Ons Jabeur – TennisReporters.net

The picks at Roland Garros: Wednesday, June 7

June 6, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Ons Jabeur over Beatriz Haddad Maia
The Brazilian has changed a few interesting tactics over the past year. Haddad Maia beat a number of the very good players. She can throw in some deep shots, with her spin and her slice. As she says that, “I think I had a very tough draw. I had to push myself.”

Yes, she does. However, Jabeur is more mature, even though in the matches, she can over think. She does have an incredible top spin, and she can also mix it up a lot, but at times, she isn’t hitting hard enough. She has to play if she is playing great, or mediocre, with everyone. “I have learned a lot how to accept things, either good or bad. For me, being injured was part of my path, how the season would have started here this year. I worked a lot on my mental health and worked a lot on how to manage all this, because I believe there is a lot of injuries are connected to our emotional part,” Jabeur said. “I’m trying to manage that.”

Over the past 10 days, she really does. It will be a very long match on the slick clay, and in the third set, Jabeur will win it with some eye-popping drop shots.

Iga Swiatek over Coco Gauff
At the 2021 Roland Garros in the final, Swiatek wiped Gauff in two easy sets. In the quarters on Wednesday, the American is going to have to play substantially better, especially with her up and down forehand. Her backhand is so solid, and strong, and at the net, she can put it away, many times. However, her second serve is so-so, and her return is OK, but not great, which is why she has never won a major yet. But she really wants to stun Swiatek.

“I guess the revisiting part for like the mentality, it’s in the past. In a positive way, not like I lost in the final, I don’t want to think about it,” Gauff said. “It’s more so I don’t want to make the final my biggest accomplishment, I guess. I want to keep moving forward and keep reaching further heights.”

Gauff will have a huge shot to upset Swiatek, as the Polish person is playing amazing again. She has not had a great year, but week after week, she makes another effort. She still thinks that she will jump it early, and go down the lives. Swiatek will once again beat her in three impressive sets.

Alexander Zverev over Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Frequently, the players can rise almost out of nowhere, but they do, and know that Martin Etcheverry is playing and incredible tennis. He is pretty young, so the Argentine has pushed with his forehand and his backhand. He is not very comfortable at the net, or his serve, too, but he is improving. As he said: “I have a lot of emotion right now. I think I am really, really happy. The best moment of my life,” he said.

He has to try to chop down versus Zverev. The German look better each day, and his forehand and his backhand are huge. Yes to beat Zverev, Martin Etcheverry is going to need more than 100 percent.

“I think he has a lot of more experience than me, but I feel really good to play against him. I am playing incredible tennis this week, and just I have to focus in my game and trying to do the same like I am doing all the day,” Martin Etcheverry said.

He might, but Zverev will hit him forehand to forehand, crosscourt, and he will win in three tough sets.

Casper Ruud over Holger Rune
He did win amazing match with Rune when he edged Francisco Cerundolo 7-6(7) in the fifth set. That wasn’t a stunner, but it was so close and his backhand was more than consistent. He has yet to win Roland Garros, but the smart player can really mix it around, and also he can smash his forehand. However, when he gets inside the court on Wednesday, he must be somewhat tired if it goes on for than three hours.

Ruud clearly know that, then during in the rallies, he can just sit on the baseline and wait for a decent chance into the corners. Ruud is pretty smart, and he can attack when it is right there.

The Norwegian seems to think that he is coming closer to beat anyone. Last year, he could not beat against the best players, at the Slams, but now he is coming close. Ruud will hit some fun drop shots, and he will win it in four exhausting sets.

Matt’s yesterday picks

Correct: Aryna Sabalenka over Elina Svitolina
Correct: Novak Djokovic over Karen Khachanov
Correct: Carlos Alcaraz over Stefanos Tsitsipas
~~Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova over Karolina Muchova~~

Matt’s picks from Roland Garros

29 out of 40, 72.5% correct

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Casper Ruud, coco gauff, french open, Holger Rune, Iga Swiatek, Ons Jabeur, paris, roland garros, roland-garros, Tomas Martin Etcheverry

The picks from Roland Garros: Monday, June 5

June 4, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Alexander Zverev over Grigor Dimitrov
He is really feeling right now. Zverev is more and more ego, with his tremendous forehand and with his variety stokes. On the bassline, he can slap it, crosscourt and down the line. He is not perfect yet, but his first serve is harder now, and he can also really pay attention.

