Archives for July 2023

Into the finals with Fritz, Zverev and Wawrinka

July 30, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Once again, Taylor Fritz won another match, beating J.J. Wolf 6-3, 7-5, and now he is in the final at Atlanta. In early February, he won Delray Beach, and he looked very good, but then he went down, gradually. Now the 25-year-old is back on the hardcourts, and his confidence is rising. However, to play 100 percent, he will have to be substantially better, and he knows that. As he said: “The Tour doesn’t reward consistency as much as it does boom by winning titles or bust when you lose in the first round. I started this year pretty strong and have had more consistent results than last year,” Fritz said. “I’ve gotten a lot more into a lot of tournaments this year, but I’ve let slip some matches that I maybe didn’t let slip last year.”

The same thing happened with Alexander Zverev, who reached into the final at the Hamburg European Open. He was in the top five, and he won a number of some huge events, but in 2022, he badly hurt his leg at Roland Garros in the semis, and he could not play for seven months. He did come back, but it takes him a good while. He is a forceful hitter, with his forehand and his backhand are very strong, but he can also disappear during the matches. He can be angry, when he is not playing well, but he can re-set it. He has won 19 titles, so it is time to grab it, again. He will face against the Serbian, Laslo Djere

“When I’m pain-free I enjoy tennis a lot. Yeah, the last year or so, not year yet, but since June there were a lot of times where that wasn’t the case. It took me a very long time to come back,” Zverev said. “ So even tournaments like Australia, I was still very limited to what I was able to do. I was still not completely pain-free, not being able to move the way I want to move. It’s definitely going into the other direction now.”

The three-time Grand Slam champion, Stan Wawrinka, has reached the final in Imag, Croatia. It is back on clay, after he lost at Wimbledon against Novak Djokovic in the third round, and the 38-year-old did not play, great. But when he is on, his one-handed backhand has so much spin, and he can control it. It would be amazing to win a Slam again, but that is highly unlikely. However, to win any tournament, that would be super special. But first, he has to beat the Aussie, Alexei Popyrin, on Sunday, who will give it, all. So put it up, and drive, for it.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, atlanta, Hamburg, Imag, Matthew Cronin, Stan Wawrinka, Taylor Fritz

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

After Newport, back at the hardcourts

July 25, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

At Newport, the veteran Adrian Mannarino won it, beating the 20-year-old Alex Michelsen 6-2, 6-4 in the final.

The Frenchman is 35 years old, and he plays all the time, going to various tournaments. If he wins, he can look so intense, but also, he can lose against many of the top competitors. However, he is just going to continue to play a lot of events until he retires.

When? Who knows?. He has won three 250 titles, but no ATP Masters 1000, or even the final or at any Grand Slam. Excellent competitors have beaten Mannarino for years. He has a lot of moxie and is heavy on the self-analysis. He is ranked No. 27, and he does have a chance to finally reach the top 20 for the first time. Maybe he will.

As he said about beating Michelsen, “It’s all about what you’re going to show to your opponent. Today I was trying to make him think I was comfortable and that I would be able to play some long rallies and not missing so much and I would make him work a lot.”

Mannarino has yet to reach into a quarterfinals at the Slams. He does really like playing on the grass, and also, on the hard courts, but on the clay, he loses very early. He likely cannot change, but the lefty will continue to be solid.

The American Michelsen played terrific this week, even though he lost. He is very tall, and he is a pivotal hitter. He has yet to play dozens of people, so coming up, he might not be able to beat many darn good players. Eventually, though, he will add some new shots. He is an incoming freshman on the University of Georgia team. Will he play college tennis?

Andrey Rublev has now won 14 titles after he beat Casper Ruud in Bastad on clay. He can be great at times, but he has only won one ATP Masters 1000. Maybe he can do it again during the next seven weeks. Perhaps in the ATP 1000 Toronto, which will start in two weeks…

The Atlanta Open begins this week, with, of course, with Michelsen, as well as Taylor Fritz , Maxime Cressy, John Isner, Ben Shelton and Christopher Eubanks, among others. Outside of the American, there are two once excellent players before they got hurt a lot, with Kei Nishikori and Gail Monfils. If you are there, I would definitely watch them on the court, as they will retire, pretty soon.

