely plays doubles because he wants to make sure that if he does, he could get hurt and he would not play at all. But the 33-year-old is very careful now, with the exception of playing clay constantly, but when he is conscious of how his body is reacting, then he can just rip the ball and be aggressive.

On Sunday, in the final, he edged the young man, Denis Shapovalov, 6-3, 7-6. The Canadian Shapovalov had a fine event, in the singles and doubles, too. But, in this match, Nadal was a little more intense and he was on fire. Over the past two years, the now 20-year-old Shapovalov has gotten better, and next year, he may crack into the top 10, but currently, he get frustrated, and he knock it too long. Shapovalov looks pretty darn good, but to win the match, he had to overcome the fans who were screaming for Nadal. To stun Nadal at his home, well, Shapovalov would have to play 100 percent. That is very difficult, and while the Canadian was trying as hard as he could, he must realize that the 19-Grand Slam champion Nadal is better than he is. 

Shapovalov did upset Nadal in Montreal two years ago, but that was then, and this was now.

In the first match, the veteran Roberto Bautista Agut beat a super young player, Felix Auger-Aliassime, 7-6 6-3. Nadal was raring to go, and he did. Nadal was lethal with his big forehand, and he mixed his serve into the middle into the chest, and he touched the corners. He could swing it away, because Spain already was up a match.

Nadal won all eight matches, including five singles, and three doubles. He did not drop a set. He is the clear No. 1, winning Roland Garros, the US Open and now the Davis Cup, among others. 

Since 2000, Spain has won the Davis Cup six times. It wasn’t just about Nadal.

Next January, Nadal will be thinking about winning the Australian Open. If he does that, he will tie with Roger Federer at 20 Slams. Of course, he can wait until Roland Garros, which he has won 12 times in June on clay, but perhaps Nadal wants to celebrate on the hard courts in Melbourne. He never brags, but for everyone, they have to here the voices when you are sleeping. You cannot take it away. Or perhaps, the dreams will hide you, but for Nadal, when you are awake, then you will think about it and believe he can still beat everyone. Just like he did at Madrid.

Tsitsipases wins the ATP Finals

Stefanos Tsitsipas

In the ATP Finals, there are moments that Stefanos Tsitsipas got upset, and he would yell loudly on court. But,t the Greek can turn it around in a second, and refocus.

On Sunday, Tsitsipas won the ATP Finals, edging Dominic Thiem 6-7, 6-2, 7-6(4). Right at the end, he truly believed that he would not gag, while the Austrian was so close, but he backed off and he made a few errors at the end.

The youngster Tsitsipas can go up and down, but he is so confident when he is on a roll, and when he misses a few shots, he thinks, “I have to be steady, rather than to cracks it in the corners.”

Thiem had it, really looked like he had it, and then he didn’t have it.

Tsitsipas has had a tremendous year. He is tall, he can smoke his serves and his big forehand. He is quick, and he can run.

In 2019, Tsitsipas was terrific, and then he was somewhat bad. That has happened with most people, even the very good players, like a few Grand Slam winners, such as Juan Martin del Potro, Marin Cilic, Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray. They won it a Slam, at the US Open, Wimbledon, and the Australian Open, but they all have played horribleer lat. Ask them. They will tell you. What has been rare is the best competitors — Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic — who have won so many Slams. But, once in a while, during a year, they can slip up and lose. No one can be perfect. That is totally impossible.

Tsitsipas has yet to win a major. At the start of this year, he reached the semis at the 2019 Australian Open. He beat Federer in the fourth round, he edged Roberto Bautista Agut, and then he lost easily to Nadal.

I have said this many times, but I will repeat it again: It is one thing to beat everyone in a two out of three, but to do it in three out of five — that is totally different. Physically and mentally, you have to bring it.

Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have won 55 Grand Slams. Five of them who played in London at the ATP Finals — Tsitsipas, Thiem, Daniil Medvedev, Sascha Zverev and Matteo Berrettini — have yet to win a Grand Slam. Zero.

Maybe a few of them can do it in 2020, but you really do not know until they actually get there. Thiem has reached to the final at Roland Garros – twice — which is wonderful, but he lost against Nadal — twice. Thiem wasn’t very close to upset the Spaniard because Nadal has won it 11 times in Paris, grinding and keeping his head up. He rarely gets tired over hours of play, but Nadal gets hurt frequently now. Even if his knees are wrecked, he keeps on pushing.
 
Tsitsipas did exactly the same thing at the ATP Finals. However, even though it is a terrific event, it is only two out of three, not three out of five.

Next year, the 21-year-old Tsitsipas will be ready to snare a Slam. Without a doubt, in Melbourne, in January, the No. 6 will be ready to dance. If he can sing after he wins it all, Tsitsipas can take a dive into the famous lake. Splash.