Against Dimitrov, he is going to have to push him way back. The Bulgarian has so many different shots, with his slice, when it is flat, or topspin. Dimitrov thinks that when they are out there, he can eventually control him. However, the German just said: “I’m here to play some of the best players in the world, and today was definitely the case in that,” Zverev said.
He must be playing on the top the ball, and while Zverev can check out, for a few games, or more, but in the fifth set, he will put a few huge winners. He will win it over Dimitrov in five wonderful sets.

Holger Rune over Francisco Cerundolo
Is it possible that Rune can go all the way? He is playing terrific, with his forehand, his backhand, and he also improved with the return. If he continues to play so solid, he could be facing in the final.

“That’s a big question, man. Well, the time will show,” he said. “We’ll see. Obviously I believe I can. But I have to play my best tennis, be in my best state of mind to do it, and I have to take one match at a time.”
Cerundolo also is playing so smart, on the court. He runs very fast, and he has a lot of angles. He has put together some logical wins and he is certainly rising, but on Monday, Rune will be more fitting on the forehand, and he will win it in four large sets.

Iga Swiatek over Lesia Tsurenko
The No. 1 is crushing everyone, and to beat her on clay, someone else will have to play 100 percent. At the beginning 2022, Swiatek looked very decent, but not great. However, in February, she began to win all the time. Apparently, she changed her attitude and her strokes. But also, each month, they can lose once and a while, and that can be OK.

“A lot of like new situations and a lot of ups and downs. “Every year,I face different challenges, so I kind of just thought about these challenges and tough moments I had and also how I overcame them. All the moments where I felt really, satisfied with my tennis,” Swiatek said.
“But like overall, I just thought about my life.”

Everyone wants to look at the life, on the court and off. Tsurenko decided to push herself, during the points. She has been here for a hefty time, and she has won some tremendous wins, but Swiatek is stronger, with her forehand and her backhand. She will crush Tsurenko in two easy sets.

Ons Jabeur over Bernarda Pera
She was struggling a lot this year, but Jabeur right her ship. She has a immense variety, and she can touch a number of drop shots. She can be fragile, but she can also start the battles.

‘I’m getting back to my level. I feel like I’m moving great, and I’m feeling like it’s getting better during the matches. The game is there,” she said. “ Physically I’m feeling definitely much better.”

Eleven months ago, Pera won in Hungary and Hamburg, on clay, back to back. That was won of her two best weeks, ever, but after that, she did not win that much. She clearly really likes clay, but to beat the top- 10 competitors, the 28- year-old is good, but not great. Perhaps she can do it eventually, but Jabeur will win it in two quick sets.

Matt’s yesterday picks

Correct: Carlos Alcaraz over Lorenzo Musetti
Correct: Stefanos Tsitsipas over Sebastian Ofner
Correct: Elina Svitolina over Daria Kasatkina
~~Sloane Stephens over Aryna Sabalenka~~

Matt’s picks from Roland Garros

22 out of 32, 68.7% correct

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Holger Rune, Iga Swiatek, Matthew Cronin, Ons Jabeur

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

April 8, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Jessica Pegula over Belinda Bencic
A few years ago, she was outside of the top 60, and she was somewhat consistent, but she was not aggressive enough. Then she had decided that win or lose, this time, when she has a real chance to jump on the ball, she would go for the lines. But that can be risky. Pegula is going to have to do it, because the Swiss Bencic can be outstanding, and then, she will make some crazy shots. Bencic will bring into the third set, and she will really run, but Pegula will beat her with her consistent backhand.

