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The top 10: the women after the US Open

September 14, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Here is my list of the women with the biggest impact from the US Open.

1. Coco Gauff
When it started, it looked like she had a chance to win her first Grand Slam, but she had to wait over seven matches. She is only 19-years-old, but she knew that if she played really well, especially with her new, very good forehand, then she could beat anyone. That she did, when her backhand was terrific, her first serve was even harder, and of course, at the net, she could put it away. Her confidence is so high, that soon enough, if she is healthy, then she can become No. 1. A new, fantastic player.

2. Aryna Sabalenka
Yes, she is No. 1, and she has had a fine year, but in the third set in the final, she made so many errors, and she did not mix it up, more. Yes, she is a massive hitter, with her powerful backhand and her forehand, but at times, her serve can be mediocre, and at the net, she is OK, but she needs to improve it. She did win the 2023 Aussie Open, and perhaps she will recover in the fall, yet she could be frustrated again. It is all about her direction.

3. Karolina Muchova
The Czech looked wonderfully, all the way into the semis, and during the first and the second set, she was pretty close against Gauff, but then, she pushed back and she made some crazy error. On the court, she can be patient and smart, but then she forgets what she is doing, and then she panics. Really though, she is a fine player, but the older you get, she has to add some better shots. She only has won just one title, Seoul, in 2019. Maybe she can win another title during the tough fall.

4. Madison Keys
She looked great in four matches, then right at the end against Sabalenka, she collapsed in the third set tiebreaker. Of course she can crush the ball, with her hard forehand and her backhand, but she still can be concert, and then she will over-hit it. She has gone deep many times, and off the court, she seems to be intelligent, but the only way to win a Slam for the first time has to add something new, and be much more CALM.

5. Jelena Ostapenko
She is just so hard to figure out. She played so well and she crushed Iga Swiatek and then the next match against Gauff, she made so many errors, and it ended, quickly. She is one of the biggest hitters, but she is also somewhat slow, and she doesn’t be patient enough. That is how she is, maybe for ever.

6. Marketa Vondrousova
The great thing is that she won the 2023 Wimbledon, and she played as well as she can. The other Czech has gone deep at another various events, and she has also taken down a number of darn good players. However, in the quarters against Keys, she did not play at all. Yes, the American played stellar, but Vondrousova was second-class, and maybe worse. Hopefully, she can forget that she was way down, and if she does that, she can stay in the top 10 for a long time.

7. Sorana Cirstea
At the beginning this year, it looked like that she has become more aggressive, and push herself into the het, and also, to go for it much early. The 33-year-old has around for 17 years at the WTA Tour, so she was always very decent, but not fantastic. But now, in the summer and at the U.S. Open, she looked so much better, on court. Maybe in 2024 she will finally reach the top 10. That would be a stunner.

8. Qinwen Zheng
She is only 20-years-old, so clearly she is already good, reaching the quarters, and beating Ons Jabeur. It will take the Chinese to improve a lot, and she knows that, but if she can commit it, then she will continue to take down the good players. However, she has to leap higher.

9. Carolina Wozniacki
Was it surprising that the former No. 1 won a couple matches and she looked pretty good, but in the third set against Gauff, she could not out hitter her, forehand versus forehand. Her backhand has always been great, and she can run fast, almost forever, but her forehand and at the net were good, but not sublime. However, she is a little bit better, so moving forward, maybe she will gradual wax.

10. Xinyu Wang
The young 21-year-old player really likes to play the doubles, but in the singles, she can be interesting. She returns very well, and at the net, too, but in the back courts, she can be proper, but she does hit the ball even harder. She needs to be more gutsy.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Aryna Sabalenka, Carolina Wozniacki, coco gauff, jelena ostapenko, Karolina Muchova, madison keys, Marketa Vondrousova, Matthew Cronin, Qinwen Zheng, Sorana Cirstea, us open, Xinyu Wang

US Open picks: women’s semifinals

September 7, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Coco Gauff over Karolina Muchova

This should be a very tight match, as the American is playing as well as she has over the past two months. Rapidly, Gauff improved her forehand, her first serve, and her return. After she lost against her good friend, Jessica Pegula , 7-5 in the third set, she continued to focus, and then, she rose.

Yes, she is on the blaze, but she still has to understand what she has to do, point to point. The great Serena Williams did, and that is why she has won 23 Grand Slams. Gauff has won five titles, but no Slams, yet. It is time to try, again.

