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Caroline Wozniacki wins first match in Montreal

August 9, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

The former No. 1, Caroline Wozniacki, is back, in Montreal, which is a little bit odd, given that she retired. It appears that she just wanted to play again and win, a lot. She has won 30 titles, which is huge and her backhand was extremely good, but the reason why she only won one Grand Slam is because her forehand was so-so, and her her second serve, too.

Today, she beat Kimberly Birrell 6-2, 6-2, and she was thrilled, as she has not play for three and half years ago, a long time.

However, the 33-year-old Wozniacki was so consistent, and fast. But why did she decide to retire, thinking that it is time to go, forever. And then, gradually, she would think sure, I can hit the ball, have some sets, have some fun, and then go home. But one day, she would wake up, and then say, alright, now I can to win another Slam. Something that is really important.

“Can I win the US Open? I think so,” said Wozniacki, who has two young children. “Can I win the Australian Open [again]? I think so. That’s why I’m doing this. And I guess we’ll see what happens.”

I would say so, but she has only won one match this week. She has to work on the shots, gradually.

Or maybe she won’t come back into the No. 1 ever again, or even into the top 10. Look at another four-times Grand Slam winner, Kim Clijsters, who came back, but she could not win a match. On court, she was a wonderful player, but then she was just too slow. So then she retired again. That it a tough pill to swallow.

However, the former Wimbledon winner, Frederik Lochte Nielsen, said about Wozniacki, “I’ve always said, never underestimate Caroline. She wouldn’t compete if she didn’t feel she could.”

How did Milos Raonic win a match on Monday in Toronto? Yes, long ago, he looked very good, winning eight titles, and he reached in the final at the 2016 Wimbledon. Even though he lost against Andy Murray, it was possible that eventually, he could grab it, and become No. 1. But he could do it, not just because he started to be injured a lot, but also, he wasn’t that fast, running, and his return was spotty.

But now, the Canadian finally came back, and the 32-year-old look very impressive when he beat Frances Tiafoe 6-7(12), 7-6(4), 6-3. He was thrilled, but it is just only one match. Or more.

Back in 2013 in Canada, Raonic reached the final, beating Juan Martin del Potro, and then he lost against Rafa Nadal. But in Canada, he was thrilled.

“I felt I was able to do my things well,” said Raonic, who won twice San Jose, in California. “I don’t feel I’m that far off from playing tennis that was reminiscent from two or three years ago. But it doesn’t mean that those things just click and transfer to matches. I still have to continue working hard in those moments and hopefully those things do come together.”

That it true, and maybe when you are more mature, then you can adjust it when you are playing in the matches. Not only did he win eight contests, in the ATP 250s and the 500s, but he reached into the 1000’s, three times. The last time was in Cincinnati in 2020, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas before he lost against the great player, Novak Djokovic, quickly. But that is how it does.

The American men had a tough day, when Gael Monfils played terrific in the third set, when he was very confident again, beating Christopher Eubanks 7-6(3) 6-7(4) 6-1. Eubanks has had a good year, but he will has to be more efficient on court.

But Monfils looked excellent, in the third set, but the former 2008 Roland Garros semifinals became injured all the time, each year. He has never won a Grand Slam before, but he is older, so to win a Slam or an ATP 1000 would be shocking. However, in the third set Toronto, the very fast runner hit some blasting shots, including his fine forehand. Whether he can stay the rest of the year, with his sore legs, is questionable, but he had a cool at night.

“Every moment are tough. When you get on the court, it’s tough,” Monfils said. “Then when you know your tactic is not working, it’s tough. And then I don’t know what is worse, to miss completely the game when I was about to serve it out [in the second set], or when I choke with this forehand on the match point, or when I couldn’t even get this double break. So are tough. And at the end, the easiest one is when I won and I shake his hand. I never take granted any moment. So I just tried to stay the most positive that I could and try to be as cool as I can. And to be honest, it’s amazing. After 20 years, I can choke in a way. It means so much for me to win one match. And it was actually fun.”

Grand Slam before, but he is older, so to win a Slam or an ATP 1000 would be shocking. However, in the third set Toronto, the very fast runner hit some blasting shots, including his fine forehand. Whether he can stay the rest of the year, with his sore legs, is questionable, but he had a cool at night.

