Aryna Sabalenka – Page 3 – TennisReporters.net

The steady, the powerful: Carlos Alcaraz wins Indian Wells

March 20, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

When he was injured, Carlos Alcaraz couldn’t play at the tournaments on court, at all. He has unable to play at the 2023 Australian Open, and he has upset, yet when he finally was able to practice, he gradually became respectable. It took the Spaniard to play fantastic, but he was getting better, each day.

At Indian Wells, he quickly rose, and the 19-year-old won it, beating
Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-2. That was surprising, because the Russian had won 19 matches in a row, but on Sunday, he was very flat. He could not hit the balls deep enough, and there were many errors. However, he was exhausted, and he knew that.

But not Alcaraz, who hit so many winners, with his massive strokes. His first serve was hard and into the corners, and his forehand and his backhand were so forceful. He runs super quick, and at the net, he can go down and leap up high. It was one of the best matches, ever.

Now, the 2022 US Open is No. 1 again, as the former No. 1 Novak Djokovic could not play at Indian Wells, and also at Miami. He has refused to take the coronavirus vaccine. That is his decision.

In the semis, Alcaraz edged Jannik Sinner 7-6(4) 6-3, which was close, but the Italian could not really his solution. Alcaraz beat everyone.

Rybakina contines to dominate
Somewhat else did the same thing, when Elena Rybakina beat Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(11), 6-4, in a tight contest. Both of them had won a Grand Slam, at the 2022 Wimbledon [Rybakina] and the 2023 Australian Open [Sabalenka], but this time, she was calm, yet Rybakina can hit her phenomenal forehand. In the first set, in the tiebreaker, it was crazy, with some terrific points, but also, a lot of errors, especially with Sabalenka. Rybakina won the first set and she was ticked off, but each point, she will re-set what she had to do. Her first serve is huge, and she can be very solid.

In the second set, Rybakina smashed her forehand and her backhand. She was locked in, and now, she is ranked No. 7, given that she has won ‘just’ four events. But that is good enough.

Notes
American Frances Tiafoe reached the semis, but Medvedev chopped him down. Tiafoe can look great, but on court, he can be up and down. We would think, though, he is still getting better…we hope.

The USTA announced that Bob Bryan has been named for the U.S. Davis Cup.

The captian Kathy Rinaldi announced that Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Danielle Collins, Madison Keys and Caty McNally will represent the USA in the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup in Austria, April 14-15 at the Delray Beach Tennis Center.

Do you want to hear another announcement? Tennis Canada announced that Bianca Andreescu , Leylah Annie Fernandez , Rebecca Marino, and Gabriela Dabrowski to face against Belgium in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Rafa Nadal is still hurt and he cannot play in Miami, but he is hoping to play at Monte Carlo on clay in April.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, daniil medvedev, Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, indian wells, Matt Cronin

No. 1 Iga Swiatek is looking upward

March 15, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

There are times when Iga Swiatek starts to miss it. Not a lot, but here and there. When she misses and with an easy shot, a few years ago, she would be frustrated, and then point to point, she could lose it.

But not now, even though when you walk on the court, when she is practicing, or in the matches, your rackets can disappear. But she does try to problem-solving. The No. 1 has to, especially when she is losing.

“Well, most of the times I feel like I have improved, but there are some matches where I feel like a little bit in chaos, and I don’t know which way to go that it’s gonna work. But honestly, it’s not happening often. In more cases I kind of choose the right solution, and then I’m playing better,” Swiatek said. “Then the momentum changes and, yeah, I just go with the flow.”

Swiatek has won three Grand Slams, and exactly a year ago, she won Indian Wells, beating Maria Sakkari in the final. She then won Miami, Stuttgart, Rome, Roland Garros, the U.S. Open and San Diego, and this year, in Doha. That is a lot, but over the past two and a half months, she looked pretty good, but not flawless. She still has work to do, and she knows that.

