You are here: Home / Archives for charleston

Ben Shelton rises again, wins Houston

April 7, 2024 by
Ben Shelton

Try it, if you can.

The 21-year-old player Ben Shelton is now playing much more consistently, and on Sunday, he won Houston, beating  Frances Tiafoe 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. After the second set, it was possible to fold, but he kept cracking the ball, from the baselines, and he also returned when he had to.

Yes, Tiafoe has had a tough year during 2024, but he did play pretty well that week, so many when they go into the clay in Europe, then he can play much more thoughtful, on the court.  He has to, as outside of that, in Houston, he lost very early over the past three months.

Shelton is still young, so he will continue to grow, month after month, and add to put out some new shots. He is now ranked No. 14, and eventually, it is possible that he can reach into the top 10, but it will take him a while, as on the clay, he will have to be very harmonious.

As Shelton said: “I love to get to net, be able to use some of my hand skills, athletic skills and going up to get the ball (to put it away).”

Go for it. He just passed Tommy Paul, who is now ranked No. 16, and in a few weeks, he can also be higher that Taylor Fritz, who just lost in the ATP 1000 Monte-Carlo.

Collins: Sunshine doubles up
How about Danielle Collins, who won it again, winning Miami, and then in Charleston, she blasted it, anytime, anywhere. She easily beat Daria Kasatkina 6-2, 6-1 in the final, who was hurt.  Even though Collins can hit it really long, out, but she keeps on attacking it, and crushing it. The 30-year-old is even smarter than she was before.

“I had a lot of matches in Miami, and I had a lot of matches here,” Collins said. “I had, at one point in this tournament, two matches in one day, which is not easy to pull off. I don’t know if I’ve done that before as a professional. I feel like the last time I did that was like in 12-and-unders. So to be able to physically battle and push myself to a new limit gives me a lot of confidence. I’ve been so happy to be, obviously, playing at the level that I’ve been playing, but to be able to back it up two weeks in a row has just been fantastic.”

Collins now has won 13 wins, and she is currently ranked No. 15.  Believe it or not, she has only won four titles, which is solid, but how about a few more, this year? Try it, if you can.

NOTES
There are a bunch of events, now. Last week, there were six tournaments, which is a lot. Who will pay attention, the matches, all of them? Not many, that is for sure. This has been going on for many years, not the players that much, but with the owners, and also, with the ATP and the WTA. They are trying to change it, which is decent, but it is almost impossible to pull it, off.  It is the real history, to remember everything.

Anyway, here a few more  winners, who won it all: In Marrakech, Morocco,  Matteo Berrettini won it, over Roberto Carballes Baena. … Pole Hubert Hurkacz took it again, beating Pedro Martinez to win the Portugal Estoril Open. … Camila Osorio won Colombia again, beating Marie Bouzkova. In Spain Maria Lourdes Carle grabbed, it.

Bang, done.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Picks on clay in Charleston and Estoril: Saturday, April 8

April 8, 2023 by
Casper Ruud

Jessica Pegula over Belinda Bencic
A few years ago, she 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, this time, when she has a real chance to jump on the ball, she would go for the lines. But that can be risky. Pegula is going to have to do it, because the Swiss Bencic can be outstanding, and then, she will make some crazy shots. Bencic will bring into the third set, and she will really run, but Pegula will beat her with her consistent backhand.

Ons Jabeur over Daria Kasatkina
You can say that many of the players are struggling, physically, but in a sense, it always happens to almost everyone.  The Russian Kasatkina has had a few fantastic wins this year, but once again, she is strugging in 2023. However, when she is on, she can punch the ball. This is the same thing with Jabeur, who almost won a Grand Slam, but she lost in the final at the 2022 U.S. Open, and after that, she just stopped on the court with some wacko shots. Hopefully, the No. 5 Jabeur will wake up and smell the roses. It is time, and the Tunisia Jabeur will cut down Kasatkina in two long sets.

Casper Ruud over Quentin Halys
This is not a good year by the Norway, who is ranked No. 5, but he has won a few matches. Of course when he is locked  in, he can dive near on the ground, and throw in some wonderful strokes. Last year, he was so authentic, but currently, he might be panicking. Ruud will eventually calm down, if he really wants to. The Frenchman  Halys has yet to reach into the top 60, and there is no doubt that he is desired to finally go into the top 50. He is 26-years-old, which is a perfect time to make a huge move. He might be able to do it, as he played very well in Miami.  Halys is enthusiastic, but Ruud will knock him down in three sets.