Believe it or not, in Cincinnati, in the final, Gauff beat Muchova 6-3, 6-4. It was some what close, but the Czech missed a bunch of easy shots. However, at least she made the final at Roland Garros, and she nearly beat Iga Swiatek, but she lost 6-4 in the third. Close, but no cigar.

She has only won one title, a small place, so while she is much more suitable, she can lose control.
Because of that, deep in the third set, Gauff will hit a few gigantic winner and she will win 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Madison Keys over Aryna Sabalenka

At Wimbledon in the quarters, the Belarus took her down, somewhat easily 6-2, 6-4. She will attack early, and with her forehand and her backhand, she will rein. Yes, the new No. 1 can still throw in a decent amount double faults, but it is a lot better now, this year.

Keys knows that if she wants to beat her, she has to jump her early, and while the American can assault her immediately, it also is that when she is running, side to side, and she hits it, then she will try to hit it on the lines. Keys has gone deep before, reaching the final the 2017 U.S. Open, and she lost against Sloane Stephens, but she did have a terrific event. As she said: “I think I just find another gear when it comes to Slams. Part of it is that I put a little bit more pressure on myself, which is a good thing and also a bad thing sometimes. But I’ve just peaked at the right time. I haven’t had too many disappointing exits at Slams.”

Can she beat Sabalenka on Thursday night? I would say yes, a real upset, winning it 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Aryna Sabalenka, coco gauff, Karolina Muchova, madison keys, Matt Cronin, us open

US Open picks: Saturday, Sept. 2

September 2, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Jessica Pegula over Elina Svitolina
Talk about dozens of rallies, and which which way to go, as both of them know each other very well. They can be steady, and changed it up. Svitolina can try to hit it hard, early, and Pegula will be patient. They are both veterans, and they have beaten a number of the other top five players, as they can know which way to do. However, neither has won a Grand Slam yet, so at the U.S. Open, they really think that if they play well, they can actually grab it the second week.

Svitolina has had a very good season, when she added some interesting shot, but so has Pegula, who has really pushed herself, and she can accept that. As she said: “I just worked really hard at it. I think I became a lot more confident in who I was around 24 years old. If I mess up it’s on me, but this is my decision.”

The American will win the match in the third set, with some huge forehand, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Jannik Sinner over Stan Wawrinka
The older Swiss has had some fantastic shots at the U.S. Open, with his huge spin. Wawrinka has won it three Grand Slams, so clearly, he has been thoughtful, on court. He might be aging, and he will likely retired next year, but right now,he wants to go deep one more time at the Slams.

He must be, but the Italian Sinner is more forceful, and powerful, when he is playing. He does get angry, when he is missing way out, but at least during the summer, he is more consistent. Sinner has to know that they will play at least for two hours, or more, but either way, he is faster, when he is running, and also, with his his forehand. Sinner will take it 3-6, 6-5, 6-3, 6-2.

Alexander Zverev over Grigor Dimitrov
The German reached the final at the 2021 US Open, and he almost won it, but Dominic Thiem threw in some cool, tremendous shots. But now he will have another chance to win it for the first time, but Zverev is still slightly recovering, as at the 2022 Roland Garros in the semis, he fell down and almost crushed his body. He could not play until January, and while he has looked better and better, but he is still is not 100 percent. He does have a lot of shots, but he can also back up.

Dimitrov seems to be playing very well, knocking out Andy Murray. He does have a cool one-handed backhand, and he also can chuck it in around. However, he is not in the top 20, and years ago, he could go very deep, but now, he might be fading. There, Zverev will win it 64, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6.

Madison Keys over Liudmila Samsonova
It is early enough for the American not to become hurt, on the court, so she can control what she has to do. Keys is a big hitter, off both sides, and when she has a chance, she can try to rake it. However, Samsonova can also rally, and she can go for the winner. She had a terrific week in Montreal, reaching into the final, knocking off a bunch of fine players. However, she is unpredictable, whether when she can find it in the corners, or she can miss it, a lot.

Keys can do the same thing, currently, but she has gone deep at the Grand Slams, so on Saturday, she will win it in three, tough, sets, 7-6, 3-6, 6-4.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Elina Svitolina, Grigor Dimitrov, Jannik Sinner, Jessica Pegula, Liudmila Samsonova, madison keys, Matthew Cronin, Stan Wawrinka, us open

US Open picks: Thursday, August 31

August 31, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Andy Murray over Grigor Dimitrov
A long time ago, Murray won the U.S. Open, before he grabbed Wimbledon, twice, which was a huge deal, in London. Yet before that, on the hardcourts, he was young, and super steady, and he also was intense, all the time. Yet eventually, his body broken down, and he almost retired. But while he is aging, he still looks pretty good. He is not perfect, but he can read how to do it the right way.