“After Australian Open [when she lost against Elena Rybakina], honestly I did a lot of work to not feel like I’m playing not to lose. So right now I don’t feel that way. Well, just reminding yourself, getting rid of the pressure a little bit, reminding yourself that you’re there to run, to play those longer rallies, and not to expect that you’re going to make every shot perfect because you’re doing it in practices. I just change my mindset, and I was really like digging into everything tennis-wise, so it kept my mind busy from all the fuss that is around to the rankings and everything.”

She has a huge first serve, her forehand and her backhand are gigantic, and she is full tilt. Immediately, she can attack, and then when it is right, she can bash it, into the corners, or down the line. As long she has a chance to win the match, then she can be patient and thoughtful. In her last match, she edged over Bianca Andreescu, who was playing almost as well as she could, but Swiatek out hit her. She was smarter.

On Wednesday, Swiatek dominated again and took out 2021 US Open champion, Emma Raducanu 6-3, 6-1.

Before the match, Swiatek said, “I just know how her shots feel on the racquet, because before I haven’t even practiced with her. So it helps that way, but on the other hand, it’s great because we are playing on hard court, and there was clay, but actually this surface is slower. So I think I have to, like, really take care of the tactics anyway, and we’ll see. Honestly, like every day is different. Stuttgart match was like almost a year ago. So long time ago.”

NOTES
Aryna Sabalenka edged Barbora Krejcikova 6-4 in the third set, in a very good match. The No. 2 Sabalenka finally won a Slam at the Australian Open, and she was always very mighty, but her serve was spotty, and she threw together so many faults. But now, she figured it out, at least mentally, and if she continues to be stable, then she will eventually be No. 1. Or not. But this year?

On Tuesday, the wind kicked in at Indian Wells, very hard, and it was difficult to control it. However, there were three, long matches, and when it finished, and Coco Gauff , Karolina Muchova and Petra Kvitova came through. Even if they did not play great, they didn’t droopy.

That was a dramatic match, although there were some many errors, but Kvitova beat Jessica Pegula 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(11). The two time champion Kvitova can hit the ball so hard, and she can put it away, but she can also disappear. But not today, during the heavy wind, she waited until she could made a terrific shot. That was fine win.

How he managed to win, when Daniil Medvedev won it 6-7(5), 7-5(5), 7-5 over Alexander Zverev even though he got hurt in the second set. But he has now won 16 in a row. He is on fire, again.

Frances Tiafoe continues to move on. On Tuesday, after a slow start, then he was much more consonant . However, each day it will get tougher, and he will face off a solid player, Cameron Norrie. That would be a three setter. As he said, “I think I was much more raw, kind of just went out and played. I think now you overthink it a little bit and now you’re older and your perspective and, back then I was just playing and enjoying, but you don’t really understand the magnitude of things.”

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Aryna Sabalenka, Emma Raducanu, Frances Tiafoe, Iga Swiatek, Matthew Cronin, Petra Kvitova

Coco Gauff: ‘Definitely teach myself. I’m still not perfect’

February 28, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

There will be times when Coco Gauff is on and she will smack her backhand near the lines for a winner. She is fast, she is also a very good volleyer, and she can also mix it when she has to.

But the 18-year-old still has to mature on the court and re-think what she is doing. Yes, over the last year and a half, she started to rise and beat a number of the good players. But also, she has lost to some excellent competitors.

Last week Gauff was in the Dubai quarterfinals and she was striking the ball and her first serve was spot on. She beat her good friend Madison Keys 6-2, 7-5. In the semis, it looked like Gauff was plays wonderfully and she could upset No. 1 Iga Świątek. But that wasn’t to be as the Pole kept hitting to Gauff’s forehand, and the American kept pushing. Also, her forehand began to falter and she lost, 6-4, 6-2. While she did lose? Gauff said that she is more composed now. Is she really?