“Every moment are tough. When you get on the court, it’s tough,” Monfils said. “Then when you know your tactic is not working, it’s tough. And then I don’t know what is worse, to miss completely the game when I was about to serve it out [in the 2nd set], or when I choke with this forehand on the match point, or when I couldn’t even get this double break. So are tough. And at the end, the easiest one is when I won and I shake his hand. I never take granted any moment. So I just tried to stay the most positive that I could and try to be as cool as I can. And to be honest, it’s amazing. After 20 years, I can choke in a way. It means so much for me to win one match. And it was actually fun.”

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Caroline Wozniacki, Christopher Eubanks, Gael Monfils, Kimberly Birrell, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, milos raonic, Montreal, Toronto

Raonic turns back the clock to kickstart comeback tour

August 8, 2023 by Kamakshi Tandon

TORONTO–Milos Raonic not only turned back the clock but almost got to rerun his career during a memorable opening night win in his hometown of Toronto.

The 32-year-old Canadian, currently ranked No. 575, defeated No. 10 Frances Tiafoe 6-7(12), 7-6(4), 6-3, but even that eye-catching scoreline doesn’t fully capture the exuberance of the victory.

Raonic is three events and five matches into his comeback tour, having spent two years away from the game and 14 months not picking up a racquet, gaining 40 pounds during an injury break that he thought had likely finished his career. During the more than two-hour 44-minute contest played minutes from his childhood home, he hit 37 aces, almost a career-high for a three-setter, including one on match point to seal a spot in the second round against Taro Daniel.

But the statistics were secondary to the spills and thrills, especially in a tightrope walk first-set tiebreak that finished amid controversy and boos. Having fallen behind right at the start of the match, Raonic broke back to send the first set to a tiebreak that went on and on, highlighted by a scintillating Tiafoe dropshot that spun back onto his side of the court. Even the pro-Raonic crowd cheered that winner, but Tiafoe’s flicked running forehand on set point got quite a different reception. “Initially appearing to be a winner, it then seemed umpire Fergus Murphy had given the point to Raonic as Tiafoe had touched the net, followed by a long discussion between all three — and even an appearance from the tournament supervisor — before Tiafoe was given the point, and with it the set.

Though Murphy attempted to tell the crowd that Tiafoe had touched the doubles portion of the net, considered a “fixture” with which contact is allowed, there were loud boos that only amplified when Raonic walked back to the side of the court and smashed his racquet on his chair.

“So I guess the part that’s confusing is he did call it my point,” Raonic told press following the contest. “Then the change — then the issue was the amount of times the whole conversation was changed.

“Then it was, okay, which part of the net he touched.”

But though admitting he’s “not necessarily the best player involving the crowd” — largely due to his staccato play and stiffness — Raonic was energized by the atmosphere.

“I think that kind of got everybody going. That, and that game that I got fortunate to break back at when he was serving for the first set,” he said. “And I think that just kind of gave me some momentum and some force going forward.”

There were loud cheers and chants of “Let’s go, Milos” accompanying his comeback in the second and third sets, during which he slowly took control with his big serving and improving consistency off the ground.

“It wasn’t the first time a Raonic contest has involved a controversial call — ten years ago on the same court, he won a point against Juan Martin del Potro despite a double hit he eventually would say he should have admitted on court.

There was also an appearance from the trainer for a lower back injury, so frequent during all the physical problems Raonic has had during his career.

And along with that were the other hallmarks of Raonic matches — easy holds, tiebreaks, plenty of aces. But for Raonic, it was more about again having the feeling that goes with it — getting to play in front of friends and family, the roar of the local fans, all in the stadium he once watched from the stands.

He’s not sure whether he’ll retire before he can play this event again, but on this evening, it was like old times.

“For me — it’s incredibly special for it to be here,” he said. “The embrace between my mom and dad, that’s probably the thing…that means the most to me.”

And with his win, there’ll be another repeat of some of those sights and sounds.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Frances Tiafoe, Matthew Cronin, milos raonic, Toronto

Sebastian Korda rising: ‘Best teams around me experience-wise’

March 31, 2021 by Matthew Cronin

In the 1990s, Petr Korda won the 1998 Australian Open and he reached a highest rating to No. 2. He was close to be No. 1, but he didn’t get it, no cigar. Now his son, Sebastian, is on the fast track.

Sebastian Korda can really hit it hard and flat, just like his dad. He can really slap the ball from both sides. He returns pretty well, too. Plus, since a young age, he began to practice and he just fell in love with tennis. When he got home from the courts, he would turn on the TV and watched the pros. He wanted to play on that stage. Now, he knows he will stay at the ATP for a long time.

This week, in Miami, he upset Fabio Fognini 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. On Tuesday, Korda put down the No. 9 Diego Schwartzman. What an incredible week.