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

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

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

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Belinda Bencic, Casper Ruud, charleston, daria kasatkina, Estoril, Jessica Pegula, Matthew Cronin, Miomir Kecmanovic, Ons Jabeur

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

April 6, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Matt’s current week picks

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

4 out of 6: 66.7% correct

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Ben Shelton, charleston, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Estoril, Hubert Hurkacz, Matthew Cronin, Ons Jabeur

The Novak Djokovic show

January 5, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Is it really crazy that Novak Djokovic will win another Grand Slam? He is already super excited and wants to show the fans that he can dominate on a hardcourt. He is currently in Adelaide. Whether he wins or loses, when he will go into Melbourne, the tension will begin to build.

However, last year he arrived in Australia and was ready to play the Australian Open, but he never was vaccinated for COVID-19. So the government told him that he had to leave. It was very controversial, but it was his fault.

But now, he can play this year as that requirement has been lifted. He is happy, but there must be a lot of fans who do not like him. Regardless, he is a terrify player, especially with his famous backhand.

Thanasi Kokkinakis, won the tournament at Adelaide last year. He knows it will be difficult to do it once again and said that Djokovic is close to be the best player ever.

“Stats-wise and everything like that, [Djokovic] will probably end up being the best to ever do it, at least in the short-term anyway. … It’s going to be the Djokovic Show, but there’s a lot of good players that are more than capable of winning this title,” Kokkinakis said.

Perhaps he will, but Rafa Nadal is right there, even though he is rusty now, and Daniil Medvedev is ready to go, too, as well as No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Andrey Rublev, Holger Rune and others.

Kokkinakis does think that Djokovic can hit the lines, but there are some very good players who can win it.

The same goes with Frances Tiafoe, who is currently playing the United Cup in Australia. Already he has had a few very good wins. Another American, Jessica Pegula, destroyed Iga Świątek

6-2, 6-2, bringing the Pole to post-match tears. But Pegula is a little bit insecure since at the 2022 WTA Final, she did not win a single match.

Now, we think, that she is fresh and looked totally locked in over Świątek.

But look, to start the year, so many people who are thrilled and can play fantastic early. Each year, even though bouncing up and down, players can start to hit lots of errors. And then, when you were practicing, your new shots, or you so-so shots, and then you could feel the right balls. However, in a match, if you miss it, over and over again, then you can go back with the old tactics. Thousands of people have done that, that is why that there have been a small number of Grand Slam winners.

Talking Tennis with Tracy
Two people who I have known for a long time with Tracy Austin and Joel Drucker. Currently, they do Talking Tennis with Tracy each week about various players and about their strokes. It is very good. I listened to it (it’s also streaming video) a few days ago, and again, they are darn good. They discussed a bunch of players, mostly the top 10 competitors, women and men. I could throw all of them, but here are two, at least a couple questions marks, such as Ons Jabeur and Sloane Stephens.

Can Jabeur win a Slam this year? Right now, I would say that she is a good maybe. Yes, she had a very good 2022. But in the two major finals, she backed off. She does throw in some terrific shots, but she can lose her focus. That is why she has only won three tournaments, period. So to win a major, she is going to have to be more placid and real.

With the 2017 US Open champion, Stephens was very consistent and on the court and she was super intense. But last year, she was decent, but not wonderful. Stephens did looked pretty good in three events. She is ranked No. 37, which isn’t horrible, but she really has to step it up each week. She can run forever, and she can also be extra consistent. But, everyone knows how she plays, so if she wants to move closer into the top 10, then she is going to have to pop the ball a lot.
Stephens also reached into the final at the 2018 Roland Garros, and she looked wonderful. But now, she should move closer towards the net and return harder. Plus, if she wants to go into the semis at the Slams, then she has to be find new tactics. If she doesn’t, then the 29-year-old will not win a Slam again.