However, after three hours, he gets a little bit tired. The same goes is that the Bulgarian, Dimitrov, who has been playing for a king-sized time, but one point, he beat a number of the great players, and he could really mix i up. His one-handed backhand can be a blast, and his forehand can also smash it deep. But while he did reach into the Grand Slams semis, he has not been able to jump into the final. He probably won’t do it, but he does have a chance to go deep into the second week. Murray knows that he doesn’t have a real chance to win the U.S. Open, but he can certainly have a great show. As he said: “I’m at my highest ranking since I had the metal hip put in so I’m happy with that,” said Murray. “It’s not been an easy journey and obviously I’d like to be ranked higher. This is the best I’ve played consistently since probably 2017.” On Thursday, Murray will take it in five, long sets, around 6-3, one break.

Andrey Rublev over Gael Monfils
The Frenchman has had a fine summer, winning a bunch of matches. He is older, and Monfils can get hurt a lot, but he has improved his second serve and his backhand, which were mediocre, year after year. He has changed, slightly, and also, he is more forceful.

However, the Russian is more powerful, with his hard forehand and his first serve. He is quicker, and he does like to move the ball around. Rublev has won a number of matches this year, and while he has know to freak out, he can re-think it. His coaches will tell him to be calm, as the crowds will be cheering for the popular Monfils, but in the fourth set, Rublev will take it 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(5).

Madison Keys over Yanina Wickmayer
The American usually starts early, looking very good, swinging hard, and she will nail a number of winners. But gradually, at least the last couple years, she gets hurt, and then she looks slow on court. Keys will also miss a lot of errors, and then she will disappear. Hopefully she won’t at the U.S. Open, but there is along way to go.

Believe it or not, Wickmayer was in the top 12, back in 2009, when she reached into the U.S. Open semis. She could outlast in the matches, with some fine strokes. However, she went down, and while she continues to win some good matches, at the small tournaments, she still has yet to knock down the best players. Therefore, Keys will win it in two, decent sets, 6-3, 6-3.

Sofia Kenin over Daria Kasatkina
Two days ago, Kenin looked sharp, winning a match with more than a few difficult shots, into the corners. She still is trying to get better, day after day, and the 2020 champion be confused, but she can focus. The Russian Kasatkina has had a very decent year, beating a number of people, but not against the top 10 players. She can be proper, and she does like to mix it up, but at times, her forehand can be too shorts. This is a toss-up, but Kenin will climb up, and win it 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Andrey Rublev, Andy Murray, daria kasatkina, Gael Monfils, Grigor Dimitrov, madison keys, Matthew Cronin, Sofia Kenin, us open, yanina wickmayer

The picks at Wimbledon: Wednesday, July 12

July 11, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Elena Rybakina over One Jabeur
Exactly one year ago Rybakina found her forehand, and she came back, and grabbed the Wimbledon title, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 over Jabeur in the final. Can she do it again? Perhaps, but Jabeur played fantastic when she clubbed Petra Kvitova easily.

The former seven-time major champion, Mats Wilander said that Rybakina is on fire, “When she starts getting going we realize ‘Oh okay, here we go again.’ She’s perfect for the grass with the big serve and then the confidence from last year. So out of the three, you most probably have to put Rybakina half a step ahead in terms of being the favorite.”

They have played each other four times and they have split. Jabeur has so much variety, and she can slice it, spin it and flatten it out. When she is feeling good, she can throw in her terrific drop shots. However, she can hit it too short and her serve is so-so.

Rybakina can be nervous at times, but she can also really think about the different strokes. There are times when her forehand goes off, and her second serve can be too short. But on the grass, she believes that eventually, she can jump to grab her winners. For the second time at Wimbledon, Rybakina will edge Jabeur in another fun three-setter.

Aryna Sabalenka over Madison Keys
They have split their match, one to one, with Sabalenka winning almost five years ago in Cincinnati on the hard courts and Keys grabbed it in Berlin two years ago 7-5 in the third. Sabalenka won a Slam for the first time this year, taking the Australian Open.