At Warsaw, there are some solid players this week including the No. 1 Iga Swiatek, Karolina Muchova, Lin Zhu and Katerina Siniakova. Swiatek lost at Wimbledon, but she certainly likes to play on the clay, and the hard courts, too. As long as she very thoughtful and focuses, then she will have another change to win Montreal, Cincinnati and the US Open.

Filed Under: Lead Story Tagged With: Adrian Marrarino, Alex Michelsen, Andrey Rublev, Iga Swiatek, Matthew Cronin, Newport

The top 8 men after Wimbledon: the future

July 17, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Carlos Alcaraz
In the fifth set, he put on a show, nailing it from his forehand, his backhand, when he served, and he dove it very low at the net, and he put it away. He has now won two Grand Slams titles, and the 20-year-old is learning very fast. Eventually, he would win Wimbledon many times, but we will have to wait next year.

Novak Djokovic
The Serbian was so close to win it in the final, but after four hours, he began to miss some key opportunity. He lost, and he was upset, when he went home, but now on the hardcourts, he will likely rise up again. On the hardcourts, he will make some different strokes. We now that he is very intense, and obsessive.

Daniil Medvedev
The Russian looked great all the way into the semis, and then when he played against Alcaraz, he folded, in the past two sets, and he went down, hard. As he said, Alcaraz is terrific, but in the match in the last two sets, he did not play at all. Coming into the U.S. Open, if he wants to win it again, he has to enhance at the net.

Holger Rune
He is playing better and better , and he is young, but on the court, while he can crush the ball, from both sides, he has to mix it up more. His second serve is so-so, and he is mediocre at the net, but he really can return, and put it deep. He certainly has another shot to win either Toronto, Cincinnati, and maybe at the U.S. Open.

Jannik Sinner
The Italian played terrific into the semis, but against Djokovic, he became confused eventually and did not where to go. He is very potent, and he can throw in some fine winners, but he still is young, and he has to be much more calm. If he does, he will become better and better, gradually.

Christopher Eubanks
The American came almost out of now where, but over the past one year, he started to jump, pretty high. He made it into the quarters, hitting some huge shots. He is much more consistent, and the 27-year-old likes to crack his forehand. It is hard to say whether he can eventually reach into the top 10, but the current No. 31 can reach into the top 20 in the next seven weeks, if he is locking in, all the time.

Roman Safiullin
The Russian has been going for a while, and he did not beat many of the top players, but at Mallorca and Wimbledon, he began to change it up. He is pretty strong, and while he is not that fast, his forehand can be vast, and also, his backhand can go into the corners. There are a lot of the Russians have gone deep at the big tournaments, such as the former champions Marat Safin and Yevgeny Kafelnikov, but he has yet to go super deep. At the hardcourts, we will see if he can continue to improve every match.

Andrey Rublev
The other very good Russian, Rublev, is confounding. He won Monte Carlo in April, and it looked like that he could be almost beat everyone . But at Wimbledon, in the quarters, Djokovic pounded him, and he went down, hard. Going into the hardcourts, last year, he was slightly decent, so this time, he really needs to focus, and change tactics, more often. If not, he will not go deep at the Slams this year.

Filed Under: Lead Story

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 pick at Wimbledon: women’s final

July 14, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Ons Jabeur over Marketa Vondrousova
When it started the open era in 1968, with the women, only two of the Czechs have won Wimbledon, with Jana Novotna and Petra Kvitova [twice]. Clearly they both played extremely well. However a couple of the very good players couldn’t do it, including Hana Mandliková and Karolina Pliskova. Now they will have another chance with Vondrousova, who is playing unbelievable.

When she was 19-years old at Roland Garros, Vondrousova had reached into the final, but the Aussie beat her down, quickly. She missed some crucial errors, but she was still young.

“A previous Grand Slam final can help you also on the way, you know what to do. I’m a bit older now also.,” the Vondrousova said. “I think I’m a bit different person. I’m just very happy to be through this again.”

She never really disappeared, but she had two surgeries, and it was difficult to come back up towards into the top, again. Her forehand and her backhand has a lot of assortment, and she can offence when she returns. She is quickly, and she can bend down, also.

Now she is more comfortable.
“You don’t know if you can play at this level and if you can be back at the top. I just feel like I’m just grateful to be on a court again, to play without pain. I’m just really grateful for it.”

But the Tunisian Jabeur has another shot, like last year in London when she reached the final, but in the third set, she pulled back later. On Thursday in the semis, she was so kept pushing, and super stern, with both her forehand and her backhand, to beat Elena Rybakina. She really wants to win it, but as she said, she has to be so fit. But will she be peaceful, again?