If you want to read about Daniil Medvedev, he can be very interesting. Here is a story I just wrote.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: daniil medvedev, Matt Cronin, Novak Djokovic, Ons Jabeur, sloane stephens, Thanasi Kokkinakis

TennisReporters.net’s top 32 in 2022: women 5-1

December 28, 2022 by Matthew Cronin

No. 5: Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka can be very fierce and rip the ball,with her massive forehand and her hard backhand. This year, the Belarussian collapsed a good amount, never really stepping up in the majors. In the WTA Finals, she turned it around. She was very close with Caroline Garcia. But, when it was right there, the Frenchwoman would go for her shots with a lot of depth and creativity. While Sabalenka looked very good and ready to extend it to a third set, she made some odd errors. Ouch. However, she did reach the top 2. If she can reset her decisions, on court and off, then she certainly may reach a Grand Slam final. But to do it next year? Only if she can steady her serves, and not throw in so many double faults, and also go to the net more often. She has to improve, simple as that.

No. 4: Caroline Garcia
The now cool veteran Garcia was never broken in the year’s final match, beating the powerful Sabalenka 7-6(4), 6-4 to win the WTA Finals for the first time. Mentally, she was super focused, and she dashed all over the place. That was pretty surprising because 10 years ago she looked very decent, but she was not excellent all the time. On court, she could be intense, but other times, she would mentally walk away. But, not now, as this year, in the past three months, she looked very stalwart. She finally realized that if she pushed herself with her forehand, backhand and her terrific first serve, then she could beat anyone. She was very calm, and very effective. Next year, No. 4 Garcia has a chance to win a Grand Slam. Still, the Frenchwoman can be spotty in singles. In 2023 Slams, it would be a big step her for her to reach a final.

No. 3: Jessica Pegula
American Pegula finished the year ranked No. 3, but at times she could be unsettled on court. The 28-year-old finally won a huge tournament, when she captured Guadalajara over Maria Sakkari/ In the WTA Finals, she did not win against three other opponents. A few years ago, Pegula 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, she has a real chance to jump on the ball, she would go for the lines. But that can be risky. Pegula has yet to reach the semifinals at a Grand Slam, but she could do that next year. However, in order to do it, she has to throw in some new shots and continue attacking.

No. 2: Ons Jabeur
For many years, the Tunisian was pretty good, but she couldn’t find the right balance. This year, though, she finally improved a lot. The 28- year-old has been almost spectacular with some incredible spin. She can run for a long time grind it. She won Madrid and Berlin. It looked like she was ready to win a Grand Slam for the first time. But, at Wimbledon and the US Open, she did not focus enough, losing against Elena Rybakina in three sets, and then, Iga Świątek blasted her. At the biggest events, Jabeur can be very uptight. In 2023, at the hardcourts, in Australia, she has to breath all the time.

No. 1: Iga Świątek
Świątek came up into the top spot this year by winning almost everything, beating the heck out of them. The Pole snared at Roland Garros, for the second time, and then won the US Open for the first time. Also, this year, she grabbed eight titles. It was for sure that she was the best player, hands down. Almost each point, she will go for it, when she striking her serve or she can attack on the return immediately. She will put her legs very close on the ground, which is known problem, and then she would swing viciously. How about this? Before she came to Roland Garros, she won Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart and Rome. On the hardcourts and on the clay. She has lost a few sets, but not many. The 21-year-old found the lines all the time. Yes, it was a great year, but if she wants to be one of the best players ever, then she has to win many more Grand Slam titles, such as Venus Williams (who is still playing) and has won seven titles. And let’s not even think that she can win 22 Grand Slams,like Serena Williams did. But outside of that, if Świątek continues to be No. 1, then for sure, she can win the 2023 Australian Open, as well as Wimbledon.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Aryna Sabalenka, carolina garcia, Iga Świątek, Jessica Pegula, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Ons Jabeur

Four Thursday picks for the 2022 US Open

September 8, 2022 by Matthew Cronin

Ons Jabeur vs. Caroline Garcia
The Frenchwoman Garcia is churning, mixing it up and blasting her shots. She does love to rally and stare at her opponents. She can be very intense and threw away her doubts. But, she is very fluky. However, Jabeur also really likes to rally, and she can hit and hit with dozens of strokes. Years ago, she did not attach enough

But gradually the No. 5 became strategic. They have known each other for a long time, and they are friends, but on court, they have to stop thinking about each other and just play ball. Jabeur lost this year’s Wimbledon final. Sheknew that when she gets another chance at a major, she will reach higher. It will be close, but in the end, the Turnisia will win it in three tough sets

Iga Świątek vs. Aryna Sabalenka
Świątek is totally fascinating. The Pole can be pretty patient, and then, she can heat it up, and go for winners. She is so focused, and she bends down so low. There are some moments when she misses for no reason, but when she thinks about it, then she can change direction.