“I’d say I have one of the best teams around me experience-wise,” Korda said. “I mean, I have my dad who was a Grand Slam champion, No. 2 in the world, my mom [Regina Rajchrtová] who was a top-30 player, [the Czech] Radek Stepanek who is like my brother, we are always in contact, who was No. 8 in the world. And then to have a friend and mentor as [the Grand Slam who won eight Slams] Andre Agassi, I mean, I don’t think you can have a better team.”

NOTES
Elina Svitonia nailed Anastasija Sevastova in a 6-3, 6-2 quarterfinal. Svitolina said, “I know that she’s a big fighter and she will try to come back, it doesn’t matter the score, so I was expecting a tough battle. In the end, I think I played really good throughout the match and I’m really happy with the way I finished it.” No doubt. … Ash Barty outlasted Aryna Sabalenka in three sets. Of course the No. 1 can win Miami. She has all kinds of being diverse. … John Isner lost another close contest, losing 7-6(7) in the third against Roberto Bautista Agut. Another brutal loss. … Once again, it was another sad loss, when Canadian Milos Raonic fell to Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(4) in the third. … Both with Isner and Raonic can hit so many winners, when they are serving, but one of the reasons why they haven’t won a Grand Slam is because they don’t return well enough. That is a fact, at least now.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Elina Svitonia, John Isner, miami, milos raonic, petr korda, Regina Rajchrtová, Sebastian Korda

TennisReporters.net 2020 year-end review: top 11-15, men

December 21, 2020 by Matthew Cronin

15. David Goffin
Three years ago, the Belgium had finally shone and became very good. He could always blend it up and move with speed. In 2017, he upset a few fine players, like Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Dominic Thiem at the ATP Finals. Federer and Nadal have beaten Goffin numerous times with some blowouts, too. Now he is 30 and has gotten over his nerves, especially in the backcourt, where he is very steady. However, he has yet to win a Grand Slam or the ATP 1000 final. There is a small chance to win a major, but if he can move closer to the net, just like Rod Laver and Pete Sampras, then he can break that ceiling. In 2020, he did not do much, as he was only 12-11. He has to return better. It looks like he could win the titles, but not the big ones

14. Milos Raonic
The huge hitter came up pretty fast, with his huge serve and his muscular forehand. In 2016 Wimbledon, he reached the final, upsetting Federer in five sets in the semis. He was ready to go, but in the final, he lost to the Brit Andy Murray. While Raonic has gone deep into the finals, and he has won eight titles, but he stalled. The 29-year-old has not won an ATP 1000. During the summer, he reached into the final, at Cincinnati, cracking past Stefanos Tsitsipas. But, he went down in the final to Novak Djokovic. He is tall, his forehand is a weapon, and his backhand improved this season. But at the US Open, he lost against another Vasek Popsil. Currently, he is working with coach Mario Tudor. Optimistically, next year, he can get back into the top 3, but the most important thing is to stay on the court, rather than pulling out. He just has to stay healthy.

13. Roberto Bautista Agut
The Spaniard finally reached the semis at a Grand Slam, 2019 Wimbledon. There, he bent down and flipped his shots deep into the court. Unfortunately, he could not find a way, losing to Djokovic in four sets. He has played the majors since he started in 2005. Now, he has racked up 61 wins and 31 losses. That is very decent, but he has been stuck getting to the round of 16 over and over. The 32-year-old has always played consistently, as he rarely gets hurt. That is a huge positive. He has won nine titles, which is good, but he has yet to win at the ATP 1000s. At least in 2016 at Shanghai, he upset Djokovic and in the final, he went down to Andy Murray. Bautista Agut is very good, but that doesn’t mean that he can win a Grand Slam. However, he will try, and try again.

12. Denis Shapovalov
The young Canadian will continue to grow, but he has to improve his serves and volleys. At the start of the year, in Brisbane he looked terrific, beating Tsitispas and Alexander Zverev. He reached the quarterfinal, and then lost to Djokovic. But, he eventually stalled, and he didn’t play well as the year wound down. He was 17-15. That is not good enough. He is coached by his father, Tessa Shapovalova, and the former top 5 Mikhail Youzhny. They can really add to his game. He should be satisfied now. If he wants to go to the top, then he must expand his weapons.