“Oh, definitely teach myself. I’m still not perfect,” she said. “There’s moments where I definitely get frantic. But I think it’s improving. I’m not trying to go on the court and not crack a reaction at all. Unless you’re like Roger [Federer], it’s quite impossible. There’s times I might get on myself. That’s just my personality. I think it’s more so not necessarily the reaction, it’s more so how fast you can reset from that reaction. I think that’s what I try to focus on, is letting my emotions happen, but resetting as quickly as possible.”

Gauff thinks a lot which why she will go up and down, depending on her mental focus. She is always pretty intense.

Last Sunday, Barbora Krejčíková did not look ready to win the title. But then she totally turned it around, winning Dubai, and knocking down Świątek 6-4, 6-2. Her variety was so solid. Plus, she took down three other top 10 players: Daria Kasatkina, Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka. Now, Krejčíková will attempt into rise into the top 10 this year or better:

“It’s a huge privilege. It’s a big achievement and I think it’s going to give me a lot of confidence that I can play with the best ones,” Krejčíková said.

The Czech plays a lot of doubles, too, but last year she couldn’t play for two months due to injury. Krejčíková was frustrated, and she couldn’t maintain her level. But in the fall the current No. 16 started to play much more consistently and aggressively. Almost two years ago, she won Roland Garros. She has been darn good, at times, but she also is hooked into her doubles, winning 15 titles.

“I definitely love doubles. I just love playing,” Krejčíková said. “I really enjoy it. I mean, so far I want to keep going in both categories, just try to do my best.”

Debut in Austin

There is a new tournament site this week in Austin, Texas. It will be interesting to see how many fans come out to watch. There aren’t many players in the top 20 in the field, but there are some thoughtful competitors, including Shuai Zhang, Danielle Collins, Sloane Stephens, Caty McNally and Katie Volynets, among others.

Over the past 30 years there have been many different tournaments in California. Some are still there like Indian Wells. A number of cities watched as WTA tournaments came and eventually folded or moved, such as San Diego, Manhattan Beach, Carson, Carlsbad, Stanford and San Jose.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Aryna Sabalenka, austin, Barbora Krejčíková, coco gauff, daria kasatkina, Dubai, Iga Świątek, Jessica Pegula, madison keys, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin

TennisReporters.net’s top 32 in 2022: women 5-1

December 28, 2022 by Matthew Cronin

No. 5: Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka can be very fierce and rip the ball,with her massive forehand and her hard backhand. This year, the Belarussian collapsed a good amount, never really stepping up in the majors. In the WTA Finals, she turned it around. She was very close with Caroline Garcia. But, when it was right there, the Frenchwoman would go for her shots with a lot of depth and creativity. While Sabalenka looked very good and ready to extend it to a third set, she made some odd errors. Ouch. However, she did reach the top 2. If she can reset her decisions, on court and off, then she certainly may reach a Grand Slam final. But to do it next year? Only if she can steady her serves, and not throw in so many double faults, and also go to the net more often. She has to improve, simple as that.

No. 4: Caroline Garcia
The now cool veteran Garcia was never broken in the year’s final match, beating the powerful Sabalenka 7-6(4), 6-4 to win the WTA Finals for the first time. Mentally, she was super focused, and she dashed all over the place. That was pretty surprising because 10 years ago she looked very decent, but she was not excellent all the time. On court, she could be intense, but other times, she would mentally walk away. But, not now, as this year, in the past three months, she looked very stalwart. She finally realized that if she pushed herself with her forehand, backhand and her terrific first serve, then she could beat anyone. She was very calm, and very effective. Next year, No. 4 Garcia has a chance to win a Grand Slam. Still, the Frenchwoman can be spotty in singles. In 2023 Slams, it would be a big step her for her to reach a final.