Zverev has started to climb up the mountains, beats Nadal

Alexander ZAverev

No. 1 Rafa Nadal can play fantastic in the winter, the spring and the summer. But, in the fall, the Spaniard’s legs collapse. He wants to play — he always wants to walk on the court and crack the ball — but he is 33 years old. While he can win another Grand Slam in 2020 (isn’t Roland Garros his for the picking?), or to win the ATP 1000s, too, that does not mean that he can compete a lot year after year.

Yes, this season, Nadal won Roland Garros and the US Open. That is tremendous, but he absolutely has to rest. He does a bit, but in the ATP 1000 Paris two weeks ago, he pulled out after the quarters. He wanted to be healthy in anticipation for London.

Against Alexander Zverev on Monday, Nadal couldn’t play well at all. He could not smoke the ball. He hit it short, and all over the place.

Zverev did play quite well; he was solid, strong and patient. He beat Nadal 6-2, 6-4, which was a little bit surprising, considering that Nadal had beaten the German five times. But, not this time. As the Spaniard said, he came to London, but his body is suspect.

“I am disappointed, because knowing that I will not be at my 100 percent in terms of feelings, in terms of movement, in terms of confidence or hitting the ball. I needed my best competitive spirit , and I was not there in that way,” Nadal said.

How about this? Zverev hit 26 winners, while Nadal hit just three forehand winners. Given that his forehand is the best in the game, he just wasn’t sharp. He is dealing with his abdominal injury. Maybe on Wednesday, Nadal will shake it off and pound it.

“What really matters is I need to play much better in two days,” Nadal said. That’s the only thing.”

The good thing about Zverev is that he admitted that he has had a so-so year, and he struggled, a lot. Last year, a year ago, he was riding high. Then he slipped way down. Over the past month, he has started to climb up the mountains. On Monday, Zverev looked very different.

Can Zverev, the defending champ, win it again? It is too early to say, because they just started and they will play three matches, win or lose. Zverev really likes the London O2. On Wednesday, Zverev will go against Stefanos Tsitsipas, who just beat Daniil Medvedev.

At the Slams, Nadal has played for 15 years, while the other three are just starting out. All three of them are enthusiastic, but Nadal must be irritated because he lost. He doesn’t like pushing the ball, so on Wednesday, win or lose, he is going to swing much harder and, hopefully, inside the lines.

Ash Barty can win another Slam in 2020

Ash Barty, Ashleigh Barty

On Sunday, the ATP Finals will begin in London. It should be very tight, all eight of them, with Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, including with the rising Daniil Medvedev.

But in November 3, Ash Barty won the WTA Final. Now, we all knew that the Australian would finish the year at No. 1. She was pretty safe. But to actually win it, the entire thing, that was a little bit surprising. That is not because she has turned into a great player, but because she was tired, coming into the tournament.

For a player who is a runner, you mudt be fast, but to be super fast, you have to be healthy. When Barty arrived, she said she was feeling better, and when she steps on the court, she started to move just fine. The Aussie has played a lot, in the singles and the doubles, during 2019. A number of women become injured, and then they pulled out. Frequently. But not Barty, who just wants to play tennis, almost everyday. Some women and men play way too much, when they are practicing. That is why over the past 25 years — or more — dozens of people get injured, and they have to stop, for a long time.

At this point, the 23-year-old Barty can stay No. 1 in 2020 for a while, but she is not way up there. She did win Roland Garros this year, which was fantastic, but only one at the Grand Slams. She will definitely have a huge shot to win the Australian Open in January, but there is a lot of pressure in Melbourne, with all of the Aussies. An Aussie man hasn’t won it since 1972, when Mark Edmondson grabbed it. The talented Aussie woman, Chris O’Neil, won it in 1978. That is 41 years ago, which is a very long time.

It is totally different with various countries. Barty can play the hardcourts, which was obvious when she won the WTA Finals in China. She beat Belinda Bencic, Petra Kvitova, Karolina Pliskova and Elena Svitolina. All of them went down. Barty just loves the hardcourts. However, back home, she can be stressed in January. But Barty is very determined.

Now, will the other No. 1, Nadal, do the exactly same thing? He is 630 points above Djokovic, which is somewhat far, but he has to win a couple matches in London, rather than winning it all. But Nadal wants to. He always push himself. He, Djokovic and Federer always do that, which is why they have combined to win 55 Grand Slams. That people, it is mind blowing.

Nadal, Djokovic and Federer will clash at the ATP Finals

Rafael Nadal, Rafa Nadal

Rafa Nadal comes into the ATP Finals with just a week off since he withdrew from the Paris Masters semifinal with an abdominal strain, and there are a lot of questions about him physically — but not about his game.

The lefty can smash his forehand, stay very patient, and is still willing to have long rallies where he will blast it into the corners when the other player is exhausted. The 19-time Grand Slam champion has also improved his backhand — it’s deeper now — and he is tough to beat at the net, when he comes in. Though he stands way behind the baseline when he is returning, almost on the wall, he can get it back regularly and then get into the point.

While people know that he is the best player ever on clay, winning 11 times at Roland Garros, he has won on hardcourts both at the Australian Open and the US Open. So when Nadal is healthy, he can beat them all everywhere.