11. Gael Monfils
The Frenchman can be phenomenal, sprinting and cracking with his major forehand. When he is healthy — and that is not often given over the past five years that he injured a lot— he can compete with top 10 player. But, one of the reasons was that he has not reached the final at the Grand Slam is that he can’t get is mental game up to the level of his physical game. He can be close, but he has to beat the great players. He should improve his backhand and move up closer to the baseline. He is engaging with the players and his easy personality is a winning asset. Next year, he can return to the top 10. But beyond that, I cannot see him winning a Slam.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: david goffin, denis Shapovalov, milos raonic, roberto bautista agut

Australian Open: Roger Federer survives, barely

January 25, 2020 by Matthew Cronin

Roger Federer was surely out of the Australian Open, down 8-4 in a final set match tiebreak. Somehow, someway, the Swiss survived, winning the last six and pressure-packed points. The match last more than four hours.

Finally, he tacked the Aussie, John Millman, 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(8). He could have lost, but he stayed there, focused, putting the balls back into the court and, when he had a chance, he went for it.

Millman played as well as he could, perhaps the best he played, ever. But he couldn’t knock the Swiss down. That is the way it goes.

“I never really felt comfortable. I felt John did a great job of keeping me on the back foot, that I couldn’t always step in,”Federer said. “Until the last shot; I went for it. He picked the wrong side.”

Federer has won 20 Grand Slams. Perhaps he can do it again, but at Melbourne, he has to play four more times to win it all. The other great players are still there, so Federer might have to face against Fabio Fognini, Milos Raonic, or Novak Djokovic in the semis. And in the final, will it be against Rafa Nadal again? For Federer, it is a very tough draw. But it is a huge challenge, and a very good one for tennis fans around the world.

Years ago, it really looked like Milos Raonic would win a Slam, and perhaps to become No. 1. But he gets injured a lot, and also, even though he hits so many winners, he can panic. But, now, he is finally playing patient and thoughtful. He just played a terrific match, upending the young player Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-4, 7-6(2). You never know how well Raonic will play in the second week. At least he reached the 2016 Wimbledon final. But, on the hard courts, he has to win a lot more. He just has to push himself everyday, or else…The 15-year-old Cori Gauff is totally on fire. She stunned the former champ, Naomi Osaka, 6-3, 6-4. Osaka has played some amazing matches at the Slams. But, admittedly, she was out of it on Friday. OK, maybe she did not play at her best level, but the American is very fast, and steady and powerful. She is coming up very fast, sort of like the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, back in the day. They walked on the court, and immediately, they won so many matches. Both of them have said that it took them years to be much better. When they won their first Slams, in 1999 and 2001, they jumped on it.

Will Gauff do the same thing, winning the Aussie Open right now? On Sunday, she has to face another American, the 21-year-old Sofia Kenin, who is playing terrific ball. It has to be a three setter, with some huge swings, from their forehands, especially.

Alison Riske had a nice win over Julia Goerges 1-6, 7-6(4), 6-2. She could have failed, but she dug in. She loves to crack the ball, and she is pretty good at the net. She has been around for a while, but it took her at least a decade to understand what she has to do. She is smarter now. However, she has yet to reach the semis at the Slams. On Sunday, she will have to go up against No. 1 Ash Barty, on Rod Laver Arena. Riske is not the favorite here because Barty has a tremendous amount of shots. But, in front of the packed crowds. Even in her home country, she has become nervous here and there. And if she does, then Riske will have an opportunity, to stun her. Pressure is more than an opportunity; it can be a killer.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Alison Riske, Australian Open, barely; Coco Gauff, milos raonic, Roger Federer survives, Sofia Kenin

Rafa is rarely missing again, to face Tsitsipas

January 23, 2019 by Matthew Cronin

FROM THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN, Jan. 23 – Rafa Nadal has not lost a set over the past 10 days. The Spaniard hasn’t played for almost five months, he was injured, and when he came back at the Aussie Open, he was unsure how he would play. but, one way or another, he had to come on the court and just hit the ball. Right off the bat, he was aggressive, hitting deep with his big forehand and his twisting first serve. His crosscourt backhand improved a decent amount and the lefty can put it away at the net. He rarely misses it.

The 17-time Grand Slam winner has a chance to win Melbourne. A decade ago, he won it, but after that, he did not grab it again. He really wants it though, badly.

Nadal has to face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semis. You know, the Greek who upset Roger Federer as well as beating Roberto Bautista Agut. The 20-year-old Tsitsipas is rising fast.

“I think Roger in the second set was unlucky,” Nadal said. “A lot of breakpoints in key moments that probably if he takes one of them, one of that breakpoints, probably will be a big difference on that score.

