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The Picks on clay in Monte-Carlo Masters: Thursday, April 13

April 12, 2023 by
Alexander Zverev
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Daniil Medvedev over Alexander Zverev
The Russian has had a tremendous year, on the hard courts, but now he has to stay very aggressive on the clay. Most of the time, Medvedev can rally, side to side, and wait until he has a chance to nail on the lines. However, on clay, it is clear that you have to be patient for a long, long time.

The German Zverev is gradually back, on the court, as the No. 2  became hurt, he had to stay for a while. Just like with Medvedev, Zverev almost won the 2020 U.S. Open, but he could not do it. Zverev can be very steady, and also, he can crush the ball with his forehand and his backhand. Mentally, he is fragile, so if he wants to go back into the top five, he has to measure up.  Zverev will continue to play better, gradually, yet Medvedev is right there, who wants to be No. 1 this season. Medvedev will defeat Zverev in three, brutal sets.

Novak Djokovic over Lorenzo Musetti
The Italian appears to be  playing a decent match, given that this year, he has been mediocre, at best. The 19-year-old did throw in some terrific contests in 2022, but then he went down, fast. Against the No. 1 Djokovic, Musetti has to play almost perfectly to upset him. The Serbian can do almost everything, but his forehand can miss it during the rallies. His backhand is super steady, and his return is phenomenal. It will be a huge opportunity, to upset Djokovic, but Musetti is still not ready to reaching into the top 10, yet. Djokovic will win in two, hard sets.

TWO OTHER QUICK PICKS
Matteo Berrettini will upset Holger Rune in three sets, as they are both struggling, but the Italian wants to rise, ASAP. … Hubert Hurkacz has had a pretty good year, but on the clay, he cannot handle it, yet. Therefore, Jannik Sinner will win it,in two sets over Hurkacz as he has played amazing at Indian Wells and Miami. Mr. Rising.

Matt’s yesterday picks

Correct: Holger Rune over Dominic Thiem
Stan Wawrinka over Taylor Fritz

Matt’s current week picks

3 out of 6: 50% correct

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The Picks in Miami: Friday, March 31

March 31, 2023 by
Petra Kvitova
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Daniil Medvedev over Karen Khachanov
Will Khachanov raise up early, and counterattack as soon as he could. He has had a fine tournament, saying that “Since last year’s U.S. Open, semifinals, I think this was a bigger change and bigger step forward, which gave me the current results which I have right now. I would say the confidence and self-belief and all these things, they appear stronger. Now I’m happy that I can show that level constantly and more consistently.” Oh, real? Well that is good, yet the powerful person has had a good year, but not phenomenal. Yes, he looked pretty good at the Australian Open when he reached the semis, but other than that, he has lost against with a variety people, such as Medvedev, who beat him in straight sets in Adelaide. Yes, Khachanov can poke the ball, but can he out-thing with Medvedev, who is there every second? Probably not. Those two Russians are good friends, but on court, it is totally different.  Medvedev will control him, and he also knows how to play him. Medvedev will win in straight sets.

Petra Kvitova over Sorana Cirstea
What a great tournament by Cirstea, who said this year, she became more intense, and to throw different shots. Her serves are still isn’t to great, but she is very quick, and her forehand and her backhand has more diverse. However, the  Czech Kvitova is finally feeling it. When she returns, she bends down, and if she can hit it, then she will punch it, deep. The lefty does not run that fast, but with her forehand and her backhand, she can recreate it, and mix it up, too. Last year she talked about retyring, but now she is back in the game. Cirstea wants to win badly, and she will try hard, but Kvitova will slug past her, and win the match in three romp sets.

Carlos Alcaraz over Jannik Sinner
This should be a terrific match between the two men. The young players have played each other five times, with Alcaraz just beating him at Indian Wells. He also edged Sinner at the 2022 U.S Open in five sets that went on almost forevers, with some unreal shots. Also,, Sinner chopped him down at the 2021 Wimbledon. There rivalry is growing. “He is playing a great level,”Of course I am sure that we are going to play for big things in the future,” Alcaraz said. “I can’t wait to see our [improvement].”