Sabalenka just said that while her serve is not perfect yet. Her coach changed her hand and leg location, and arm movement slightly. Yes, she still does miss a lot, but the reason why she made it into the semifinals because she is improving. Beyond that, she is one of the best players in the game, based on her power. In reality, though, Świątek has won so many titles this year, and because of that, she badly wants to win another Slam. Świątek will pound Sabalenka in two terrific sets.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Caroline Garcia, Iga Swiatek, Ons Jabeur, us open

TennisReporters’ Wimbledon predictions

June 24, 2022 by tennisreporters

TennisReporters.net’ co-owners Matt Cronin and Ron Cioffi go on the record with their Wimbledon picks. Each one give their thoughts on which players are going into the second week and the semifinals.

Here are the 10 men and 10 women, who want to happily shake hands in the final.

THE MEN

Rafa Nadal
Once again, Nadal continues to battle and work on new strokes. He won Roland Garros, with an amazing show, along with the Australian Open. He has a shot at the calendar year Grand Slam. That’s a big ask for a player of his age. Nadal gets hurt a lot, but when he manages to go on court, he figures it out. He is just fine at Wimbledon, and if he is healthy, he can win it and have 23 Grand Slam majors. That would be something else.

Novak Djokovic
Over the past couple months, the Serb finally began to play much better, banking on his super confidence. His backhand is phenomenal, his returns is terrific, and his first serve is so patient. However, he is not perfect. If he looks very good in the second week, he can push it into the final. And then he has a very good shot at his 21^st Slam.

Matteo Berrettini
The Italian can go very deep once again. Last year, he beat Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hubert Hurkacz reading the final, before Djokovic beat him. He just won two tournaments this month, so he is ready to finally win a Slam. He likes to go down really low to hit his shot, and he also can jump up for some huge shots. He is right there, but can he really rise to the Slam challenge?

Carlos Alcaraz
The young Spaniard has had a wild, wonderful year. When the 19-year-old is feeling very good, he can leap around the court and paint the lines. He can be a little bit erratic, but he tends to go for it, anyway. He really likes the clay, but this is on the grass. So next week, he must change it up ASAP and get a clear understanding on how to preserve at Wimbledon.

Andy Murray
We all know that the three-time Grand Slam champion almost retired due to a massive injury, but he did return, and it appears that he is playing better now. The 35-year-old is unseeded. But, he knows almost everything to do to succeed on court. Now he is a little bit slower than when he won his majors. In order to reach the second week, he has to go for it early. If he cracks a bunch of winners, then the fans might think that he can win it at SW19. That would be a blast.

-MC

Stefanos Tsitsipas
The big Greek has a big game and a long fluid backhand. He is in the top tier of the best young players who haven’t grabbed a major, along with Alexander Zverev (who is injured), Berrettini, Andrey Rublev (the Russian is banned) and Felix Auger-Aliassime. It’s easy to say that it’s just a matter of time (and the retirement of the Big Three) for them to win a Slam. But, Tsitsipas has a better chance among these players because of his variety and ability to blast first serves. But, he may have to power through the unpredictable Nick Kyrgios in the third round.

Felix Auger-Aliassime
The Canadian has had a consistent assentation to No. 9. At 21, he still has a lot of time to improve. In 2022 he won Rotterdam over Tsitsipas and reached the Marseille final. But, there are too many events where he stalled in the quarterfinals. That has allowed him to rise to a career-high without having any notable momentum going into Wimbledon.

