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Rising: Stephens and Sharapova are locking in

June 3, 2018 by Leave a Comment

FROM ROLAND GARROS — Sloane Stephens was almost done, playing in the third set, against Camille Giorgi, at 6-6, the summer has arrived, and the heat was on.

The Italian was so, so, close, but while she can smack winners, she can also miss it, on the lines. Really, it was the 2017 US Open champ Stephens to decide which way to go, very deep, short, and faster, harder or slower. No one knows whether Giorgi is locked in, or is she a little bit confused. Right at the end, Stephens was thinking hard, while the Italian was over-hitting. 

Stephens won 4-6, 6-1, 8-6. Now she has reached the fourth round, for the fifth time. Is it time for her to finally reach the quarters? Possibly, but not guaranteed. And, by the way, she is now reach No. 8, the highest women American, passing Venus Williams, at the least this week.  

After 10 months off due to her injury, Stephens did return until late June in 2017. She was always smart, but the good news is that when she was off, she watched a lot of tennis on TV and she learned a lot.

“I would say I see the most change in myself, in my own game, but I do think that things are a little different since I came back. Just making a lot balls, being consistent. Obviously when I first came back I had some really great results ,being consistent and wearing girls down. That worked for me. But ,after a while, it’s not going to work. You have to find other ways to improve all the time.”

Stephens has to play Anett Kontaveit, who upset Petra Kvitova. Kontaveit can smack her forehand and backhand, with a mediocre serve, but she can secure on the net.

Maria Sharapova of Russia during her third-round match at the 2018 Roland Garros Grand Slam tennis tournament

Maria Sharapova played a tremendous, fantastic match, blowing out Katarina Pliskova 6-2, 6-1. Sharapova was gone for 15 months, and when she returned in April of 2017, she was pretty shaky. It has been 14 months now, and she has had a few good wins, a few bad ones and some decent ones. She has been hurt a decent amount, but over the past couple of months, she has been pretty healthy. Now, she is more comfortable and she is beginning to swing it out.     
“I don’t like to feel too comfortable. I think there are definitely matches where you play flawless, you play great. But, I have said in my career where I have come off the court and said that was perfect is just a handful of times, because there are always things that you can improve,” Sharapova said.

“There are always errors that kind of creep up, certain moments in a match. Even today I had that long point where she made a dropshot on the run and it was a really long point, could have given me a chance to go up two break points, but it didn’t. It was 30-all. I actually thought to myself, ‘I was, like, no matter the score, I’m not going to let this point define the match.’ You never know. Tennis, that’s what’s so interesting about this game is that every point can really put you back to reality. I thrive on those situations and those moments.”

Next up for Sharapova is Serena Williams who beat Julia Goerges 6-3 6-4. Serena played very well, the best day this year. She was pretty quick, and her serve, forehand and her backhand were deadly. Now she has to play against Sharapova, which could be a fun match, but Serena is 19-2 in the head to head. In 2013 in the final here in RG, Serena won 6-4, 6-4. That was a little bit closer, but still, Serena had been absurdly dominant. In the past 10 years, Serena has won 24 sets, and Maria has won just one. Even though they have changed a lot over the past two years, still, Serna is the favorite, hands down.

NOTES
Marin Cilic is playing very well, knocking out Steve Johnson in three sets. He likes the heat, and he can be very forceful. He has to play against Fabio Fognini, who overcame Kyle Edmund is five sets. Cilic is the favorite, but the Italian is on a roll and can be a factor here. … David Goffin was almost downed and out in the fourth set, but he recovered to smash some amazing shots. He wore out Gail Monfils 6-7, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. The Belgian likes to move it around. … Rafa Nadal is just crushing the ball. He destroyed Richard Gasquet, for the 16th time. You have to think that Nadal will reach the semis, and then go against, I think, Cilic/Fognini/JM del Potro or — imagine this — John Isner, who just won over Pierre Herbert in four sets . On clay, finally, for Isner.

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Petra Kvitova: Ablaze with clay-court winning streak

May 31, 2018 by Leave a Comment


FROM ROLAND GARROS – A few years ago, she would look great, and then the next day, she would fold. When she won Wimbledon, twice, she would crush the balls, with her forehand, backhand and returns. On grass, she didn’t care about a lot of spin, she would flatten it out, she would aim for the lines, and hit it as hard as she could.