The Spaniard can sprinting with his forehand and his backhand, outstanding in so many different places. The No.1 can hit the ball super hard, and also, he is a darn good player at the net.
The Italian Sinner is also improving at the tournaments. Yes, he can mentally break down, when he makes some mistakes, but he has to raise  his chin. Right after that, instead of becoming upset, the  the 21-yea-old Italian can just move on, ready for the next point. Here is the point, though. Sinner knows how to attack, consistently, and fool him. Alcaraz also knows that he can track it down, move it around, and change. This will be a very close match, but in the end, the Spaniard Alcaraz will win in it in three tough sets.

Thursday picks

Correct: Elena Rybakina over Jessica Pegula 
Correct: Daniil Medvedev over Christopher Eubanks
Correct: Karen Khachanov over Francisco Cerundolo

Matt’s Miami picks

17 out of 26: 65.3% correct


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The Picks in Miami: Wednesday, March 29

March 29, 2023 by
Sorana Cristea
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Aryna Sabalenka over Sorana Cirstea
She is on cruise control, and while her serves can be spotty, but her forehand and her backhand are mind blowing. Sabalenka is very loud, and she can swing super hard, and she goes for the lines almost immediately. Cirstea has had a terrific tournament, with some solid depths. She can throw it around, and also, she can fool you. However, while she has been a very depth player, but she is aging, so while Cirstea  will stay for a little while, she frankly is not as good against the No. 2 Sabalenka. At least Cirstea will win a set, but in the third set, Sabalenka will win it, stepping on her.  

Jannik Sinner over Emil Ruusuvuori
The Italian Sinner seems to be more thoughful on court, not becoming very upset, as the 21-year-old knows that he is not playing well, but eventually, he can push it up. He did have a solid tournament at Indian Wells, taking down Taylor Fritz in the quarters, and while he lost the semis against Carlos Alcaraz, he knew that he is right there. The Fin Emil Ruusuvuori had a solid year in 2022, but this season he has not play well at all, except in Miami. Perhaps he started to add some new things, or to focus every second. Even if he does, Sinner  will punch the ball,  super cruel.  Sinner  will win in two easy sets.

Petra Kvitova over Ekaterina Alexandrova
The Czech Kvitova is one of the most powerful people in the past 10 years. Her first serve, her return, and her forehand and her backhand are huge. She did win Wimbledon twice, but that is on the hardcourts, and while she can also be intense, she does not run that fast, and she eventually get very tired.
Alexandrova is rising gradually again, when she thinks on court, thinking about what to do, during the points. She can be fitting, and she can also try to whack on the lines. However, the veteran has never gone deep at the Slams, and believe it or not, the 28-year-old has never made it in the second week. Maybe she can do it eventually, and perhaps she can go further at Miami, but Kvitova is healthy right now and she will win it in two hard-hitting sets.

Carlos Alcaraz over Taylor Fritz
Carlos Alcaraz hit some amazing shots,  and so much variety. He beats Tommy Paul sprinting in the backcourts, and touching at the net. The American Paul played pretty good, but he has to continue to get better. That is not with Fritz, who did reach the top 5 before Indian Wells, his first time. He could not win it again, but here at  Miami, he is playing pretty darn good, with his first serves, his return, and with his grim  forehand. It will be very close again, yet the No. 1 Alcaraz has a tremendous firepower, and in the third set, he will rush the net, and put it away, frequently. The Spaniard will beat the American Fritz, pumping in the air.

Tuesday picks

Correct: Carlos Alcaraz over Tommy Paul
Correct: Jessica Pegula over Anastasia Potapova
Stefanos Tsitsipas over Karen Khachanov

Matt’s Miami picks

13 out of 21: 61.9% correct

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Always lurking: Taylor Fritz is moving up, again

February 23, 2023 by
Taylor Fritz

The ATP 250 Delray Beach has had some incredible matches over the decades

On the Florida hardcourts near the ocean, Taylor Fritz beat Miomir Kecmanovic 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 in the final. There were some wild shotswith some fine variety. Finally Fritz’ forehand and backhand were sailing deep and were more challenging. Yes, the No. 7 still can be up and down week to week. Whenhe is pushing himself, and he can mentally center and beat anyone. Well, most of them.

Kecmanovic lost but he really has improved a lot of the past year and a half. He is fit, his forehand is pretty darn good and his backhand is decent. In order to eventually reach into the top 10, he has mix it up more. Also, his second serve is marginal. The good thing for the 22-year-old is he has reached the top 30. If he can add to some new shots, then he can upset some of the very excellent players.