Keys has not done it yet, but she has gone very deep at all the four Slams.
She thinks when she is healthy, she can beat almost anyone. She can mash her forehand and her backhand, and her first serve is extremely powerful, but her second serve can be weak. She will hustle, and she also will try to put it into the corner and put it away.

Yes, the same goes for Sabalenka, who hops on balls very early and she will swing it very hard. She can blitz her forehand and her backhand, and while she is returning, she can over-hit. Yes, she has matured a lot of the past year, and she is much more secure. Without a doubt, Keys wants to go even further, but in the third set, the No. 2 Sabalenka will win it in three massive sets.

Daniil Medvedev over Christopher Eubanks
It was predictable that Eubanks was going to lose against Stefanos Tsitsipas, but he did not. Last year, the former Georgia Tech star was unable to beat anyone of the top 20 at all. But he realized eventually if he can hit the ball even harder, and then he can crush the balls off both sides. The 27-year-old changed it up, and his first serve became more consistent. “It’s a bit nuts right now. It’s crazy to see my social media feed that I’m just used to kind of going to, seeing it’s a lot of me,” he said. “I’m like, What is this? This is weird. The entire experience all together has just been a whirlwind. It’s been something that you dream about. But I think for me I didn’t really know if that dream would actually come true. I’m sitting here in it now, so it’s pretty cool.”

That is darn cool, but he has to something that he can reject Medvedev. The Russian has had a strange year, winning a lot, and then, almost out of nowhere, he over-hits. Yes, the former No. 1 really likes his brutal forehand and his heavy backhand, and also, when he returns, too. He doesn’t love at the net, but it is pretty darn good, yet here and there, he can mentally check out. However, on the grass, in London, Medvedev will swell up, and he will step on the top against after the American. Medvedev will win it in four interesting sets.

Carlos Alcaraz over Holger Rune
These two have tied, one to one, which is interesting, but not really. The first time was in 2021 Next Gen ATP Finals in Italy, and Alcaraz, won it easily. Then in the fall, last year in 2022, in Paris indoors, Rune won it when Alcaraz retired, due to an injury. So really, that was important, yet the 20-years-old still haven’t played each other enough, and because of that, it is all most even.

It is pretty clear there will be some long points, down the line, and crosscourt. They can mix it up, and they can also rush into the net. They are very potent, and while they are still young, they have played a lot since they started, so they know how to hit the ball, intelligently.

As Alcaraz said: “If I have to take some weapon from him, I’m going to say the backhand. I’m not saying that my backhand is bad, no. I think he has a great backhand. He has a lot of passion; he loves the game. He’s a very competitive guy, as well. I could describe him like this.”

It is highly unlikely that they will go into the glorious five-setter, and while Rune wants to win a Grand Slam, he will miss a few shots at the end. Alcaraz will win it with four awesome winners.

Matt’s yesterday picks at Wimbledon

Correct: Novak Djokovic over Andrey Rublev
Correct: Jannik Sinner over Roman Safiullin
Iga Swiatek over Elina Svitolina
Jessica Pegula over Marketa Vondrousova

Matt’s picks from Wimbledon

11 out of 17. 64.7% correct

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, Christopher Eubanks, daniil medvedev, Elena Rybakina, Holger Rune, madison keys, Ons Jabeur, wimbledon

The picks at Wimbledon: Monday, July 10

July 9, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Stefanos Tsitsipas over Christopher Eubanks

The hard-running Greek Tsitsipas is finally playing very well, outstanding when he beat Andy Murray in five wonderful sets. He has been there before, but the American Eubanks has suddenly become much better. Over the years, he could not beat the top players, but this year, he has become much more powerful. He is the only American who has made it into the second week at Wimbledon. When they started to play at the event, they thought that they had a chance to go very deep, but they all went down, day after day. But not Eubanks, who is thinking on court, and really to go for it. However, he might be aggressive. Tsitsipas will push forward, and change it up with his massive forehand and his potent backhand. Tsitsipas will win it in four stellar sets.

Petra Kvitova over Ons Jabeur
The two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova is barreling again with a tremendous confident. On the hard courts, she can look wonderful, but she can also play awful. But, not now, as she is running all over the place. She can be so rugged, and she will scream after she just slapped a terrific winner.