Miomir Kecmanovic over Marco Cecchinato
Kecmanovic can lose, but last year, he really  improved a lot of the past year and a half. He is fit, his forehand is pretty darn good, and his backhand is decent, but in order to eventually reach into the top 20, then he has mix it up more. Also, his second serve is marginal. He has not played well this year, and he has lost a lot, but the No. 40 wants to turn it around. Four years ago, the veteran Cecchinato reached No. 16, looking very good, but currently, he was just two matches this year. Apparently, he was hurt, but the Italian Cecchinato is mentally straining, so  Kecmanovic will win in two sets.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Picks on clay in Estoril, Charleston: Thursday, April 6

April 6, 2023 by
Dominic Thiem
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Ben Shelton over Dominic Thiem
The 20-year-old American is still learning all the time, and at the 2023 Australian Open, he was so excited, winning four matches before he lost in the quarterfinals. He is very fast, and after he hits a fine winner, he would celebrate, very loud. He is coming up, but after that, he went to four tournaments, winning one match and four losses. He must be upset.

However, in Europe, Shelton can start with his quality, but right now, he has to face the former U.S. 2020 champion Thiem. It to the Austria for years to became excellent, on court, with some heavy strokes. His forehand and his backhand are bottomless. He played so consistently, grinding, and running around for eternally. Unfortunately, he became hurt,  significantly, and he could not play for a while, but after he came back, it looked like that soon enough, he would come back at least into the top 10. Right now, though, he is really struggling, and he has lost with so many players. He is ranked No. 111, which is way back there,  as this year, he has won just two wins and eight losses. Someday, the former No. 3 Thiem will rise again — he hopes — but Shelton will thud him in three sole sets.  

Hubert Hurkacz over Bernabe Zapata Miralles
The Spaniard has been pretty decent, reaching the semis in Buenos Airs and Rio de Janeiro, on the clay, but on the hardcourts, Miralles loses pretty early. However, in the dirt, he can drive with some long points, and he does like to blend it up. He is currently No. 43, and he has never reached into the top 40, so very soon, he thinks that if he can shove himself, he can go further.

However, Hurkacz plays a lot, and he will travel all the time. There at times when he is totally locked in, but when he is mentally tired, he will try to make the winner, to early. But throw this aside, the No. 12 can whip his hard forehand and his backhand. He is very tall, but with that, he is not that fast. Regardless, Hurkacz will win in three sizable sets.

Ons Jabeur over Caroline Dolehide
Back at the 2022 U.S. Open, Jabeur made it into the final, and she was so close of winning a Grand Slam for the first time. She couldn’t, though, as the No.1 Iga Swiatek pushed her way back. Jabeur has so many shots, with her spin, her depth and her intelligence. However, after she started to lose, early, and since then in September, she has yet to bring into a final. Maybe the No. 5 is a little bit hurt, or maybe she is thinking that she should have played better in the U.S Open.

Either way, she is a ground runner,  so the American, Dolehide, is a fine doubles player, but in the singles, she has not won enough matches. She is trying to get into the top 100 with the singles, as the American is a fine doubles competitor, reaching the semis of the U.S. Open with Storm Hunter. That is great, but it is more important to play the singles, so Dolehide has to add some fine, new shots. She will know that if she wants to get into the top 50, someday, then she will have to leap much higher.  Jabeur will win in two interesting sets.

Ekaterina Alexandrova over Julia Grabher
The Russian is once again trying to move into the top 10, and to show with the fans that her style is super interesting. The current No. 17 Alexandrova did win Seoul, Korea, in the fall, knocking down Jelena Ostapenko  in the final. She also beat the former two time champ, Vika Azarenka, and she nearly upset  Swiatek in the Czech. That shows that when she is barred in, then she can put it away in the corners.  She did reach into the quarters at Indian Wells, and again, it was a very close match, but Petra Kvitova out-hit her in three, wild sets. The Austria Grabher did win some small events last year, and of course, she wants to get much better, but she has to refine  a lot against the prime players. Alexandrova will win in two easy sets.

Matt’s current week picks

Correct: Shelby Rogers over Caty McNally
Paula Badosa over Leylah Fernandez

4 out of 6: 66.7% correct

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Picks on clay: Charleston and Houston: Wednesday, April 5

April 5, 2023 by

Paula Badosa
Mal Taam/MALTphoto


Leylah Fernandez over Paula Badosa (written before play began)
The 20-year-old Fernandez can look startling, but then, she will stop where she is going. She is very briskly, running, and she can be fitting, but she doesn’t go enough to smash the ball.  At the 2021 U.S. Open, she reached the final, and it looked like that she is going close to the top, but now, she is ranked No. 51. That is surprising, and currently, she has to do a lot more work.