On clay, though, it is a different story. You have to slide, you have to recover your footing, you have to be stoic. Over the years, Kvitova would do that, but not every week. She would smile a lot when she was winning, but when she would lose, she would be frustrated, and slightly sad. In 2012 at Roland Garros, she reached the semis, but she couldn’t figure out Maria Sharapova.

Maybe this could be the same thing, but this year, she has been much more calm and forceful. She is in great shape, and she is quick. She doesn’t get tired hardly at all.

Kvitova has won 13 matches in a row, winning Prague and Madrid, outlasting Kiki Bertens 6-3 in the third. She has won two matches in Roland Garros, so that’s 15 in a row.  On the hard courts, she was a little bit out of it. But on the clay over the past month, she understands everything.
 
“I lost in the second round in Sydney and first in Australian Open. Then I won two tournaments,” Kvitova said. “And then Indian Wells and Miami wasn’t really great. So, I still feel it’s still up and down. But so far in the clay, I don’t really think that it’s that bad, so I’m trying to be more consistent. I think on the clay especially you need it, to be more consistent, to play more relaxed, staying in the rally, don’t panic that much, and just try. And that’s what it’s really working well for me right now.” She will face the No. 25 Anette Kontaveit in the next round.

NOTES
Here’s a terrific match-up between Naomi Osaka versus Madison Keys in round three. Both of them are super aggressive, but both of them have to dig in. … Sloane Stephens is already playing fantastic ball, winning two matches, only dropped six games combined. She will face Camila Giorgi who has a lot of variety. … Novak Djokovic is getting better and better, and he will play against the veteran Roberto Bautista Agut. It would be pretty close for a while, but Djokovic has a much better backhand than he does. … Grigor Dimitrov survived Jared Donaldson 10-8 in the fifth, a long day. Now he will have to face Fernando Verdasco, another smooth veteran like the Bulgarian. Given that it took over four hours for Dimitrov to win, he cannot grind it in the next round. He has to go for it early when he can.  

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Novak Djokovic looks but on track but ‘it’s a challenge’

May 29, 2018 by Leave a Comment

FROM ROLAND GARROS — As Novak Djokovic says, it’s a big challenge. On Monday he beat Rogerio Dutra Silva in straight sets. The Serbian played pretty solid and, when he had an opportunity, he swung at it a little bit harder.

Djokovic is improving, slowly. He knows that gradually, he will be back into the top form. Will it be this week, or next week? No one knows, but if you saw that Novak played against Rafa Nadal in the semis of Rome two weeks ago, he was pretty close. He didn’t win, but he was steady and he mixed up his shots. He also went for it, here and there.

Next time, maybe Djokovic will face Nadal again and have a better chance to pull one out. But, here at Roland Garros, and they can’t face off until the final, which is many matches away. The 10-time RG champion Nadal is heavily favored to win it again. Djokovic is not, but every day, if he is slightly confident, then he can get better until he will become the top dog again. We think. Djokovic was hurt last year, and the beginning of this year. He has been struggling, and he has been unhappy. But things change. The 12-time Slam champ says that win or lose, he just wants to play. But soon, he will rise, because he knows the he is a damn good player

“A relationship that is based on pure love and passion. As long as I feel like I’m supposed to play, I’ll play,” Djokovic said. “If, at the moment, I don’t feel like playing, I will not, and I don’t feel obliged by anyone but myself to be on the tennis court. I just try to remind myself why I started playing this sport, and that’s where I draw a lot of energy. It’s a challenge. I’m not the first one to, first player in the history of this game to face these kind of circumstances with big injuries. [Juan Martin] del Potro comes to mind. He’s someone that has faced even worse challenging circumstances with two, three years, couple surgeries, coming back, playing, not playing really well, and then having to retire so many times. And now he’s, back to top 10, top 5 of the world. That’s impressive. Those kind of stories inspire you, and hopefully I can do the same.” Djokovic will face Jaume Munar in the second round.


German Andrea Petkovic won a terrific match against Frenchwoman, Kristina Mldaenovic. “Petko” has really struggled over the past two years, because she lost her confidence. But on Monday, she shook her head, she ran quickly, she mixed it up, and she found her range. She may not win the tournament, or even going very far, but the 30-year-old did reach No. 9 in 2011. Five years ago in RG, Petko reached the semis, beating Mldaenovic — again — Kiki Bertens, Sara Errani, and then she finally lost to Simona Halep.