No. 3: Jessica Pegula
American Pegula finished the year ranked No. 3, but at times she could be unsettled on court. The 28-year-old finally won a huge tournament, when she captured Guadalajara over Maria Sakkari/ In the WTA Finals, she did not win against three other opponents. A few years ago, Pegula was outside of the top 60, and she was somewhat consistent, but she was not aggressive enough. Then she had decided that, win or lose, she has a real chance to jump on the ball, she would go for the lines. But that can be risky. Pegula has yet to reach the semifinals at a Grand Slam, but she could do that next year. However, in order to do it, she has to throw in some new shots and continue attacking.

No. 2: Ons Jabeur
For many years, the Tunisian was pretty good, but she couldn’t find the right balance. This year, though, she finally improved a lot. The 28- year-old has been almost spectacular with some incredible spin. She can run for a long time grind it. She won Madrid and Berlin. It looked like she was ready to win a Grand Slam for the first time. But, at Wimbledon and the US Open, she did not focus enough, losing against Elena Rybakina in three sets, and then, Iga Świątek blasted her. At the biggest events, Jabeur can be very uptight. In 2023, at the hardcourts, in Australia, she has to breath all the time.

No. 1: Iga Świątek
Świątek came up into the top spot this year by winning almost everything, beating the heck out of them. The Pole snared at Roland Garros, for the second time, and then won the US Open for the first time. Also, this year, she grabbed eight titles. It was for sure that she was the best player, hands down. Almost each point, she will go for it, when she striking her serve or she can attack on the return immediately. She will put her legs very close on the ground, which is known problem, and then she would swing viciously. How about this? Before she came to Roland Garros, she won Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart and Rome. On the hardcourts and on the clay. She has lost a few sets, but not many. The 21-year-old found the lines all the time. Yes, it was a great year, but if she wants to be one of the best players ever, then she has to win many more Grand Slam titles, such as Venus Williams (who is still playing) and has won seven titles. And let’s not even think that she can win 22 Grand Slams,like Serena Williams did. But outside of that, if Świątek continues to be No. 1, then for sure, she can win the 2023 Australian Open, as well as Wimbledon.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Aryna Sabalenka, carolina garcia, Iga Świątek, Jessica Pegula, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Ons Jabeur

2022 US Open: Four picks for Wednesday

September 7, 2022 by Matthew Cronin

Iga Świątek vs. Jessica Pegula
Pegula has had a surprising week. Yes, over the past two years, Pegula began to play much better, improving her strokes, first serve and return. Before that, she liked to hit the ball after the serve starts, and she was OK with the rallies, but if she didn’t dominate early, so she was struggling. Finally, she changed her mind, and she pushed herself. She is not perfect by any means, but she does know how to make the most of her size. Before she became No. 1, Swiatek was suspect. She would play fantastic and win, and then the next day, she would be foggy and lose. But in February, she totally changed her mental approach. She would go on the lines, almost immediately, because she realized that if she attacks, very deep on the corners, then the players would freeze up. But not Pegula, who has been incredibly consistent. Right now, Swiatek is a better than she is, stroke by stroke. The Pole will win in straight sets.

Andrey Rublev vs. Frances Tiafoe
The American stunned Rafa Nadal, and he played one of the best matches, ever. He sprinted, he dove, and clocked more than a few winners with his big backhand. He said that before the match that now he is much better, and he can really think on court. He also said that if he plays fantastic again, perhaps he can win it all. But they all are, too. Rublev was also had a fine nine days, displaying a terrific forehand, powerful serve and superfast speed. Sure, he can be moody, but now he is intense. Both of them can dug it in, and slog to grab a rally. The Russian thinks he can wear down Tiafoe. But the crowd will the American up again, and Tiafoe will zoom. He will win in four hard-fought sets.

Aryna Sabalenka vs. Karolina Pliskova
Two of the biggest servers will face off, and it is almost seems that it is boxing, trying to knock each other to the floor. It is the punching bag, toe-to-toe. Pliskova has hit a huge number of aces, and when she is right there, she will go for the lines. Sabalenka is certainly faster, and she can pop her forehand and her backhand. However, when she serves, she has double faulted a lot. Both think they are ready for a Grand Slam trophy. Pliskova has always been straight forward in press conferences about not winning a major. But she makes a lot of mistakes. That’s why in the third set, Sabalenka will bite her.