Daniil Medvedev had an odd year in 2022, playing a few spectacular events. After lost the 2022 Australian Open final in a classic five-setter against Rafa Nadal, Medvedev began to slip. After that, he started to make a lot of errors, which is unusual for him. He could not take down Novak Djokovic at all.

All of a sudden, Medvedev is back into it. He was so solid, with his consistent forehand and his backhand that he hits pretty flat. He managed to win the Rotterdam title, beating Jannik Sinner 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.

The Italian Sinner can really pop the ball and can also mix it up. When the Russian Medvedev is locked in and goes for winners, he is again among the four best players in the world.

Even at the 2023 Aussie Open, American Sebastian Korda beat Medvedev, in just three sets. Korda was jumping on the ball while the Russian was so unfulfilled. And then, a month later, he not only beat Sinner, but he also took dwon Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semis. Then, the fans were almost stunned that he could move it all around the box.

Now, he is back into the top 10 at No. 8. Can Medvedev eventually go into No. 1 this season? Perhaps, but he is not ready yet.

Sinner has won six in the 250s, but in the 500s, he won it only one time, back in 2021 at Washington. A couple years ago, when he reached the final in Miami, it looked like that when he continued to rise, all the time. Now 21-year-old serves and returns better. His volleying is even improved. His forehand and backhand are very . Mentally he can be slips, which is his downfall. Sinner will attempt to mature on the court. Hopefully, he can go much further at the ATP 1000s and the Grand Slams. He really has to be totally honest with himself.

Carlos Alcaraz has not played since he became injured at the 2022 ATP Masters 1000 Paris in the beginning of November. He was happy to be back on the court in Buenos Aires. You’ve got to figure it will take a while to be very good again. Then, in the last couple matches, he was pretty darn good, sliding around on the clay. He was quick, and he swung very hard. In the final, he edged Cameron Norrie 6-3, 7-5.

He became No. 1 when he won last year’s US Open along with Miami on hardcourt and also grabbing five tiles on clay. His biggest title was on the dirt in Madrid.

Alcaraz is only 19 years old. Sometimes the Spaniard can forget exactly what he has to do. Yes, if he is healthy, he will win many titles, just like Rafa Nadal has. Alcaraz can follow Nadal’s career who played all the time when he was young. He also knew he had to improve with his backhand, second serve and net game. Then eventually, he did it.

Nadal has won 22 Grand Slams. Can Alcaraz do the same? Who knows, but if he can continue to Still Djokovic is No. 1 right now.

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Maxime Cressy almost won, but Jannik Sinner grabbed it

February 15, 2023 by
Maxime Cressy, Jannik Sinner, Yibing Wu, John Isner, Belinda Bencic, Anastasia Potapova, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Montpellier, Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

The much improved Maxime Cressy almost won Montpellier. In the final, he could not grab the break, and the better player Jannik Sinner edged him 7-6(3) 6-3. The Italian had no problem when he served into the corners for a very tough service holds. They did had some fine rallies. But the American could not slam past him, so in the next few months, he has to return better.

Sinner is close to reach into the top 5 this year. Still, he can become damn angry on court. He is still young. Perhaps he will be more sound and thoughtful. He has beaten many top players in the ATP 250s, but if he is playing in the 1000s or a Grand Slam, he might be very good, but he is not yet to be nearly perfect. The 22-year-old is currently ranked No. 14. If he wants to chop down the excellent players, then he has to improve a lot.

Cressy has become more stable, mixing it up and pushing himself. He comes into the net a lot, and his first serve can be huge. In the semis, he upset Holger Rune 7-5 6-7(3) 7-6(4). That was a fantastic day.

Cressey, an American/Frenchman, has reached the top 40. Apparently, if he wants to reach into the top 32 at the Slams for the first time, then he has to be much more stable and consistent each week.

In Dallas, it was almost out of nowhere Yibing Wu beat John Isner 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 7-6(14-12) to win his first ATP title. Talk about the drama. The veteran Isner now has played more than 500 tiebreakers, which is remarkable. Sadly, he has never won a Grand Slam, and he probably won’t. But, at least the 37-year-old won in Miami, and he did reach in an ATP 1000s final four more times. Those were some crazy, terrific matches. But his return has never been good enough.
 
The Chinese Wu came up big and moving into the spotlight. His forehand and his backhand are now so rising and he is pretty quick. He was decent over the past few years, but now, the 23-year-old thinks that when he is on the line, he aims to bash the ball. He played so good in the semis when he edged Taylor Fritz. Wu will be there for a long time.