But in the past couple of years, she slipped, a lot, and pretty badly. She played almost every week, but she lost very early. Maybe she should have gone home and rest, for a month or so, to recharge, but she didn’t. So now, she is ranked No. 107.  Will she be able to play well during the week? That is hard to say.
 
“This was an important match for me. I’d lost three heartbreakers in the first round where I didn’t play awful, but couldn’t close it out,” Petkovic said. “Here I was again, on a big court with a lot of emotions at an important tournament.”

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Tick-tock: In Paris, patience is important on clay

May 27, 2018 by Leave a Comment

It was a wonderful day in Paris. It was sunny, it was warm, and the fans were smiling. But, on court, in the first Sunday, there were some important losers.

Venus Williams went down, so did Jo Konta, and somewhat shockingly, Jelena Ostapenko , the 2017 RG champion. She said: ‘It was terrible day at the office for me. In general I played maybe like 20% of what I can play. Made like 50 unforced errors and so many double faults. Like I couldn’t serve. Everything together just brought me a really bad result.”

Oh, yes, she did.

There is a tremendous amount of pressure. But, not for everyone, because certain mediocre people don’t think they have a chance to win it all, and that is too bad.

Venus Williams can still play fantastic at times. In two weeks, she will be 38 years old. She is still a top 10 player, and she will play until 40 years old, at least, assuming she is healthy. But that is a long time. Against Wang Qiang, Venus changed her tactics repeatedly, but she couldn’t keep it inside the baseline, spraying 35 unforced errors. On clay, she just can’t figure it out. She may never do that. But really, Wang played aggressive and very thoughtfully. She is an excellent doubles player, but maybe now Wang will feel better in the singles? We will find out, immediately. 

In the first half of 2017, Konta was bashing the ball and she cracked the top 10 after winning Miami. But since then, she has slipped, and she is pretty confused. She has to shake it off. 

The good thing on Sunday among the women was Sloane Stephens, who blasted her foe, Arantxa Rus. Alize Cornet came back and knocked off Sara Errani in three sets, and the No. 4 Elina Svitolina really has a chance to grab the title. If she contains herself.  

Among the men, a few of the top guys won pretty eroundasily, with Grigor Dimitrov, Alexandra Zverev and Dominic Thiem sailing into the second round. Dimitrov won the 2017 ATP Finals, and he was rising quickly, but this year, he has been so-so. He actually really likes playing on clay, and he said that every year, he has improved, sliding around, slicing it, topping it. But can he won RG for the first time? Or even reach the semis? He has to step up, and he has to be very calm at the Slams, because he has yet to win a major. Even any tournament this season. Tick-tock.  

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The champion: Nadal wins Paris again, crushed Wawrinka

June 11, 2017 by Leave a Comment

ROLAND GARROS, DAY 15 – 

THE MEN
During the past three years, Rafa Nadal was struggling. His body was messed up, he lost a lot of confidence, and frequently, he pushed the ball around.

But, this year, he began to feel substantially better. He started to believe that when he had the opportunity, he could belt the ball.

And he did, crushing Stan Wawrinka 6-2 6-3 6-1 to win Roland Garros for the 10th time.

How good was he during the past 15 days in Paris? How about amazing, as he only lost 35 games in seven matches. 

“It’s the most important event in my career without a doubt so to win again here is something I cannot describe,” said Nadal.
 
This season, his backhand has improved tremendously. It used to be land in the middle of the court, but now it is substantially deeper, with more action. We all know that his forehand if so heavy, so strong and lands with so much depth.

But his backhand was, well, it was very decent over the past 13 years. However, it wasn’t hard enough and many times, it was too short. Just fading away.
 
In 2015, Nadal’s body was breaking down. He couldn’t run as fast as he used to on the clay. 

He lost in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome and, at RG, going down against Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the quarters.

In 2016, at RG, Nadal retired in the third round. Obviously, he was pretty hurt. At the US Open, he was knocking out in the fourth round in five sets against Lucas Pouille. In the fall, he barely played. 

But this year, he was finally healthy. His doctors helped him a tremendous amount. It took a few months, but in April, he was ready to rock ’n’ roll.

He crushed everyone, including Wawrinka. After the first set, the Swiss had no idea what to do. He couldn’t out-hit Nadal’s forehand, backhand, his serve, his movement, basically everything. The three-time Grand Slame champ Wawrinka was desponded.

“When you play against him, he’s amazing fighter. On clay he’s just tough to play,” Wawrinka said. “There is always one ball coming back. There is always spin on the ball. There is always a different bounce that’s what the other player make on that surface. He creates a doubt that you cannot have if you want to beat him. And on clay especially, because the way he’s moving, it’s even more difficult.”