Jabeur finally began to guess on the court again. Clearly, she has so much variety, and she also loves to hit drop shots. She also likes to spin it and fool her opponents. However, Kvitova knows exactly how to play against her. Yes, she can mentally check out, but right now, she has checked in. As she said: “I love playing on grass, for sure,” said Kvitova. “When my serve is working I love it even more. I don’t think it was the case today but somehow I found a way, which I’m very happy with.” Kvitova will win it in three demanding sets.

Madison Keys over Mirra Andreeva
The 16-year-old Andreeva came up really fast, as she knocked out Anastasia Potapova to reach in the fourth round. Some people knew that she can swing away, and she can sprint side to side. Clearly, she has a lot of work ahead, but she is very focused, even at her age.

“Honestly, after Paris I just had quite a long talk with myself, just me and myself, and that’s it. I talked to myself. I just talked,” Andreeva said. “I don’t know, just in my head I realized some things. I took some decisions that I think are now important for me.”

She might, but Keys really likes to shorten points on the grass. When she puts it in her first serve, then she sets with the points. She has been around for a while, and she has become hurt,physically, but when she is healthy, she can go very deep, like when she did at the Australian Open and the US Open. Keys is hard to read, but at least over the past eight days, she is secure again. Therefore, Keys will beat the young player in two tight sets.

Carlos Alcaraz over Matteo Berrettini

This is almost a standard analysis that the Spaniard believes that he can win every match. Even if he misses some odd points, when it can go for a few hours, he will change it up and not to try and nail down the line all the time. Alcaraz is growing, not just that he runs so fast, but week after week, he can see what he is really doing.

The Italian Berrettini can be darn hard opponent, and his backhand can also be strong as he bashes it down the line. However, he was hurt a lot this year, and while he has had a few very good wins here, he is not ready to rise up, yet. Alcaraz will win it in three physical sets.

Matt’s yesterday picks at Wimbledon

Andrey Rublev over Alexander Bublik
Iga Swiatek over Belinda Bencic
Novak Djokovic over Hubert Hurkacz
Elina Svitolina over Victoria Azarenka

Matt’s picks from Wimbledon

7 out of 9. 77.7% correct

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Carlos Alcaraz, Christopher Eubanks, madison keys, Matt Cronin, Matteo Berrettini, Matthew Cronin, Mirra Andreeva, Ons Jabeur, Petra Kvitova, Stefanos Tsitsipas

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

Coco Gauff wins, preps for Australian Open

January 10, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

The 18-year-old Coco Gauff had a stellar week in Adelaide, winning the tournament and easily beating Rebeka Masarova 6-1, 6-1 in the final.

When she gets going, Gauff can be forceful and reactive. She can move forward when she is feeling good. Last week, she rarely went backwards. She has yet to win a huge tournament, but she has now won three small events in Linz, Parma and now the 2023 Auckland.

Next week, she will still be ranked No. 7. When she arrives at the Australian Open, she will be thinking that she can take a huge shot of winning a Slam. She is not quite there yet. If she keeps her focus in the first week, then should could power through to a title. However, at the AO last year, she lost to Carolina Garcia, the current No. 4. If they match up again, then Gauff is going to have to play almost 100 percent to win it, as the Frenchwoman can be spectacular.

Speaking of another American, Sebastian Korda was so close of beating Novak Djokovic, but he came short, losing when the Serb 6-7(8), 7-6(3), 6-4. That was a marathon, yet Djokovic kept changing, hitting his astounding backhand, solid volleys and big spin in his forehand.

Korda played a wonderful week, not because he lost, but he was very patient and mixed it up a lot. He also knew that to win the match, he had to try seriously hard, and many times over the past few years, he would slide into mediocracy. He was so-so last summer, but in the fall, he began to rise. For the first time, at the Australian Open, he will be seeded.

Djokovic is clearly on fire again. He has now won 92 career titles, which is a huge amount. He has won the Australian Open eight times, and in Melbourne, he is favored again. But he is not a huge favorite, just by a slight edge, Last year he arrive in but then was asked to leave Australia because he hadn’t taken the COVID-19 vaccine. When he is on the court, in a match, there will some fans who will boo him. That is a fact.

American men and the women won the United Cup with Jessica Pegula, Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys. Clearly, they played very consistently and made sure they dominated. All of them were having a great time.

None of them have reached the final at the AO, and of course, they really like the hardcourts. So they have a realistic shot to beat down the excellent players. Pegula has never gone deep at the Slams. Tiafoe reached the US Open semis when he played terrific last year, but, in the fifth set against Carlos Alcaraz, the Spaniard rose way high. Tiafoe will have another chance to prove himself. He actually lost to his friend Fritz and the San Diego resident won 2022 Indian Wells, the best he had ever played. He has yet to win a Slam, a big test.