“Surprising or not, I will not say no because always when Federer is on court, is always surprise when he loses, no? But we know they are good. We know that Stefanos is one of these players that can win against everybody. Was a surprise but not a very big surprise. I know Stefanos is ready to win against everybody.”

The top players have been playing for 15 years in the majors, and they have been winning forever. The current young guys looked pretty good, but they have yet to win it all at the Grand Slams. Can Tsitsipas beat Federer, Nadal and possibly Novak Djokovic to win it all? That would be unbelievable, but he has to get there first.

“Being honest with you, for me, I play another match if they are the NextGen or not. For me what really matters is win the match and give myself a chance to be in the next round,” Nadal said. “That’s the real feeling for me at this stage of my career. Is not like don’t give them confidence or not. I know they are good. I know they will be fighting for the most important things during the next couple of years. I don’t take it that way. I just take it like a difficult match against players that they have a lot of energy. That’s all.”

Pliskova rolls over Serena
How about the Czech Karoline Pliskova, who upset Serena Williams in three sets? She was down 1-5 in the third, but she did not want to quit, she kept going for her shots, she found her huge serves and she returned deep. After she turned her ankle on match point, Serena made more than a few errors, and all of a sudden, Pliskova jumped on the ball. Her eyes were very clear, she knew where she would go, flat and deep. She beat Serena 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. As Pliskova said, it was her best match ever. And for Serena: If she wants to win another Grand Slam, this year, she has to play a fair amount of tournaments. Here, she hadn’t played in four months. That is tough for anyone.

Pliskova will face the rising Naomi Osaka, who smoked Elina Svitolia. Pliskova thinks she can out-think her, and to make her sweat. They are both huge hitters, and they can crush their serves. There won’t be too many rallies, but it will be a flashy, entertaining match..

American Danielle Collins is in the semis. She has improved a lot over the past year, a tremendous amount. She can move forward and try to put it away. Most times, in the past 11 days, she has. However, she has to face Petra Kvitova, who hasn’t lost a set. She is another Czech, she is directed, and she is very clean. You never know about her on court, but she will focus a lot. At least right now, Kvitova is better than Collins.

Pouille surprise showing
Lucas Pouille hit the top 10 last March but watched his ranking plummet to 31. He wasn’t on anyone radar to do damage in Melbourne. Pouille’s sneaked through the first three rounds with little opposition. In the round of 16 he knocked off his first seeded player, sending Borna Coric to the showers in four sets. The big win wass over Milos Raonic, seeded 16. With the Canadian showing his old form, Raonic looked like a lock. But, Pouille exploded to grab the semifinal berth — his first ever in a Grand Slam — with a 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-7(2) 6-4 win. Next up is Novak Djokovic, who advanced when Kei Nishikori retired.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Australian Open, danielle Collins, Karolina Pliskova, Lucas Pouille, melbourne, milos raonic, Petra Kvitova, rafa nadal, Rafael Nadal, Serena williams, Stefanos Tsitsipas

Raonic, Serena, Pliskova rising

January 21, 2019 by Matthew Cronin

FROM THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN, January 21 — Canadian Milos Raonic has been so steady and lethal over the past nine days. He is powerful, he won’t go too early to try and kiss the lines, and he thinks a lot. He was been injured so many time over the past two years, but today, he was smart and focused.

On Monday, he essentially crushed Alex Zverev in straights, 6-1, 6-1, 7-6. The German destroyed his racket, slamming it nine times after the second set. The young man was, as he said, “I was very angry, so I let my anger out.”

Raonic saw it, but he didn’t want to think about it for a long time. He needs to continue to focus.

“I think it can have an effect. It’s like if a top guy after winning a game, even though they are behind against a player that maybe hasn’t been in a scenario is a bit more vocal, tries to sort of amp themselves up,” he said.

“It’s sort of that same thing. It could be to try to provoke or make the other guy think, because if another guy is in a very comfortable situation and things are flowing smoothly, it’s sort of a stimulation on the side that can provoke maybe some thought, some doubt, or maybe some, Oh, maybe that guy is going to wake up across. Just make them think something different.”

Raonic reached the Wimbledon final a couple years ago, and after that, injuries slowed him down. It has been a tough patch to deal with him. However, when he is healthy, he looks very good. The big man can shorten the angles. Will he survive the rest of this week? Nobody know, but he is trying.

“If I can do my things well, if I can go away and train, I don’t necessarily always need to hit that much with other players. If I can do my specific things well, if I can serve well, if I can be efficient, coming forward and first chance I get, and I can recognize those moments, I can always put different pressure. And I think all those kind of things and just the process I go about and how I like to keep to myself when I have been away.