But the problem for Nadal at the ATP Finals has been being healthy, because he’s withdrawn or retired there six times, exhausted from a long season. This time, he says he doesn’t know what shape he will be in when he takes the court. He really wants to win it, though, badly, and certainly can if he plays like he is capable of.

Serbian Novak Djokovic has won here a lot of times before, and he might do it once again. The photos show why — when he is locked in, his eyes are very wide, and he is looking directly at the ball. He will return deep, and then he will camp on the baseline with his amazing backhand, and he will rally crosscourt until he can knock it down the line. He has won 16 Grand Slams, and this year, the Australian Open and Wimbledon. That was crazy, considering that the Spaniard and Djokovic have played each other 50 times. Most of it, it was darn close.

Djokovic just won ATP Masters Paris, and while he was a little bit injured and off during the last few months, he has been around for a long time and he knows that as long as he practices, he will eventually return playing terrific. Currently, he is very close to playing 100 percent, and he is feeling confident. He wants to become No. 1 again, and push everyone aside. Without a doubt, he is the top favorite to win it again.

Roger Federer has had a solid year. He was unable to win a Grand Slam again, but he also won four tournaments, which means that he is still alive. In July, at Wimbledon, Federer lost 13-12 in the fifth against Djokovic. Even if he lost, he is still good on the move, and he can be spectacular. Federer thinks deeply, and he can change the tactics when he has to, using his variety. At the ATP Finals, he has won a record six titles. He has beaten them all, but he has lost, too. In 2018, he went down to Alexander Zverev. In London, he has a fine chance to win it once again, standing at the net and putting away his volleys. Federer is always very competitive against the top players.

The ATP Finals odds have three distinct tiers, according to Sports Betting Dime. Djokovic (+120) is in a class by himself, followed by Federer (+400), Medvedev (+450) and Nadal (+500). Zverev (+1200), Tsitsipas (+1200), Thiem (+1400) and Berrettini (+2200) are the longshots. The best value among the bottom four looks to be Tsitsipas. With wins over Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, and Zverev (twice) this season, his upside is as high as Medvedev, though his consistency is lacking.

Daniil Medvedev has had an incredible year. He started back in July, when he reached six finals in a row. It took the 23-year-old Russian five years to become smarter and more thoughtful about when to go for it and when to hold back. He is tall, steady and he can rip his first serve, his forehand and his backhand. Now, he’s aiming to show the fans who he is. Recently, Medvedev said that he wants to become No. 1 soon. Yet he first has to upend the big boys — Nadal, Djokovic and Federer. He has a wonderful shot to win it all.

Dominic Thiem is no longer one of the youngsters, as he is now 26 years old. But, the Austrian still has a long career in front of him, so he can grab a major, perhaps next year. On clay, he has reached the final twice at Roland Garros, and looked very good as he has heavy strokes, deep shots, but he could not do enough to upset Nadal.

On the hardcourts, Thiem has improved a decent amount over the last couple years and his first Masters title this season was on this surface. He moves well inside the court, he can be aggressive and go for the lines, both ways, with his forehand and his backhand. Yet to win the tournament would be his best performance ever and, at the moment, he doesn’t quite look close enough.

Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas has had a very good year at times, though he can be up and down. He has played a number of long matches this season, showing he can smash his first serve, pin his forehand and he can also rally, too. He certainly needs to return better, but in the past year, the 21-year-old is very steady with his backhand. Tsitsipas is intelligent, he listens to his coach, and his goal is that one day, he will become the best player on tour.

Maybe he will, but first, in London, he has to focus every moment to upset the great veterans and he must find the corners because of the speed of the indoor court. Tsitsipas may not win it all, but he is very excited to be there for the first time, so he will give it all. To win it would be surprising. He isn’t ready yet. But, soon.

When Zverev is on, he can be very positive, but when he isn’t, he can become very angry. Problems off the court this season have sometimes left him not concentrating fully on the court. That is why from March through September, he lost early and often. Yet in the fall, he recomposed himself, and while he isn’t playing fantastic, but he is much better than he was at the US Open. He was mentally gone there, saying he had no confidence.

It was very different at the 2018 ATP Finals, which Zverev won, beating Federer and Djokovic. It looked like he was going to win a major, but he didn’t. Perhaps, some year, but currently, mentally, at the ATP Finals he is not playing at the level to win it again.

From nowhere, an Italian made into the ATP Finals and it wasn’t even Fabio Fognini. Matteo Berrettini is pretty young, and he has yet to win a big tournament. But, at the US Open, he upset Gael Monfils in the quarters, 7-6 (5) in the fifth. He was overjoyed. When he started the year, he was ranked No. 54, and in April, he took off.

Berrettini is a huge hitter with his forehand, but he can be steady, too. He is 23 years old — so he is still young — and he will have to get better all around. Yes, next year he can make an attempt to enter the top 5, but this week at the ATP Finals, he has virtually no chance to win it. He will be very nervous.