Keys has put in a few wild and fun matches at Melbourne, and she went into the semis twice. She can mash the ball, but when she cannot run that fast, then she can lose when she is mentally down. Keys looked very good until the semis, and then the former No.1 Ashel Barty crushed her.

Aryna Sabalenka just won an event, beating newcomer Linda Noskova. The former No. 2 Sabalenka can rock and roll, but she can throw in a lot of double faults. If she can hit a lot of first serves then sure, she has a chance to win it all.

There has to be at least 10 women who can grab the Aussie title, given that Barty retired.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Auckland, Australian Open, Frances Tiafoe, madison keys, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Novak Djokovic, Sebastian Korda, Taylor Fritz, United Cup

TennisReporters.net’s top 32 in 2022: women 15-11

December 22, 2022 by Matthew Cronin

No. 15: Beatriz Haddad Maia
The Brazilian finally became more thoughtful, and also, more fierce, on court. In Toronto, she upset the No. 1 Iga Świątek, Belinda Bencic and Karolina Pliskova until she lost in the final against Simon Halep. That was a revenge factor by Halep, as Haddad Maia beat her on the grass in Birmingham. Halep can be damn steady. Haddad Maia can stay in long rallies and she can mix it up as well, especially on the grass,as she won Nottingham. What is pretty odd is that when she first started to play in South America, there were not many grass courts but she learned how to play on all surfaces. Almost a year ago she was ranked No. 115, and now she is in the top 15. That is a huge jump. She does scramble, and she can also try to leap on the lines. Next year though, when she plays the Grand Slams, she has to push herself as she has yet to reach a third round. In 2023, if she wants to be a force at the Slams she needs to reach the second week. Then, if she does, she can really smile.

No. 14: Danielle Collins
The American is so intense on court. She aims deep to the backcourt, and she strokes are so effective. When she is locked in, then she can immediately hit winners. Yes, she has won some wonderful matches, but she has lost against the very important players. Sure, she can be uptight in close matches. However, in January at the Australian Open, she beat the No. 1 Świątek in the semis. Unfortunately for Collins, Ash Barty beat her in the final, and then the Aussie retired. Collins does not love the clay, but on hard courts she is pretty good. Next year, the 29-year-old has to be more fit, improve her serves and net game. Without a doubt, she wants to win a Grand Slam, one day, so she has to seize the day.

No. 13: Paula Badosa
In 2021, she came alive, and she won some astonishing matches. But this year, she shuddered, and she did not reach any finals. In fact, she only advanced to semis twice. She could not out-hit the very good opponents. She can run really fast and she can be creative. On the other hand she does not hit the balls deep enough and other people can smash at her. The odd thing was last year, when she won Indian Wells, she downed Coco Gauff, Barbora Krejcikova, Angelique Kerber, Ons Jabeur and Victoria Azarenka. That was her best two weeks ever. Also, she won a bunch of important matches, starting 2022 ranked No. 10. She was on fire and she had so much confidence. Throughout the year she stalled and was totally unfulfilled. Next year, she can try to reset and use more strategy.

No. 12: Belinda Bencic
There have been years that the Swiss was prepared to win a Grand Slam. Before she became hurt, the big hitter won Toronto in 2015, and it appeared that she was going way up the top of the charts. She has had some terrific days, such as when she won the Olympics in 2021, yet she has only won six events, which are good, but not outstanding by any means. This year, she won Charleston, beating Keys, Badosa and Jabeur. That was stellar, and it looked like she would rise again. She has her strong legs, and she slaps the ball, but when she is playing a lot, she folds. She reached the final in Berlin, which was just a big step, but she can lose when it is so close. At the end of the year she lead Switzerland to victory in the ITF BJK Cup Final. Now, next year, if she stays with her strokes, then she can win another couple events. But at the Slams? She has to proof it.