Carlos Alcaraz vs. Jannik Sinner
How did the Spaniard win an amazing five-setter against Marin Cilic? It looked like he was mentally tired, and then, he continued to scrabble, point after point. Now he has to beat another very good player in Sinner. The Italian also has had a terrific week, changing it up, working hard and made some crucial decisions. His is alert, he can return well, and his decisions have improved a lot. Both have to decide whether they can be very patient or swing super hard immediately. Alcaraz can be amazing, but if it goes into the fifth set, then he will be very tired. The same thing goes for Sinner, but he seems to be more ready in Flushing Meadows. Sinner will win in five demanding sets.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Andrey Rublev, Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, Frances Tiafoe, Iga Świątek, Jessica Pegula, Kristina pliskova, us open

The Italian final: Iga Świątek versus Ons Jabeur

May 15, 2022 by Matthew Cronin

Iga Świątek goes into the Rome final with 27 wins in a row. She is not only No.1, but now on the clay, she is crushing people day after day. Last year, who would have thought that she became not only very fast, but smarter. She can belt her forehands and her backhand, she can mix it up, and she can also return like a ghost.

In the semis in Italy, she totally crushed Aryna Sabalenka. She wiped her out 6-2, 6-1.

Świątek has won just one Grand Slam, at the 2020 Roland Garros, but she is now tied with Serena Williams, who also had 27 wins in a row. Świątek is not quite there — a long shot— because Martina Navratilova had 74 wins in a row back in 1984.

Who would have guessed that at the start of the year? Świątek is a little bit shocked. She has lost three matches in January and early February, against the now retired No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, Danielle Collins and Jelena Ostapenko. After that, she began to streak.

“I needed time to learn how to do that properly, how to use the streak or ranking to put pressure on my opponents. I feel like I’ve done that pretty well last season and this season at the beginning, just learning how to use it in a positive way,” Świątek said. “Last year when I had better ranking, it felt like it’s something that’s pressuring me down. This time it’s totally different. Also having Tomasz [Wiktorowski, a coach who worked Aga Radwanska for many years], who is so experienced, who has been working with top players already, it’s also really helpful. I feel like I can lean on them in that matter. I just wasn’t analyzing that much as I did in previous seasons, so it also helped.”

In the final, the rising Jabeur has finally improved a lot. The 27-year-old has been pretty decent, but she has been downcast. She does have a lot of shots, and she can run for a long time, but when she has a chance to bang it, she can become confused.

Then in April, she switched her approach and became so much more confident. She did more grinding, which helped her win in Madrid.

“Honestly I feel like I was playing better the other matches. Maybe today wasn’t the best,” Jabeur said. “Probably another test for me mentally, for sure. But to back up the performance from Madrid, it’s very important for me. It’s one of the reasons why I’m here, why I want to continue showing myself on the court. It’s part of maybe the journey. I told you I want to win a Grand Slam, so maybe I have to go through this to be able to win one Grand Slam. For now I’m doing it right. Different test from each match. Hopefully I can still continue.”

Świątek and Jabeur have played three times, with the Tunisian winning two times, and the Pole winning once.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Świątek, Italian Open, Ons Jabeur, rome

TennisReporters.net 2021 year-end review: top 5-1, the women

December 30, 2021 by Matthew Cronin

5. Barbora Krejcikova
Pretty crazy that Krejcikova won the Roland Garros singles and doubles titles. Yes, over the past eight years, she look terrific in the mixed and doubles, winning a bunch of titles. But in the singles, she looked OK, but not fantastic. And then in Paris, she shook up her head, and she beat a number of very good players. She punched out everyone. She has a lot of variety, and she can kick the forehand, as well as her effective backhand. Each year, at the net and serving, she improved. Now, everyone knows who the Czech is. There are thinhs she has to work to improve, but she is looking climbing the mountain.