Nadal was extremely happy. He is now ranked No. 2 again, and in the next few months, he could snare the top spot. 

The great positive is that Nadal isn’t tired and he can actually go to England and seriously compete at Queens and Wimbledon.
 
But right now, he is only thinking about RG. He was thrilled.

“It’s about the work of every day. Yeah, happened 10 times here already,” Nadal said. “Have been magical all the things that happened in this tournament for me. So very happy. Today was a very important day for me. Have been some tough moments last times, injuries, so it’s great to have big success like this again. Happy because I have been working a lot to be where I am today.”

THE WOMEN
Very few people knew who was Jelena Ostapenko when she came into Roland Garros on the first day. But, at the end, the entire world saw she can crush the ball.

Latvian Ostapenko was never very nervous, and even when she was down in the second set, she had to keep pushing, harder and harder, and camping out inside the line. She was down 3-0 in the second, and she was very close, but she couldn’t keep the ball inside the courts. Within seconds, Ostapenko changed the dynamic, and Simona Halep couldn’t do a darn thing.

Ostapenko won the tournament 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, grabbing the title. Now she is ranked No. 12. It is possible the 20-year-old can sneak into the top 5 — or higher?

The key to her progression is she is so driven. 

“I was losing 6-4, 3-0, and then in my mind I was just, I’m just going to enjoy the match, andI will try to fight until the last point. And then I stayed aggressive and the match turned my way,” she said. 

Ostapenko is so incredible powerful that, while she can miss it here and there, she will continue to go for it, on her forehand, backhand, first serve, at the net — almost anything. Of course, she has been poor at times, but this year overall, she has become very consistent. It’s not all about crushing the ball, but winning.

Ostapenko had hit 54 winners on Saturday against Halep. Talk about aggression.

“I hit quite a lot of winners from that ad court down the line, so I was trying to put it in, of course,” she said.

Of course.

The sad thing is that the 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams is out for the rest of 2071 because she is pregnant. The five-time champ Maria Sharapova just pulled out at Wimbledon because she wrecked her back and she won’t be to play until late July, or longer.

The No. 1 Angie Kerber isn’t playing well at all this year, and the No. 3 Pliskova is inconsistent to tell. 

So maybe by the end of the year, Ostapenko can become No. 1. Who would have thunk that?

 

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The determined: Raonic, Djokovic, Schiavone, Muguruza and more  

May 29, 2017 by Leave a Comment

At ROLAND GARROS –

The Men
When he is healthy, very healthy, Milos Raonic can actually win a Grand Slam. Maybe in Wimbledon, or the US Open, but right now he isn’t 100 percent physically. He is tall, his first serve is massive, his forehand is phenomenal and, without a doubt, his backhand has been improved over the past two years.

However, he is often hurt, which is why the 26-year-old has yet to win a major yet. Obviously, it’s not easy, given that he has to beat the fantastic competitors: Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka. Combined, the Big 5 guys have won 50 Grand Slams. To even get in there, Raonic has to improve every day because the Big 5 are super intelligent, and they are very fast, and they can return like animals. Raonic can club the ball, but outside of the Big 5, no one else can return consistency well — like Raonic. However, the Canadian is trying, so maybe this year, he can break the serves, and break it again.

On clay, you have to grind it out.

On Monday, he did, beating Steve Darci 6-3 6-4 6-2. That’s a good start. But can he win the tournament? Hmmm.  

“Every single match I step out on court, I know I will be able to have the opportunity to create chances to win,” said Raonic, who has never reached the semis at Roland Garros. “Will I do that? Will I get to that stage, and will I make the most of them? That’s another thing. But I believe a lot in my tennis.”

GOOD WINS, BAD LOSSES
Former US Open champ Marin Cilic beat Ernests Gulbis in three sets. Cilic is very powerful, but he doesn’t slice enough

How about Joao Sousa who upset the former top-10er Janko Tipsarevic 4-6 7-6 6-2 6-2? Good for Sousa, but now he has to play Novak Djokovic, who smoked Marcel Granollers. Andre Agassi is here coaching Djokovic, which is super interesting, but they don’t know each other well — yet — so the Serbian has to rely on his ample experience.

The nine-time champion Rafa Nadal waxed Benoit Paire 6-1 6-4 6-1. He will play against Robin Haase. Straight sets for Nadal. He will cruise until the quarters next week. 