No. 11: Madison Keys
The American hits so many winners crosscourt, down the line and when she returns. She has gone super deep over the years at the Grand Slams, such as getting to the US Open final, and the semis at the Australian Open and Roland Garros. She was right there, but she has had so many injuries, and she had to stop. Yes, she loves to play, but on court now, she does not run fast enough. She has won “just” six titles, and she started in the WTA Tour 10 years ago. She is a pleasant person. In 2023, if she wants to reach the top 5, then she will have find a way to succeed at the net. She has to throw in some slices. To win a huge event, she cannot play the same style over and over.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Beatriz Haddad Maia, Belinda Bencic, danielle Collins, madison keys, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Paula Badosa

2023: The outlook for American women

November 29, 2022 by Matthew Cronin

American Jessica Pegula finished the year ranked No. 3, but at times she could be upset on the court. The 28-year-old finally won a huge tournament in Guadalajara dismissing Maria Sakkari in the final. But soon thereafter in the WTA Finals in Texas, she did not win against three opponents.

Oh well, in 2022, she went from flawless to floundering.

“It just gets frustrating after it happening so many times in a year; I don’t think that’s happened so many times to someone else as it did to me, so that’s why I was very frustrated,” she said.

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, when she has a real chance to jump on the ball, she would go for the lines. But that can be risky.

“All these challenges and I just did a good job of handling it, knowing I’m in a really tough section and maybe someone in my section is going to win the tournament and I think just decided more like, ‘Okay this is my chance to work my way through the draw and be that person that’s going to win,’ ” she said.

Pegula is the top American, just ahead of No. 7 Coco Gauff. They both play doubles together, a decent amount, and they are No. 3.

Pegula has yet to reach the semifinals at a Grand Slam, but she could do that next year. To do it, she has thrown in some new shots.

“Luckily it worked out but it’s definitely challenging but at the same time if you take it the right way it can be extremely motivating,” she said.

NOTES

Gauff has had a very good year, as the 18-year-old improved a lot. But there are times when she gets deep into the tournaments, she can miss a lot of shots. She can hit the balls pretty hard, but she can be predictable. It will take her years to correctly decide which strokes to hit. That did happen with former No. 1 Ash Barty. When she started, she always had a lot of variety, but when she played from the backcourt, her shots could be very short. Eventually, she grew up and her forehand, her first serve and the return rose so high.

The good thing for Gauff is that the reason why she plays lots of doubles, that the No. 7 is pretty good at the net and when she returns. In 2023, she can bring it into the singles and possible win a Grand Slam. But that is a big maybe.

With the retirement of 23-Grand-Slam-winner Serena Williams, which players can win a major next year? Obviously, Gauff, but you can throw in the rest of the top 30 such as Americans Madison Keys, Danielle Collins and Amanda Anisimova.

The veteran Keys has gone years without great results. When she was playing terrific with her massive strokes, but she has pulled out a lot due to her injuries. She is making the effort, but the No. 11 is not that fast, and she still is not comfortable at the net. At the 2016 US Open, she reached the final, and it looked like that eventually, she would grab it someday. But now, it is very questionable. Maybe she will have a few more years when she is looking like that she is jolly. This year, she had two very good tournaments at the Australian Open and Cincinnati, but that was it. She has to be more advanced, especially about her second serve and at the net.

Collins is so up and down. She did have some strong results, such as at the Australian Open, when she reached the final, beating Iga Swiatek before she lost to Barty. The No. 14 Collins loves to swing away, and she can boom the ball, but she throws in too many errors. The 28-year-old wants to continue to mix it up, and that is a good thing, but in order to get better results, then she should add some different thumps.

Anisimova started at No. 81 in January and now she is ranked No. 23, which is good because she got hurt at the US Open, and then she could not play for the rest of the year. She is only 21 years old. Let us assume that she is continuing how to really play when she is extremely close. This year she did win some tough matches, but she has also lost against Simona Halep twice, Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur, among others. However, Anisimova did out hit against the four-time major champion Naomi Osaka. She was up in the top of the world. But not always. The Floridian can be very frustrated, but each year, if she wants to build with her strokes, she needs to find something new, and some very cool.

By the way, outside of the top 30, there are three Grand Slam winners who are still playing: Sloane Stephens, Sofia Kenin and Venus Williams. Clearly, the seven-time Grand Slam champ Venus is 42 years old, and she is too slow now. She may retire next year.

Stephens, who won the 2017 U.S. Open, she did not play well almost all year. Will she return and strike the ball hard?

Almost three years ago, Kenin won the Australian Open. But now she is ranked No. 238. She has played quite a bit this season, but she cannot get moving again. Something is going on. Why? No one really knows.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: amanda anisimova, coco gauff, danielle Collins, Jessica Pegula, madison keys, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Serena williams