The Spaniard Badosa had a decent  year in 2022, as she finally realized that if she can kick down the excellent players, when she could grab a lot of matches.  She looked very good, in the three months, and then after that, she began to slink. This year,  she was respectable in Adelaide, but after that, she did very little. Fernandez has come close to winning some matches in 2023 against the very terrific players, many times, but she lost. However, she will nail some fine lines. This time the Canadian Fernandez  will win in three long sets.

Shelby Rogers over Caty McNally
Can Rogers come back and won more matches this year? It is up in the air, because while she can compete, the 30-year-old has no answers when her forehand and her backhand can be to short. Yes, she can be adventurous, but she doesn’t fool enough. However, at some point, she will start to surge again.

At the end of the year, McNally won Midland, an old tournament. Very few of the top players will play in early November, but there are other people who are trying to move up the latter, especially with the young set. The 21-year-old  has scored a couple good wins over the past 12 months, but she isn’t there yet to knock down with the fantastic players. Because of that, Rogers will win in two sets.

Frances Tiafoe over Steve Johnson
At this point, Tiafoe is struggling, inside the courts. Of course he can beat just about anyone, except on the clay, when he is still is not comfortable when he is crawling. Of maybe not, as on the hardcourts, he is almost all of it. Off court, he is a very nice person, but when he is competing, he can frustrate himself. However, he can crash his forehand, his backhand and his first serve. It is really hard to see that he can win a major title in Europe on the clay, and on the grass in England, but at least this week in Houston, he is the top seed. So right now, he really has to bring it.

As we wrote yesterday, Johnson does like to play almost every week, and he does have some solid stokes, but Tiafoe is more potent and fierce. Tiafoe will win in two sets.

John Isner over Gijs Brouwer
Where is Isner going? Yes he will play until he realizes that it is time to stop, because the 37-year-old is playing OK, in the singles, but this year he has not beat a player in the top 40. The former No. 8 American did win some tremendous matches, but physically he is slowing down, when he is running. However, he does think that when he continues to play more, he will begin to throw in his massive serves, and his forehand, too.

His first match in Houston will be against the against the Netherlands,
Brouwer, who has yet to crack the top 100, ever. However, he wants to. given that he is 27-year-old. If he does that, the No. 123 will have a candle. Isner will win in two tiebreakers, once again.

Matt’s current week picks

Correct: Jason Kubler over Fernando Verdasco 
Correct: Steve Johnson over Facundo Bagnis 
Correct: Victoria Azarenka over  Sloane Stephens
Claire Liu over Bernarda Pera

3 out of 4: 75% correct


Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Picks on clay in Houston and Charleston: Tuesday, April 4

April 4, 2023 by
Fernando Verdasco
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Houston

Jason Kubler over Fernando Verdasco 
The Brisbane player Kubler has traveled for a long time, through the world, and perhaps someday, the 29-year-old will reached the top 50 — or maybe not. He can really hustle, but he does not hit it hard enough. However, he always tried, so when he plays against the former No. 10, Verdasco, he will try to mentally exhaust him. Years ago, the Spaniard was a terrify player, but listen, the man is 39-year-old, in the singles, which is almost impossible to get back into the top 100. Without a doubt, Verdasco’s  forehand was tremendous, but the older you get, you will start to slowly down, and he has. Kubler will rack him, pretty quickly, winning in two sets.
 
Steve Johnson over Facundo Bagnis 
We can start again with the aging people, the 30-plus men, who keep driving as long as they can. The Argentine Bagnis is 33-year- old , and there are a ton of male players, but he has yet to get into the top 50. Of course he wants to, but to do it, he has to push himself more harder, with a  lot of changes.
And guess what? The American is also 33-years-old, and in the same thing, Johnson travels almost every week. There were times when he upset some very good players, but he is now ranked No. 152, and he is losing frequently. Yes, he likes to grind it, and he also can throw it some good shots, but realistically, he is not powerful with his forehand and his backhand. This is a toss up. but in the United States. Johnson will rim Bagnis in three tight sets.