“Last year was my first final of a Grand Slam,” said Jabeur. “I’m definitely getting closer to winning the Grand Slam that I always wished. I would say I always believed. But sometimes you would question and doubt it if it’s going to happen, if it’s ever going to happen. Being in the last stages, I think it does help you believe more.
I’m going to learn a lot from not only Wimbledon’s final but also US Open final, and give it my best. Maybe this year was all about trying two times and getting it right the third time.”

Here she is once again, and Jabeur must be thinking that this this year, Vondrousova beat her twice, at the Australian Open and Indian Wells, on the hardcourts. That was super important, but however, last year on Eastbourne, on the grass, Jabeur beat Vondrousova. They are very close. Vondrousova will attempt to break her down, driving her back, but Jabeur will rise in the third set and she will win, the new Wimbledon champion.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left

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: Thursday, July 13

July 12, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Elina Svitolina over Marketa Vondrousova
There are certain people forget that Svitolina had some strange losses when she started to play the WTA. She was very good, and she won a lot of matches, but at the Grand Slams, eventually, she would freak out, and she would disappear. Her forehand and her backhand was usually deep and hard. She was fast, but her serve and also at the net, was marginal. She did not win the Slam or even reach the final. She was so good, but that was pretty odd.

But now, when Svitolina came back after she had a child in April. Now she had a new perspective. Win or lose, she will rethink, and mix it up even more.

As Svitolina said, “It’s different right now… I think it’s less years that I have in front than behind me. I have to go for it. I don’t have time to lose anymore. I don’t know how many years I will be playing more.”

At Wimbledon, the Ukrainian reached the semis in 2019, when she looked good, but a very fit Simona Halep took her down. Then two months later, she reached the semis again at the US Open, and she was cracking the ball, but the great Serena Williams out-hit her. Now she has another chance to right the ship.

“I try to tell myself that I have to be decisive. Today, as I walked to Center Court, I saw so much history along the way. You understand that you are training for this,” Svitolina said. “I said that you need to go out and act decisively, you need to give all your strength. It really helped me and also calmed me down a bit.”

Over the past 10 days, Vondrousova has lookd very calm, too. However, she had to really push herself, and drive the ball, crosscourt and down the lines. She is brisk, and she can also attach with her harsh return. Certainly she has not had a great year, but week to week, she can explore when she has a chance.

As the lefty said: “I never thought I could play so good here because I didn’t do well on grass before. For me, it’s just amazing feeling. I don’t know, I’m trying so hard in every match.”

Four years ago, she reached the final at Roland Garros, and she was so darn good, but the now retired Ash Barty took her down.

“I never thought I could play so good here because I didn’t do well on grass before,” Vondrousova said. “For me, it’s just amazing feeling. I don’t know, I’m trying so hard in every match. Every match is incredibly difficult here.”

Yes it is, especially because Vondrousova beat her twice, but Svitoina grabbed it three times. However, this is the first time that they have played each other on the grass. Vondrousova will not be nervous for a few minutes, but whatever the reason this time, Svitoina will out her in three dramatic sets.

Ons Jabeur over Aryna Sabalenka
Two years ago at Wimbledon, Sabalenka beat Jabeur 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. They have played each other four times, and they have split it, with the Belarussian recently beat ingher in the WTA Finals, 7-5 in the third.

Yes, Sabalenka has blown up over the past year, but when the Tunisian is mentally sound, she can really change it up with her rare strokes. She has yet to win a Slam, but last year here Jabeur almost won it in the final as Elena Rybakina was more consistent, at the end. However, she has a chance at the tough match in the semis.

“I don’t regret last year,” she said. “I believe last year I wasn’t ready to play this kind of match. It happened for a reason. I have learned a lot from the final. Definitely very proud of myself for the improvement that I did mentally, physically, and with the tennis racket.”

If you look at Sabalenka, when she serves, right after it stays in, she will look where it is, and if it is deep enough, then she can start where she wants to go. She is competent, and she hits it extremely merciless. She is not very good at the net, and she can rarely spins it with her backhand, but with her forehand, she can wreck it, and try for a winner. She won the 2023 Australian Open, and that was the best two weeks ever. But that has left now, so this time, she is going to have to throw her thought, on court.