David Goffin was on fire, overwhelming Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-2 6-2 6-2. Goffin might face Dominic Thiem in the fourth round. Pick-em.

Jack Sock lost against the vet Jiri Vesely 7-5 7-5 6-3. The American has to welcome a return to grass. Ryan Harrison lost against the Brit Aljaz Bedene 6-4 6-0 3-6 6-1. Clearly, Harrison will be happier when he lands in England.

A tough lost by the Frenchman Gilles Simon, who went down against Nikoloz Basilashvili.

The Women
At the end of this year — allegedly — Francesca Schiavone will retire. She’s 36 years old, and even though she’s a little bit slow now, she still can run and run for hours. Unfortunately, the Italian lost against Garbine Muguriza in two tough sets.

A few years ago, Schiavone won the title at RG. She was so enthusiastic, so fast, delivering her shots with so much spin. She has declined though, but at the very least, she can be funny.

After she lost in Paris on Monday, she smiled and said: “I hate sometimes tennis. Is a big relation. Is a love that you have to love and then you hate sometimes. It’s like when you marry someone.”

The Spaniard Muguruza used to watch Schiavone playing on court. She still does.

“I think she loves it. She kind of enjoys out there. I saw her match in the final here, and I kind of like it. I was happy that she won the French Open at that time,” Muguruza said. “I don’t see myself playing at 36 with that shape. I think she has spectacular body, to be able to do that. I don’t know if my body can handle with how many injuries I have, and I’m 23. So it’s gonna be tough.”

For sure.

Some quick ones
Kristina Mladenovic beat Jennifer Brady 3-6 6-3 9-7 in a classic match.  Mladenovic was slightly injured but she hung in there. Can she push on after 3 hours? Hard to say, but the Frenchwoman really wants to go very The No. 3 Karolina Pliskova blasted Zheng Saisai. We all know how good she is, but on clay, she has to bear down.

Good wins by Sam Stosur, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Catherine Bellis and Varvara Lepchenko.

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French Open men’s preview: Who else … Rafa!

May 27, 2017 by Leave a Comment

From Roland Garros –

THE FAVORITE
Rafa Nadal has won nine titles here but faltered since 2014. Without a doubt, over the past two months, he has finally been more aggressive and more consistent. Can he win it again when in the past three -, his body was sore and pretty weak? He is finally and gradually changing his tactics, given that as a 30-years-old, he needs to change. 
On clay, he is the favorite. His major test could be in the semifinals; watch out against Novak Djokovic, who has beaten Nadal a ton of times after 2014. Nadal might have to face the steady Roberto Bautista Agut or the American Jack Sock in the fourth round, and maybe another Spaniard, Pablo Carreno Busta, in the quarters. Others looming include Milos Raonic and Grigor Dimitrov in the quarters, if they learn to love clay. It’s all about Nadal; if he gets on a roll, then he can throw anyone into the back wall and win it.  

CLOSE TO THE FAVORITES
Andy Murray is the No. 1 so even though he has been struggling this year. When he walks on court, he will attempt to lock it in. But he’s never won Roland Garros, and while he has gotten better on clay, he gets frustrated. Will he do it here? At some point for sure. This year he will have to take out the very young Alexander “Sascha” Zverev, if they get to the quarters.

Novak Djokovic has won this tournament last year, blasting away and having the best time of his life. But after he left from Paris, he was a little bit tired, and then he didn’t know why he was running the wrong way, and then his serve went down, and he couldn’t kiss the lines, etc. Since then, he has won just two events. He just hired a new coach, Andre Agassi, to help him now. Maybe he will, but to win Paris when he is still shaky? It’s a lot to ask. He has to be super patient and if he does, he has a shot to grab RG again, but that would be surprising. He might have to play against the up-coming Dominic Thiem in the quarters, who smoked him in the semis of Rome. 

Here comes the No. 3 Stan Wawrinka, who just won Geneva beating Mischa Zverev. The Swiss was a little out of it, but when he wakes up, he can win any title, which he as done at Roland Garros, the Aussie Open and the US Open. His one-handed backhand is legendary. Wawrinka can win it again, but he could face a number of fine players: maybe against Fabio Fognini in the third round, against Richard Gasquet or Gael Monfils in the fourth round, and against Jo Tsonga (who just won Lyon over Tomas Berdych in the final), Nick Kyrgios or Marin Cilic in the quarters.  It’s a very tough draw for Wawrinka.