Seriously, Belinda Bencic looked mind blowing. At other times, she can blow her match. But last week, she won the title, in the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open and she beat Liudmila Samsonova 1-6, 7-6, 6-4. That was a long, long match, fighting off three match points. She is a warrior. When she is so intense, then she can continue to blend it up with many different styles. She has yet to win Slam, but she still does have a legitimate chance to win one, as long as she can serve better and improve her net play.

There are so many Russians who continue to play on the court, and some of them are very good. You could look at dozens of people over the past 20 years, and they just keep coming on.
 
In Linz, Anastasia Potapova crushed Petra Martic 6-3 6-1 in the final. The 21-year-old could eventually win a Slam, like the Russians did, such as Svetlana Kuznetsova or Anastasia Myskina. But Potapova will have to climbing into the mountain, and stay there.

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Sunday match predictions at the US Open

September 4, 2022 by
Nick Krygios
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Daniil Medvedev vs. Nick Kyrgios
This is one of the potential fantastic match, with the Russian and the Australian facing off. Medvedev won the U.S. Open last year, and he came alive. Kyrgios has not won a Slam yet, but this year, he rose gradually, and now, he has beaten a huge number of top players. They both can throw in a number of aces, there forehands are huge, and they can really mix it up. However, Medvedev does not come into the net much, but his backhand is strong. Plus, when he is locked in, then he can hit it even harder. Kyrgios throws in a bunch of shots, and he can be very creative. He can get very ticked off, but he is more control, now, and he has said that he does have a chance to finally win a Slam. He almost did when he went into the final at Wimbledon, and he was close versus Novak Djokovic, but the Serbian finally broke him down. Kyrgios said that he is a bit tired because he has been traveling for months, but after the US Open is done, then he can go home, because he misses it. He does want to punch on with Medvedev, but he will be very patient, and in the fifth set, the Russian will brake him down.

Coco Gauff vs. Shuai Zhang
Yes, the teenager Gauff is looking very good, but so is Zhang, who had some cracking good points in the last couple months. The American is running well, and her forehand and her backhand are very real. Her serve OK, but not great yet, and at times she over-thinks about what she is going to do. When you are really young, the best solution is to simply play. The Chinese plays a lot of doubles, and she is good, at the net, but again, it took her a long time to believe that in the singles. She can be more gifted. So now, she does. Serena Williams just lost, so now it is anyone to win the event. Gauff thinks she can, so if she can play at the top of the level, then she can beat Zhang in straight sets. If not, that will be a very close three-setter. In a sense, it is a toss-up, but Gauff will hit a couple tremendous winners and move into next week.

Jannik Sinner vs. Ilya Ivashka
The Italian is blasting the ball. He is so fast, and can rush the net. He is very tall, and his first serve and his return can be wonderful. He has improved, but once again, he has yet to win a Slam. But if he continued to get fancy, he does have a chance to go even further. Ivashka can be very respectable, but the 28-year-old has yet to win a big tournament. At least last year, he did win Winston-Salem. So, he is good, but not great. Because of that, Sinner wins it in three sets.

Carolina Garcia vs. Allison Riske
Each year, there are the same old players, who are good, but not great. For years, they are OK, but to chomp down the unreal players, in general, they will lose. The Frenchwoman came out of nowhere, recently, and now the 28-year-old is on a roll. She is quick, she can swing harder, and also, in her eyes, you can tell that she finally trusted herself. The same goes with Riske, who started winning when she was young, but she could only win on the grass, in singles. But gradually, on in the hardcourts, she grew into her fine player with both of her strokes. The American Riske really wants to reach into the second week, but if you watch both of them, Garcia just won the Western & Southern Open, a gigantic week. She will do it again, in three subline sets.

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TennisReporters.net 2021 year-end review: top 10-6, the men

December 29, 2021 by
Rafael Nadal

10. Jannik Sinner
This year, the Italian certainly improved a good amount, having more self-trust and confidence to hit some different shots. He smashed the ball and was more patient. The 20-year-old is not close to reaching his potential. Month after month, he seemed to be more mellow. He does have a gigantic forehand and his backhand is consistent. Those are the positives. But there were a few negatives this year, when he lost in the first rounds, six times. That is a lot. Next year, he should pull it back, and re-think what he should do on court.