Charleston

Victoria Azarenka over  Sloane Stephens
They have both won the Grand Slams, when Azarenka who won it twice at the Australian Open,  and Stephens did grab it, at the 2017 U.S Open. However, right now it would be surprising that they can win a Slam again, or even a huge event. Azarenka looks very decent, but at a tournament, even if she looks tremendous in the first couple days, but after that, she gets hurt, physically, and then she folds. Stephens has dropped out of the top 32, even lower, as on the court, she has not improved at all. Maybe she will before she retires, but she has not changed much. Azarenka is more robust, and she can hit it as cruel as she can. This time, Azarenka will win in two savage sets.

Claire Liu  over Bernarda Pera
The Californian  Liu is only 22-years-old, so eventually, she should be more pushy, and chuck in some different shots. Gradually, she is slowly moving up the change, but it is hard to see that she can crack into the top 10. When Pera is on, she can play so consistently, but in the past seven months, the current No. 38 has not won against the top competitors. Perhaps she is confused on courts, or she has made with too many errors, but either way, she has to step it up and mash the ball. Liu  will beat Pera in three very long sets.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Davis Cup preview: USA, Italy, France, Spain, Germany & more

April 6, 2018 by Leave a Comment

John Isner must be thrilled, winning Miami, his best two consecutive weeks ever. But now, it is time for Davis Cup. In Nashville, against Belgium, the Americans are a huge favorite, with teammates Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, Steve Johnson and Ryan Harrison. They are playing indoors, which will probably be pretty fast on the hard court. If they play decently, the USA will win, hands down.

Any of the five guys can win it in the singles, given that Belgium are pretty slim. The very good David Goffin isn’t playing because he is still hurt. The two singles player, Ruben Bemelmans and Joris De Loore, will play, and they will have a small chance to win. Bemelmans is very decent, but he is not that great.

American captain Jim Courier has chosen Isner and Querrey for singles. On Friday, Isner will face De Loore, and Querrey versus. Bemelmans. On Saturday, it will be Sock and Harrison in doubles against a pair of unknown Belgium players.

Courier is darn smart, so if the players listen to what he says, they will move on, quickly.

In Spain, Rafa Nadal will be playing in Valencia against the Germans. On Wednesday, the No. 1 Nadal hadn’t decided whether he would play on Friday, but he decided to. He will face off against Philipp Kohlschreiber. He appears to be very excited, which is great, but over the past three months, he has been hurt, significantly. Hopefully, he won’t pull out again. As the fans say, ‘Pray.’

Before that, it looked like Pablo Carreno Busta was going to play, but he became injured. (Everyone gets injured, right?) He pulled out, so David Ferrer has brought him in, and will play the flashy No. 4, Alexander Zverev. The one-time Roland Garros finalist Ferrer loves to grind, and while Zverev likes to chase the balls and whack-em, he cannot get lose his cool, just like he did when he lost in the Indian Wells final against Isner. He must focus. Zverev and Kohlschreiber need to be on fire and enthusiastic. It should be a great contest.

Here is another terrific tie: home team Italy versus France on clay, in Genoa. Fabio Fognini is certainly playing in singles, and the captain Corrado Barazzutti chose Andreas Seppi. It will be a very tight match, either way. The French captain Yannick Noah choose the No. 11 Lucas Pouille and Jeremy Chardy, who played pretty well in the past month. Teu have to chop it around and mix it up anywhere you want to. A toss up overall?  You bet.

Croatia is a serious favorite against Kazakhstan, with Marin Cilic and Borna Coric leading the pack. Coric is playing much better than he did last year.

MORE NOTES
Charleston, South Carolina is a terrific area, near the great water. On court at the Volvo Car Open on green hardcourts, they slide a lot, and on occasion, they fall down. But they get back up, wipe up your towels, and run. Some of the top players don’t come much anymore, but still, there are some very good players, like the US Open finalist Madison Keys, who has struggled this season, but she is trying. She beat Lara Arruabarrena and then on Thursday, she beat the some-times good Camila Giorgi. Not bad. She needs to win a lot this week, because very soon, here comes the European clay. There, she has to hustle a lot…
Brit Jo Konta is really struggling and she lost against Fanny Stollar 6-3 6-4. She is 7-6 this season and now she is ranked No. 22. She has to get back on track…
The ‘other’ Kristyna Pliskova shocked the No. 10 Petra Kvitova 1-6, 6-1, 6-3. The next day, she upset Elena Vesnina. On fire, huh?

Kvitova can look great, or she can fold. She needs to rest for a while. At least a few weeks. … One more good win: American Bernarda Pera upset Sara Errani. Another American is on the rise.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,