BEST OF A REST
Alexander Zverev just won Rome, the first time that one of young kids actually grabbed an ATP Masters Series since, well, forever. The German really likes the clay, but still, he will have to face the vet Fernando Verdasco in the first round, maybe against Kei Nishikori in the fourth round, and against Murray in the quarters. Of course he can win a major very soon, but in two weeks in front of the massive crowds? Only he can stay calm within himself.
  
Thiem is another who is coming up very quickly. He’s already in the top 10 and he loves the clay. Can he actually upset Djokovic in the quarters? I doubt it, but he needs to improve his form now. 

A number of Americans can reach the second week: Steve Johnson, if he can out hit Thiem in the third round; Sock, who would have to best Ryan Harrison and then to crunch Bautista Agut in the third round; and John Isner  — who played very well in Rome — has to take down two phenomenal players, against Berdych in the third round, and if he beats him, then he will likely play against Murray in the fourth round. Brutal.

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Modest in victory, or so says Rafa Nadal. On French Open: “I think I can do it. Then do it is another thing.”

May 26, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Rafael-Nadal2_2957179

 

By Kamakshi Tandon

Rafael Nadal has come into the French Open for years insisting that he should not be called the favorite. That he does not go into matches confident of victory. That he is only practicing hard, doing his best, looking to be competitive. And all the while, onlookers would dismiss his remarks and — usually correctly — all but hand him the trophy before the tournament even began.

Now, there is no need for Nadal to say any of this. He is not the favorite, not confident, just looking to stay competitive. Now is when he might want to sound circumspect. But he has done the opposite, dropping his usual modesty to assert his abilities and insist he is still the same player. It looks like the only way to get Nadal to be confident might be to lack confidence in him.

Having heard the Spaniard downplay his success for so long, it’s quite a change to hear him talking up his chances. But that is what the now No.7-ranked player now finds himself having to do. With just one minor title on clay and no trophies at the European events coming into the French Open, he has had to strike a different note than when he was on an unbeaten or almost unbeaten run. Instead of arguing he hasn’t been cruising, the 28-year-old now argues he hasn’t completely collapsed.

“Obviously, I didn’t have the best clay season the last couple of years. It’s obviously that I had more up and downs. Even like this I was able to play semifinals in Master 1000, another final, and one quarterfinals. It’s not terrible, but if we compare with other years, obviously looks bad, no?” he said before the tournament got underway. “That’s always gonna happen when you achieve a lot in the past. Always going to have the compar[is]ions, but that’s it. ”But seriously, my last couple of weeks have been much more positive than what the results said. Probably in Rome I was playing much better than the result was, no? So is a court that I like. Is a tournament that I love. I am going to try to put my game in a position that gonna give me the chance. If I am able to do it, I have enough experience here.”

While winning three Masters before the French Open never left him assured of being champion, winning none this time has not deterred him. “My feelings are good,” he said, suggesting he’s doing quite well for a player who started the seasion having barely played for six months because of injury and illness. “Obviously when you lose more than other years it’s obvious the confidence is a little bit less. But the positive thing is I started again in January after tough second half of the year last year. And since January, day after day, I think I improved a lot. I having less bad days than in the first few months. I am a little bit more consistent, I feel.”

Once, he would arrive at the French Open and say his first goal was to win the first round. This time, he will go as far as to aim to “try to play a great tournament here.”

“I think I can do it. Then do it is another thing. I’m going to try my best, and I think can happen,” he said.

Once, he would question himself. This time, he is encouraging himself. “When I say I don’t know what’s gonna happen, I really don’t know what’s gonna happen. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have confidence on myself to try to be ready for it. I have to think that I am ready for it. But I know sometimes that it’s tougher to be ready for it.”

And if nothing else, Nadal notes, he has already won a record nine titles at the tournament. “Obviously winning nine times here is difficult to equal,” casually mentions the all-time great, though he is not usually one to talk a lot about his impressive record of achievements.

The new, defiant Nadal doesn’t sound like the familiar, unassuming one, but the circumstances have changed more than he has. His position now is not that different from his position in previous years. Anything can happen, he would say. Anything can happen, he says now. Like many established champions before him, Nadal no longer has as firm a grip on victory, but it is still within his grasp.

One thing, though, has changed. Nadal might not be playing as well as before, but he’s talking a better game than he ever used to do.