It’s always given me certain motivations. I think each injury has given me sort of the feeling I don’t know what’s next around the corner. Am I going to be hurt again or not? But it’s given me more of an appreciation of when I have been healthy.”

He will face the Frenchman Lucas Pouille, who has risen again. That should be some fascinating rallies.

If you watched it on Sunday night, Stefanos Tsitsipas overcame the great Roger Federer in four classic sets. Tsitsipas stood tall, while Federer missed some key forehands and watched 12 break opportunities float away. That’s what happens, when you cannot play perfectly. Tsitsipas almost did it.

The women
Karolina Pliskova smoked Garbine Muguruza in two sets. I mean she knew exactly how to play against her. And she did, with incredible confidence. So now the Czech will have to face Serena Williams, who overcame the No. 1 Simona Halep 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. Pliskova reached the 2017 US Open final, losing in a close three-setter to Angie Kerber. She has been around for a fair amount of time, so at some point, she will have an opportunity to go super deep. But, she has to get over Serena, which is very difficult. However, she will have a decent chance.

“We played [at the 2018] US Open. I didn’t play well that match, so for sure would be good revenge to play [Serena] again,” Pliskova said. “Different conditions here. I think I’m playing a little bit better than I was last year, so looking forward. I think she’s playing very solid this tournament. … I have my game, so of course I have to take care a little bit of them, too. But I have to play my game so I don’t have any plan B, C, D,” she said with a smile.

“Of course if Serena is playing at her best, then it’s tough because she can serve, put a lot of pressure on her returns, but she can also miss.”

Everyone can miss, but not right at the end. Once in a while, in the past 20 years, Serena has missed some key ones in the Slams, and she lost. But not many. That’s why she owns 23 Grand Slams…

Last year, outside of college, very few fans knew who Danielle Collins was. Not anymore. The 25-year-old crushed the two-time Grand Slam champion Angie Kerber 6-0, 6-2. Earlier, she took down Julia Goerges and Caroline Garcia. Those are three top-10 players. Over the years, it is very rare for the college players to go on to the tour and eventually crack the top 10. Or eventually make the top 20. Right now, though, Collins has already reached the top 25 and if she keeps playing this way, she can go way up high. She will face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who stunned Sloane Stephens, very late at night. … A tougher match for Ash Barty, who played a great contest, beating Maria Sharapova, but she has to play Petra Kvitova, who is on fire.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Australian Open, Garbine Muguruza, Karolina Pliskova, melbourne, milos raonic, Serena williams, Simona Halep

Top 30s in 2018, Men, 20-16

December 17, 2018 by Matthew Cronin

No. 20: Marco Cecchinato
Where did the Italian come from, so suddenly? A few years ago, he looked OK,but this season, the 26-year-old rebelled and he was much more dependable —early on. He won Umag and Budapest, which was not a Slam, or in the ATP 1000s, but still, at least he stuck in there. More than that, at Roland Garros, he stunned David Goffin and Novak Djokovic to reach the semis before he lost to Dominic Thiem. That was impressive. But, after that, he barely won a match during the next five months. He must regroup ASAP or he will begin to drop hard down the rankings. Here comes Australia.

No. 19: Grigor Dimitrov
The Bulgarian looked so good in 2017. He concentrated, focused and hitting the lines. But, not so in 2018 as he slipped, pretty badly. Of course, he is still in the top 20 in 2018. Now, when he is on court against the great players, you can tell that inside he is nervous and almost immediately frustrated. Here and there, he won a few good matches, but it was rare, and he lost to all the elite competitors, like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, etc. Healso lost to the very good players like Marin Cilic, Kevin Anderson, Milos Raonic and Kei Nishikori. The only real accomplishments in 2018 were reaching the quarters at the Aussie Open, beating Nick Kyrgios before losing against Kyle Edmund. In February, Dimitrov made it into the final at Rotterdam, but Federer crushed him 6-2, 6-2. After that, he did nothing. At all. However, he is an excellent player when he is on. Still, he has to believe himself again. Will he do that in January? I have no idea, but it will be intoxicating to watch him.

No. 18: Milos Raonic
The 27-year-old Canadian was OK, here and there, but he has said that he wants to win a Grand Slam. Most people do, and two years ago, he reached the 2016 Wimbledon final, and he was ready to rock. He upset Federer in the semis — a great win — but in the final against Andy Murray, the Brit took him down.Murray was very thoughtful, and he returned well, too, on grass, while Raonic couldn’t break him. Clearly, Raonic has improved a decent amount — especially his backhand — but also, he gets hurt a tremendous amount. Plus, while he has won eight small or medium titles, he still haven’t won an ATP 1000, even though he has lost three finals. In 2019, if he wants to win a gigantic event, he has to breathe, be solid and creative, and once in a while, have some fun.