Even if she does, Jabeur will hit her fantastic backhand, and she will win it in three competitive sets.

Matt’s yesterday picks at Wimbledon

Correct: Aryna Sabalenka over Madison Keys
Correct: Daniil Medvedev over Christopher Eubanks
Correct: Carlos Alcaraz over Holger Rune
~~Elena Rybakina over One Jabeur~~

Matt’s picks from Wimbledon

14 out of 19. 73.6% correct

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Aryna Sabalenka, Elina Svitolina, Marketa Vondrousova, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, One Jabeur, 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: Tuesday, July 11

July 10, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Iga Swiatek over Elina Svitolina
Surprising, they have only played each other once, two years ago in Rome, and Swiatek beat the Ukrainian 6-2, 7-5 in the quarterfinals. Swiatek has changed a lot when she improved a tremendous amount, with her massive strokes. She is very quick and she can bash the ball with her forehand and her backhand. The No. 1 has a fabulous first serve, and she can be creative. Finally, she is now convinced that she can motor on the grass.

Svitolina barely won when she upset Vika Azarenka. Before that, she lost five times, but she kept going hitting her hefty forehand and her backhand. But this will be even harder, as the Pole person is locked in. The four-time major champion hasn’t won Wimbledon yet, but she can do it this year.

“Every day my love is getting bigger,” Swiatek said. “Hopefully, I’m going to have as many days as possible to stay here and play on this court, because for sure, this is my best year on grass. I feel really kind of motivated, because I know that even when you’re not feeling 100 percent, (the) hard work is paying off. So I’m happy I did that work and I can stay here.”

The former No. 3 Svitolina will dig in, but Swiatek will it in three wild sets

Novak Djokovic over Andrey Rublev
The rising Russian has put together some excellent shotmaking. Rublev can strike it down the lines, and he can also pound it when he thinks that he can mash it crosscourt. However, at the Australian Open on the hard courts, Djokovic bullied him 6-1 6-2 6-4. That was really quick, as the Serb elevated his game early and outhit him, with his brutal serve and his forehand. He only made a few errors.

In order to shock Djokovic on the grass, Rublev is going to have to totally redefine his approach. He is also going to take big risks all the time. When he returns, he has to thump the ball. Djokovic has won Wimbledon many times before, and this year, he has looked very good, but he has lost a few, odd matches. Regardless, Djokovic will win it in four unreal sets.

Jessica Pegula over Marketa Vondrousova
The Czech has had a decent year, and she has been pretty consistent, but she has not reached into the finals this year. If you look at Vondrousova, she did manage to reach the final at the 2019 Roland Garros, but on the grass, she struggled. Apparently though, over the past nine days, she looked smarter. Her backhand is very stable.

Pegula has struggled at the Slams, but at least she is trying to push herself and not be so nervous. Fortunately, she has reached into the second week at Wimbledon for the first time. Clearly, her forehand and her backhand are harmonious. The reason why is she also plays a lot of the doubles, sprinting so close to the net. She can put it away, solidly.

At the Grand Slams, the No. 4 has yet to reach the semis, but this time she has a real opportunity to do it. Pegula will punch Vondrousova to win it in three competitive sets.

Jannik Sinner over Roman Safiullin
They have only played with each other once and the Italian took it 7-6(6), 6-3 on hard courts. Yes, Sinner is a huge hitter, and he can nail it, but he can also throw in some strange errors. He also can be very competitive and he can swing away with some phenomenal shots. Sinner has won six titles, but he has not won an ATP 1000,or even one of the Slams. Yes, he is 21-years-old, but as he once said, “I have my own path and my own way to go.” Then go a little harder or faster.

Safiullin has had a terrific tournament, but the Russian had never won an ATP event. At least he is feeling very good now. Perhaps he decided to change it up. He will have to try hard, but Sinner has a better forehand and when he returns well, too. The Italian will win it in three quick sets.

Matt’s yesterday picks at Wimbledon

Madison Keys over Mirra Andreeva
Carlos Alcaraz over Matteo Berrettini
~~Stefanos Tsitsipas over Christopher Eubanks~~
~~Petra Kvitova over Ons Jabeur~~

Matt’s picks from Wimbledon

9 out of 13. 69.2% correct

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Andrey Rublev, Elina Svitolina, Iga Swiatek, Jannik Sinner, Jessica Pegula, Marketa Vondrousova, Novak Djokovic, Roman Safiullin, wimbledon