4. Karolina Pliskova
Every year, the Czech looks wonderful, nailing so many aces, and throwing in her winners, with her exploding forehand and blowtorch backhand. She is a basher, and she can hustle. The is a very talkative person, in the press, winning or losing. When she wins, she can be happy if she played great. But if her performance was so-so, she would say that “I just have to be better.” When she loses, she would also say, “I really sucked.” She is a smart person, and she has beaten all the top players. But, when very deep in the Grand Slams, she seizes up. It is somewhat amazing that the 29-year-old has yet to win a Slam, falling in two finals. Perhaps in 2022, she will finally achieve her gold trophy.

3. Garbiñe Muguruza
If you go back early in the year, the Spaniard was still struggling; she did not know where to turn. She had won two Slams a few years ago, and she was knocking off everyone with her forceful strokes. But in 2018 she started to slip, gradually, and she grew joyless. She loves hitting her serve and she can be swift. She also hit some spectacular shots. This year, she looked OK, until finally, at the WTA Finals, and she found herself again. Right there, she was back, being determined. “This is actually something important when the moment comes, the tough moments, the stressful matches, to not fear them,” she said. “You have to be like, ‘Okay, you know what, I know how to handle. Let’s see how it goes.’ Have a kind of better mindset to face them.” And she did, winning the WTA Finals. Because of she can keep that attitude, then she can reach No. 1 and win another Slam.

2. Aryna Sabalenka
Possibly the strongest woman on tour with her leg power, the Belarussian can knock out anybody with her ground strokes. She can pop her dynamic forehand and her blazing backhand, as well as her returns. Except for the Grand Slams, she was decent. But at the majors, she can become freaked out and commits many silly errors. She did play very well at Madrid, when she won it, but that is the only title this year. Sabalenka will always have a legitimate shot to win a Slam for the first time in 2022. But, just like Pliskova, if you freeze, or you will lose. She needs to stay controlled when playing under pressure.

1. Ashleigh Barty
The Australian is still No. 1, mostly because when she is playing, she always keeps her focus. Talk about mixing it up, she is so lucid, moving it all over in the box. Her one-handed backhand is legendary, with she slices, spin, and on occasion, she can power it out. She is all about assortment. She has won two major titles, at the 2019 Roland Garros and the 2021 Wimbledon. But can she win the 2022 Australian Open, given that the Aussies haven’t won it in Melbourne since 1978 when Chris O’Neil’s grabbed the title? Barty has to snare it in January. “I’m looking forward to going out there this year and trying to tick that off and do the best that I can to give myself a chance to win the Australian Open,” she said. If she wants to reach the final — which she has not done before — then she will need to use her varied game and extraordinary athleticism.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Aryna Sabalenka, Barbora Krejcikova, Garbiñe Muguruza, Karolina Pliskova

2021 Roland Garros: 8 women to reach the quarters

May 26, 2021 by Matthew Cronin

On Sunday, Roland Garros will start. It is a huge draw, at the four Grand Slams, but many people cannot make into the second week. Moreover, to reach the quarters, then they are already playing very well and they can think that they knock down anyone.

But that is not reality as the eliminations continue.

Here are eight players, to reach the quarters, as not only playing darn good, but they also like clay, sliding all over.

Ash Barty
She has won this before, with an incredible combination of skills. Not only can she run fast and rarely gets tired, but she can slice it, top it, and then she can nail it. As long as she won’t get nervous, she can be brilliant and win it again. Maybe.

Aryna Sabalenka
The Belarus is now ranked No. 4, winning Madrid on clay. While she had taken down against a few of the top players, but she still haven’t to figured out who to cut them down at the Grand Slams. Yet. The 23-year-old might be the biggest hitter on tour. If she really wants to do it for the first time at a Slam, then she was to be placid and bottomless.