 

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Ivanovic: 2008 Aussie final ‘quite disappointing’

January 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Ivanovic IW 11 MALT4910

Ana competes in Indian Wells in 2011, the site of her first huge title. Photo: Mal Taam/MALTphoto

BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL – Ana Ivanovic had it, didn’t she? During 2008, she and Maria Sharapova were in the final of Australia Open and they both had ripped the ball over the past two weeks. Sharapova had never been as confident before then, smacking apart four excellent players to reach the final: Lindsay Davenport, Elena Dementieva, Justine Henin and Jelena Jankovic without even losing a set.

She was just 21 years old, had won two Grand Slams but wanted another more. Badly, but so did Ivanovic.

Ivanovic was just 20 years old then, but she was already pushing very hard. She had reached the 2007 Roland Garros final and you could tell that she was right there. Six months later in January, she was ready to roll. She took out the very young Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth round, shocked Venus Williams in the quarters and then played very smart in upsetting Daniela Hantuchova 6-4 in the third in the semis.

Ivanovic was ready to win her first major.

“I remember that match, very vividly,” Ivanovic told Tennisreporters.net. “I felt like I had a lot of chances in the first set.  It was my second Grand Slam final and I really thought I could do it, you know.  It was quite disappointing the way the second set finished.  I remember it was 6‑3.  I didn’t really sleep much after that.  That was tough loss, but it made my stronger.  After this I won Indian Wells and French Open.”

She did, shaking it off and winning her first huge title at Indian Wells and grabbing on clay and her first (and only) first Grand Slam by winning Roland Garros.

But she’s still thinking about it. It has been six years, since Ivanovic’s challenge was to sneak in, change it up, get into Sharapova’s head. But she did not. She had some key points in the first set, had a couple of looks right in front of her but she could not convert. Sharapova was more powerful, more composed and a bit smarter.

Sharapova won the title 7-5 6-3. Ana cried all night long while No. 1 Maria could smile up and down the street. Ivanovic admits that she was in there for the taking, that she felt like she would win it. Uh uh.

“Yeah, definitely.  The year before against Justine in French Open [in 2007] it was first time and the nerves overwhelm me,” Ivanovic said.  “Against Maria I really felt confident going into the match, and all the way through I felt like I could do it. That’s why it was really, really tough loss for me.”

Ivanovic is so much more mature now. She has had her ups and down since 2009, when she went down, but she battled and battled and, since 2014, she been much more consistent. She has cracked the top 5 and now will play a final again, when she plays Sharapova in Brisbane.

Here, this week, she bested two tough foes, Kai Kanepi and Varvara Lepchenko. She didn’t panic, but knew that she could mix and match. Or just swinging her favored forehand super hard.

“I really feel I have different mental approach to it,” Ivanovic said. “I struggled to be in the spotlight.  For me, this is something to take time, to get used to because I was very shy.  It was really overwhelming for me and all the pressures.  I always play tennis as a game and not all these pressures and expectations.

“It takes time to learn about yourself, to mature.  Now I really try to take my time and enjoy on the court and off the court.  The time I spend on court it’s more quality.  I really focus 100% on that.  And then when I’m off the court I can relax and enjoy.

“This is something that I was lacking in the past, because coaches really tried to control and I didn’t feel like I had time for myself.  It was all about tennis and just spending time on court or this.

“I felt like I had no time to go to movies with friends, you know, and this is what every person needs.  So I really feel since maybe year and a half I found this balance.  Then obviously it takes time for things to get in place and change, and I really feel I found that now.”

Sharapova is 9-4 head to head against Ivanovic, but the two split their matches in 2014. Ivanovic pulled out a classic win over Sharapova, 7-5 in the third set of Cincy. Perhaps they will do it again.

“Yeah, I enjoy playing against top players and having these kind of battles, because that’s what you want to test yourself against,” Ivanovic said. “She’s in great form.  Last year we had really close battles, and that match in Cincinnati was actually one of my favorite wins probably because it was really tough match and I managed to save match points and actually win.

“So it’s going to be I think a great tennis for both of us tomorrow to also see the level of the game we are at.  But I look forward to it.”

NOTES

The Aussie had a good week for the guys, but once they faced the top men the going got too tough. Roger Federer destroyed Aussie James Duckworth 6-0 6-1, and will face Grigor Dimitrov, who cruised Martin Klizan  6-3 6-4. Kei Nishikori was terrific in beating Aussie Bernard Tomic 6-0 6-4, while Milos Raonic overcame the Aussie Samuel Groth 7-6 in the third.