9. Hubert Hurkacz
The very tall Pole has revamped his game over the past year. He has a lot of variety, with his big forehand and his firm backhand and can go very hard or soft right over the net. If he falls off his game, then he knows how to pick it up. He needs to return a lot better. But, he can scramble. Even with a big jump in the rankings, out of nowhere on the clay he would underachieve. In 2022, if he wants to get deeper into the top 5, then on clay he will need to find more success.

8. Casper Ruud
The Norwegian mentioned that his forehand and his backhand were just fine. During the summer, he needed to improve his return. So, he worked on it a lot, and now it is better. He really likes to play on the dirt, which is surprising. But he got used to it. He is pretty smart, beating four very good players like Diego Schwartzman, Pablo Carreno Busta, Fabio Fognini and Stefano Tsitsipas. He has to swing out with his backhand and certainly at the net. Next year, he has to develop more if he wants to win an important ATP 1000.  

7. Matteo Berrettini
In July, the Italian reached the final at Wimbledon, and lost to No. 1 Novak Djokovic in four tough sets. Before that he won the title at Queen’s Club on grass. He is versatile, and on clay, he reached the final in Madrid. This year, he stepped on the gas, and he decided that he was good enough to swing away and grab more winners. His serve has improved a huge amount, when he held 80 percent when it was 0/15. That is very difficult, but he did it anyway. He has won some titles, on clay and grass, but next year, can he figure out how to understand to win on the hardcourts? He will try again, and he should flatten it out more. Whack it.

6. Rafael Nadal
The older he gets – when he is healthy which is rare, now – he still is extraordinary. His forehand is mind blowing, with heavy spin, very deep, crosscourt, down the line, wherever he aims. That is why he has won 20 Grand Slams. When the rally begins on clay, he is the master. He is patient when he is about to serve, he sits way back when he is returning, and he gets it back, much more than most players. That is, except with Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Stan Wawrinka, who also can return constantly. Yes, the Spaniard Nadal does not have a fantastic backhand, but it is much better than when he came on tour. He also has improved a lot at the net, and now he can put it away. The questions is: Can he win another Grand Slam title? Clearly, he is always the favorite at Roland Garros, but the 35-year-old is getting hurt a lot these days. Sure ,he has a chance to beat anyone, anytime. But, when he walks on the court, can he make sure that he is 100 percent? One way or another, he just loves to battle.

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US Open preview: Is this Pliskova’s opportunity?

August 30, 2021 by

Almost everyone wants to read about Novak Djokovic, who has a chance to win four Grand Slams this year. He is so consistent, and rarely strings together many errors. Once in a while, he does, but he is powerful, and he has a wide-ranging variety. He can smash his serves, he can return from the baseline and at the net. He is the top dog.

However, Djokovic is not the only person in New York. There are more than a few who want to reach the second week, or even further, such as Kei Nishikori, Alex de Minaur, Matteo Berrettini, Jenson Brooksby, Jannik Sinner, Denis Shapovalov and Reilly Opelka. But, the big challenge could be in the semis when Djokovic has to face Alexander Zverev. The German is flying high, he finally likes to be move and to smash it down the lines. He can go cross-court, and he can shatter it into the middle which can be very deep. He has finally matured a good amount. He hasn’t won a Grand Slam yet, but he was very close in the US Open last year. So in the fifth set, he can lock it in and then he can snag it, finally.

The No. 1 Ash Barty has only won ‘just’ two Grand Slams. This year, the Aussie has played fantastic, with her variety from her forehand and her backhand to take Wimbledon. It is hard to know where she is going, which is why she has beaten lots of excellent players. But can she win another Slam, this time in Flushing Meadows? She has grown a lot, and she is more intelligent. Without a doubt, she can push down almost everyone.

But, there are a number of players who think that when they are playing excellent, they have a shot to upset Barty.

In the first and second quarters, it could be Karolina Muchova, Jennifer Brady, Belinda Bencic, Jessica Pegula, Iga Swiatek, Paula Badosa, Maria Sakkari and Bianca Andreescu.

Plus, Karolina Pliskova wants to try to win the US Open for the first time. She has reached the final once, but could not pull it off. It’s all about her will. Pliskova thought it about it and she responded, “The next Grand Slam, I’m going to try to play like I was playing here from the first round to the last one.”

Hopefully, not early. Later.

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