Bianca Andreescu
She finally returned this week, after she reached the final at Miami, got hurt and she had to retired. Yesterday, she won in Strasbourg but then pulled out before her quarterfinal with an abdominal injury. She might not be 100 percent, but she hits the heck out of the ball. The one-time Grand Slam champ really wants to show in Paris that she is back in form as long as she continues to be healthy.

Serena Williams
The American has won here before. While she is aging, she really want to win another major to tie Margaret Court Smith with 24 23 Grand Slams. Yes, she is a little bit slower now, but she has been practicing a lot, so when she arrives at RG, she will be ready to be more passionate, and hustle. She is still very powerful, so as long as she doesn’t get upset when she isn’t playing well, then she can fight back. But, to win it again? That would be surprising.

Iga Świątek
There is now doubt that she is the favorite, she is a titanic hitter won the 2020 RG, and last week, she won another big event, crushing Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-0. She is quick, she can read opponent’s shot, she can slap it and crush it. Not only does she love clay, but the young person studies off the court, and on the court. She is ready to grab it again.

Garbiñe Muguruza
The Spaniard also won it in France. Then she went through a stretch when she was really struggling. However, in 2021, she came back mentally so now, she is more mature. From the back, both sides, she can smack it very deep. When she moves forward, if she can breath on court, she does have another opportunity to win RG another time. But that is a big if.

Coco Gauff
The 17-year-old American is getting better all the time. She hustles, she practices with purpose, and she has added some fine strokes. She is very young, and she is ambitious, and she also has improved to return. But, to win it at this age? Maybe not, but or maybe she can stun the world.

Jessica Pegula
What a year it has been for the veteran, who for her first eight years, it was hard to for Pegula to knock off the top 20 players. Now, she has been stable. Plus, she finally figured out that she can be much more assertive. She is very spruce and she can pull it into the quarters. But, to win it all, probably not even though she will scrape in the glorious three-setters.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Aryna Sabalenka, ash barty, Bianca Andreescu, coco gauff, Garbiñe Muguruza, Iga Swiatek, roland garros, Serena williams

The two very good A’s: Alexander Zverev, Aryna Sabalenka win Madrid

May 10, 2021 by Matthew Cronin

In the third set in the Madrid final, the rising Aryna Sabalenka was looking at a 4-4 score against No. 1 Ash Barty. Last year, in the winter, the spring and much of the summer, she was decent, but not great. But in the fall, she decided it was time to be different, smarter and control her emotions. So then, she was in control.

Sabalenka won the next two games for 6-0 3-6 6-4 victory. That was the best title ever. She is a gigantic hitter, with her hard forehand and backhand, and with her first serve, she can blast it. Her returns are very decent, too.

But listen, she has yet to win major title, but Barty has. Now they are 4 and 4, tied in their head to heads.

Sabalenka thinks that she can win Roland Garros. She thinks that, but she has to prove it. The Madrid championship was the first time she won on clay. So, in Rome and Roland Garros, if she wants to week after week, against the excellent players, she must focus all the time. One way or another, Sabalenka will continue to be aggressive and, right now, tough to beat.

Barty won 2019 Roland Garros, and she could win it in June. She has played excellent ball this year, mixing it up and move it all around the box. Getting another French title is very doable for her, as her confidence is beginning to make a difference.

German Alexander Zverev is so spectacular when he is confident. On Sunday, he overcame Matteo Berrettini 6-7 6-4 6-3 once again in Madrid. There have been so any times when he gets upset and irritable/ But, when he is playing well, he shows a smart and tactical game. He also likes to scramble and eventually he can whip the ball.

Zverev now has five ATP Masters: Madrid (twice) London, Rome and
Canada. Last week, also upset Rafa Nadal and Dominic Thiem, two Slams winners. If he continues to be healthy, it is pretty clear that Sasha will win a major. But in Roland Garros? Possibly. Good luck.