Dimitrov believes he has a good shot against Federer and appears to be very confident. But he actually has to do it, rather than just pretending.

“It’s very close and I am excited against players like him,” Dimitrov said. “I am looking forward to it. It’s not going to be an easy.  I have quite experience now and I have learned every match. I’ve played against him and I like my odds. I have had more wins and performing, more experience of tournaments and at 30-30 or deuce, or you know how to play better, or the structure of the game is different. I am sure he is going to be on the other side.”

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Roland Garros Women: Drawn & Quartered

May 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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1st Quarter

No. 1 Serena Williams continues her now decade-old quest to win her second French titles and her draw could be much worse, but with that said, it isn’t that simple. She opens against Anna Tatshvili, could get Caroline Garcia in R2 and Sorana Cirstea in R3, all which should be routine wins. But the she could Roberta Vinci or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in R4, which could be dicey if she doesn’t play at the top level. Depending how Angie Kerber pulls up physically, she could be Serena’s quarterfinal foe and she did best Williams last summer in Cincy, so another upset is possible. But there is plenty of talent in Kerber’s section beginning with Mona Barthel, Varvara Lepchenko and Ekaterina Makarova.

FIRST ROUND POPCORN MATCH: Caroline Wozniacki vs. Laura Robson: Wozniacki has lost five straight matches and, although Robson isn’t that comfortable on clay, she likes big matches and this is  a chance for her to blow the struggling Caro’s doors off.

 2nd Quarter

Here is Ana Ivanovic’s chance to reach her first Slam semifinal since she won the title in Paris five years ago. No. 4 Aga Radwanska leads the quarter and she’s struggling with an injury, and while No. 5 Sara Errani  has proven to be quite good on the surface she can be hit through. Ivanovic has been playing quite well (although not always against Maria Sharapova). She opens vs. Petra Martic, should be able to hit around her and then have little trouble reaching the fourth round as Julia Goerges is hurt. Then it’s either Radwanska, who may not even get there, or possibly Venus Williams, but she’s been hurt, too. So then the Serb will face Errani in the quarters, unless the Italian gets tripped up by the likes of Carla Suarez or Nadia Petrova. I’m not sure Ivanovic has had a better opportunity while in good form to reach a Slam semi since she left RG as champion.

FIRST ROUND POPCORN MATCH: Venus Williams vs. Ula Radwanska

The American has been struggling with a back injury and her autoimmune disease. While Ula has her off days mentally, when she’s on she is more than capable of winning a baseline battle on red dirt. This is an obvious so-called upset pick.

3rd Quarter

Going by bookends Vika Azarenka and Li Na, this is the toughest quarter. It’s depth is enigmatic, but it does have two players who are capable of beating Serena and Sharapova on great days. Li had a troublesome Rome and opens against Anabel Medina-Garrigues who has slowed down but is very capable on clay. Then she might have to face Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who’s been on fire, and possibly Yaroslava Shvedova who shocked her here last year. Then even if she makes it through there she could play Kaia Kanepi, Klara Zakopalova or Maria Kirilenko. She and coach Carlos Rodriquez have there work cut out for them in the first eights days.

Azarenka opens against the up-and-down Elena Vesnina, who is so unpredictable but dangerous. Alize Cornet has revived and could give her a little trouble in round 3 and then there is the possibility of playing the slumping, yet super dangerous Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli in round 4.

FIRST ROUND POPCORN MATCH: Kirsten Flipkens vs. Flavia Pennetta. Has the former Italian top 10er finally recovered from wrist trouble? If she has, then she will give the equally crafty Flipkens fits.

 4th Quarter

Defending champion Sharapova as the player to beat here. She opens against the improved Su-Wei Hsieh, may face the Canadian who idolized her — Genie Bouchard — and possibly the veteran Zheng Jie before a fourth-round tussle with Sloane Stephens, whom she rekey destroyed on dirt. Her quarter could be tough though as Jelena Jankovic, Petra Kvitova and Sam Stosur lurk. Expect the world No. 2 to get there but then have to seriously raise her level

FIRST ROUND POPCORN MATCH: Lucie Safarova vs. Jamie Hampton

Most of the young Americans have reasonable first rounds but this one could prove very tricky for the slugger against the lefthander Czech, whom has much more experience than she does. Expect a three setter, but Hampton still has to show she can pull off this type of win without suffering cramps due to  nerves.

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