No 17: Diego Schwartzman
The Argentine plays a ton, but a few years ago, he was so-so. Yet in 2018, he became more skillful on clay. He is still trying to figure out the hard courts as well as the grass, but he will rush the net here and there. His legs are strong and he can be very steady. Just like Cecchinato and Dimitrov, after Schwartzman reached the quarters at Roland Garros and lost Nadal in four sets — a pretty good match — he went down from June through November. Of course, he works a lot, but is he changing any type of tactics in 2019? I would hope so.

No. 16: Daniil Medvedev
Finally, here, among these five players, we have a 22-year-old. Russian Medvedev is getting better all the time. He is 6-foot-6, he can smoke the ball, and this year, he won three titles: Sydney, Winston-Salem and Tokyo. Obviously, they were not huge tournaments, but in Tokyo — a good event — he upset Raonic and Nishikori to grab it. To beat the Japanese in front of everyone in the final was very important. Plus, when he started the year, he was ranked No. 65, and he has to qualify at Sydney. He went all the way, taking seven matches in a row. Medvedev is obviously very healthy and pretty lethal. Without a doubt, he will push into the top-10 pretty soon.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: daniil medvedev, Diego Schwartzman, Grigor Dimitrov, marco cecchinato, milos raonic

Sharapova ousts Ostapenko; the picks, US Open, day 7

September 1, 2018 by Matthew Cronin Leave a Comment

FROM THE US OPEN – Maria Sharapova went on the court and she knew that she had to focus all the time, or she would lose. She didn’t, and she was very smart, beating Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2.

It appeared this could be a close contest. In fact, it should have been, because in Madrid in May, Sharapova outlasted her 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-5. Both of them are huge hitters, from the forehand and the backhand, down the line, deep, and right on the lines. They are incredibly powerful, but this year, both of them have produced a lot of errors. On Saturday, Ostapenko had a ton of errors, and that is why she lost. She lost her concentration, and she sunk.

Believe it or not, Sharapova has won the night sessions at the US Open, 22-0, and counting. She has only won the title just once, in 2006, defeating Justin Henin. Since then, she has had a few chances, but she didn’t convert.

Can the 31-year-old do it again? Perhaps, but this year, I would be pretty surprised if she grabbed it. She has been hurt a lot this year and, while there are days when she looks very good, but there are also events when her serves are surprisingly weak, with many double faults. But she was fairly clean on Saturday night. She can nail her forehand and backhand, but she still can be erratic, and a little bit slow.
Sharapova always practices; she loves the sport; she wants to add to her game. Maybe she will, but her right shoulder is sore. It has been for years, and she cannot use a lot of spin when she is serving. But once the rallies begin, she can rake it.

Ostapenko swings away, blasting her strokes, crosscourt, extremely hard, and down the line. The Latvian has won one at a Slam, at the 2017 Roland Garros, but now the 21-year-old makes so too errors and she insults herself. Eventually, though she can calm down and she can return to the top 5 very soon.

Sharapova was pleased after she won and now she will face Carla Suárez Navarro<, who topped Caroline Garcia 7-6 in the third. The Spainard has lots of topspin with her heavy, one-handed backhand. However, Sharapova can hit threw her, and knock her onto the wall. Sharapova will win in two sets.

More picks
American Madison Keys rose up when she had to, and she jumped over Aleksandra Krunic in three sets. Last year, she reached the final. Keys has not played extremely well this season, but now, she is forceful. She will face Domi Cibulkova, who overcame Angie Kerber. That’s a toss-up, but I think that Keys will take a breath in the third and win it.

On Sunday there are two tight matches: Ash Barty versus Karolina Pliskova, and Sloane Stephens against Elise Mertens. Pliskova is totally unpredictable, but she can hit a little hard against the Aussie. However, Barty can grind her, but Pliskova will out together a number of huge first serves and win in two sets.

Mertens is very steady, but Stephens rarely misses the ball, that is why she won the US Open last year. She will pound Mertens into the ground.

Here are two fine contests: Kevin Anderson vs. Dominic Thiem, and John Isner versus Milos Raonic. The tall Anderson is mentally stronger now, all the time. Thiem is battling, trying and push himself forward, but I am not sure that he can return frequently. Anderson will win in four sets.