NOTES
Sabalenka said: ‘I feel a little bit better on the clay, a little bit different.’ Oh yes she did…

John Isner on Andrey Rublev: “He’s the second best clay-courter in the world right now. He hits the ball so big. It’s pretty fast. He just does so many things well.” He has, over the last year…

Simone Halep, after she losing Elise Mertens: “I want to do it better, is to stop missing, because sometimes I am rushing and I do some mistakes that I normally don’t do. I have to work on that and to be more patient in the future.” The future is now …

Felix Auger-Aliassime when he lost against the rising No. 16 Casper Ruud: “He’s improved a lot. He has a great forehand, we all know that, and he did what he had to do.”

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Aryna Sabalenka, ash barty, John Isner, madrid, roland garros, Simona Halep

TennisReporters.net 2020 year-end review: top 6-10, women

December 24, 2020 by Matthew Cronin

10. Aryna Sabalenka
In February, the Belarussian was on track, winning Qatar when she beat Kvitova in the final. She hits some huge balls and was very aggressive when she was returning. Her confidence was exploding but then COVID-19 hit and the tour shut down. When she returned, she was mentally rusty, and it took her two months to find her groove again. In the Ostrava tournament, she won the event, beating Jennifer Brady and Victoria Azarenka. In November, she won it again in Linz, knocking out Elise Mertens in the final. She finished 2020 on a winning streak. When she starts again in January, if she wants to go up in the rankings, she needs a calmness that she has yet to show.

9. Kiki Bertens
With limited play, the Dutchwoman was able to stay in the top 10. Her best showing was in St. Petersburg, where she downed Elena Rybakina in the final after taking out three Russians. She didn’t play the US Open and had some success in the other two Slams. She had a decent run in the Australian Open to the round of 16 (losing to eventual finalist Garbine Muguruza) and also made the same round in Roland Garros but dropped a two-setter to qualifier Martina Trevisan. Bertens remains a solid force based on a consistent but far-from-flashy game. She needs to up the power and find more dominance with her strokes.

8. Petra Kvitova
Mostly, she is a happy person. She can laugh a lot, and she can be goofy. She has won two Wimbledon titles. She is a gigantic hitter, with colossal first serve and forehand. When she nails a return winner. she can scream in delight. But, 2020 was a spotty year, with no titles and only one final reached in Qatar. Ash Barty took her out in the Australian Open while she fell victim to Sofia Kenin in Roland Garros. Anytime Kvitova can’t play Wimbledon her overall yearly results are going to suffer. With her hand injury well behind her, the 30-year-old still has the firepower and drive to pass her previous best ranking of No. 2 and become the game’s top player.

7. Bianca Andreescu
It’s strange to talk about Andreescu’s year when she didn’t play a 2020 match due to a lingering injury and COVID-19 fears that kept her from performing at a top level. It seems like forever but it’s important to review her incredible 2019. A qualifier at the Australian Open, she got into the second round of the main draw. But, then she moved into overdrive, beating Angie Kerber, Elina Svitolina and Muguruza in Indian Wells. In Toronto, she dispatched Karolina Pliskova, Kenin and Serena Williams to take her second Premier 5 crown. Then, in New York, she vaulted over Serena again for her first Slam trophy. The question for 2021 is: Will she be healthy and was 2019 the beginning of a great career? She is only 20, spirited and talented. It looks like her future is just beginning.

6. Karolina Pliskova
The Czech can really smash the ball, with a huge first serve. Sometimes she is totally on the ball. But, she does like to travel constantly; when she flies, she can be jaded. In 2017, she came No. 1. That was terrific. But, in order to get a Hall of Fame nod, you have to win a Slam. Perhaps at the Australian, Wimbledon or the US Open, she will break through. She just hired a new coach, Sascha Bajin, who worked with Serena for many years. Bajin knows Pliskova needs to increase her foot speed and round out her game. Those could be the keys to finally taking a major. In 2021.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Aryna Sabalenka, Bianca Andreescu, Kiki Bertens, Petra Kvitova