Do you want a fifth setter? Well, here it is, with Raonic versus Isner. Neither of them return well, but they can serve hard and smoke their forehands. Isner will pull it off, 7-6(7) in the fifth.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: domi cibulkova, jelena ostapenko, John Isner, madison keys, maria sharapova, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, milos raonic, new york, us open

Monday magic in the rounds of 16

July 7, 2018 by Matthew Cronin Leave a Comment

FROM WIMBLEDON —

John Isner vs Stefanos Tsisipas
We are talking about John Isner, still here at Wimbledon. As he has said, he has lost many so long, very close matches over the years, all in the fifth sets, going down against Marin Cilic, Jo Tsonga, Alejandro Falla and Dudi Sela. But finally, this week, he pushed himself, he served huge, and for him — which is very unusual — he actually returned very well.
The 19-year-old Tsisipas is very young, and apparently, he is pretty good. He is 6 foot 4, and he has already cracked the top 30. He can get frustrated, but he is a big, healthy hitter. Isner has to get on top of him early. The American will in four sets.

Karolina Pliskova vs Kiki Bertens
This should be a doozy. Pliskova has finally reached in the second week at Wimbledon. She has done deep at the US Open, Roland Garros and the Aussie Open. But, on the grass, she checked out. Not anymore. Bertens is also knocking on the door. She is strong and agile. They played in Stuttgart, and in the first round, Kvitova crushed her. However, Bertens kept chucking along. She won Charleston, on the hard courts, and reached the final in Madrid on clay. Now, on grass, the Dutch player has a more positive attitude. While Bertens can push the Czech, Pliskova will out serve her in two long sets.

Roger Federer vs Adrian Mannarino
Federer is just moving along, side to side, front and back, so casually. Mannarino has been smart at times; he can chop it, and whack the ball. Once again, Federer has all the tools, especially when he is playing extremely well. He likes to be creative, and he is very happy when he is bombing serves. Federer will win in three sets.

Serena Williams vs Evgeniya Rodina
During the first week, even though she was struggling, Serena was totally in control. That is why she has moved into the second week — many, many times. Serena might be a little off, but her first serve is gigantic, she can hustle, and she can blast her forehand.

Rodina has been around a long time. She is almost 30 years old. While the Russian has never been great, this week, she kept fighting and battling. She stunned Madison Keys. But that’s different, because as Keys said, she was looking ahead, which was a bad move. Rodina will push her again, but Serena is substantially better than she is, so the American will win in an easy contest.

Julia Goerges vs Donna Vekic
German Goerges has become so much more dependable than she used to be. The Croatian is more consistent, she really loves the grass, and she can hit it very hard from both sides. Goerges has finally reached the top 10, and she really thinks — finally — that she belongs there. While Vekic is hungry, but so is Goerges, who wants to move up. She will win in two sets.

Kevin Anderson vs Gael Monfils
This should be a terrific contest between the two vets. Anderson is quicker, his backhand has improved, and he is thoughtful. When Monfils is healthy, he is so much fun to watch him. His backhand has gotten been a little bit stronger, and at the net, he loves to dive and put it away.

I am somewhat surprised that Anderson finally understands how to play at Wimbledon. It took him awhile but now he is right there. There will be few rallies, but Anderson will survive in four sets.

Milos Raonic vs Mackenzie McDonald
I have see Raonic many, many times, but I haven’t seen McDonald much. He has now cracked the top 100, which is better than nothing, but after he left UCLA when they won the 2016 NCAA Championships, it was time to move up. He has worked and worked, and now, he is hitting harder with depth.

However, Raonic is much older, he knows grass, and he is very smart when he is serving, as well whacking his forehand. The Canadian is pretty calm against the younger players, so he will win in straight sets.

Camila Giorgi vs Ekaterina Makarova
Is this a tossup? Possibly. The Italian scrambles and then she leaps in the air and puts it away. The Russian is a natural strong person, and while last year she was out of it mentally, now she is much more composed.

While Giorgi likes to run, she cannot crush the serves like Makarova can. This will go three. The Russian will raise her game and win it, but it will be very close. Super close.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Adrian Mannarino, Camila Giorgi, Donna Vekic, Ekaterina Makarova, Evgeniya Rodina, Gael Monfils, John Isner, julia goerges, Karolina Pliskova, Kevin Anderson, Kiki Bertens, Mackenzie McDonald, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, milos raonic, Roger Federer, Serena williams, Stefanos Tsisipas, wimbledon