Casper Ruud
A run to the Roland Garros final was the high point of the Norwegian’s career, propelling him to No. 5 and the third seed at Wimbledon. But, he played only one match on grass and lost to No. 180 Ryan Peniston. Ruud has the big game to make a real run into the second week, especially that the only other seed in his first three matches is Sebastian Baez.

Hubert Hurkacz
Hurkacz is on fire. He took down Daniil Medvedev, Kyrgios, Auger-Aliassime and Ugo Humbert to win Halle. That gives the seventh-seed a head start on grass compared to others. His first-round contest is against the dangerous Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. He could face American Tommy Paul in the third round. Others in the bracket are has-beens Fernando Verdasco, Adrian Mannarino and Jiri Vesely.

Taylor Fritz
Fritz is seeded eleventh. That is fortunate as he has only reached one third-round match on the lawns ofWimbledon. It also doesn’t help that he is 0-2 on the grass in the two lead-up tournaments this year. His one claim to 2022 fame is downing Nadal at Indian Wells. So, why will Fritz go deep? He has the game to dominate on the grass. And, it just may be the right time for figure it out, if he can get by his possible third-round opponent: upstart Holger Rune of Denmark.

-RC

THE WOMEN

Iga Swiatek
She won Roland Garros, again, and the No. 1 hasn’t lost a match since early February. During each point, she goes for a winner quickly with her forehand and backhand, too. Obviously, she was a serious favorite on the clay, last year at Wimbledon, she lost in the fourth round. She certainly has been so much smarter now, and if that is the case, then she will continue to be brilliant.

Ons Jabeur
She has had a solid year, and gradually she has become more aggressive and better with her shot selection. On two clay court tournaments, she won in Madrid and reached the final in Rome. She just won Berlin on grass. However, she has yet to make much of an impact at Wimbledon. If she wants to achieve big-time success at Wimbledon, she has to bring a better game in the third set.

Maria Sakkari
No. 5 Greek Sakkari did have a very good last year, and this season, she did manage to reach the finals at Indian Wells. However, in the last three months, the fast hitter lost early at Roland Garros. She always loves to battle, and she rarely collapses. There is a good change that, if she reaches the final, she leap into heaven with the trophy?

Coco Gauff
She reached the final at RG. That was surprising, given that she is still very young. On the hard courts, she knows the right way to grind it, to take more time and to construct where to go. She is becoming better each months. While the grass can be odd, she will figure it out where to go.

Jelena Ostapenko
A few years ago, she won Roland Garros, crushing the ball. But, after that, she became so erratic. She is slower now, and she has not changed a few critical flaws. But now she is here again ready to crush her shots deep into the court. If she really wants to win a major again, she needs to find the motivation to hustle, really hustle.

-MC

Simona Halep
Remember 2019? Halep delivered a masterpiece with a crushing 6-2, 6-2 beatdown of Serena Williams. Sad to say she hasn’t played at Wimbledon since. As Halep has fought through injuries and questionable confidence, she still has the foot speed and consistency to battle all the top players. Getting into her way into the second week is Katrina Muchova in the first round and a possible clash with the resurgent Camila Giorgi in the third.

Petra Kvitova
I took a wild stab at predictions at the beginning of 2022 and said Kvitova would win another Slam. Which, obviously, has got to be on the fast grass of Wimbledon, where she prevailed in 2011 and 2014. She has the weapons and wide lefty serve to frustrate all comers, which showed in her straight-set defeat of Ostapenko in the Eastbourne final. She could face the fourth-seed Paula Badosa in the third round, which would be a challenge.

Karolina Pliskova
How can we do a Grand Slam prediction sheet without mentioning Pliskova. The “always a bridesmaid” label continues to stick. She can’t get deep without a possible meeting with Serena Williams. One of her two major finals was a year ago at Wimbledon. This year hasn’t been her best and she only advanced to the Roland Garros second round and lost to Gauff on grass in Berlin. She can get to the semis but holding the trophy might still elude her.

Paula Badosa
At the age of 24, Badosa doesn’t have much history at Wimbledon. She has only played twice and reached the fourth round last year. But, the Spaniard has the tools to bedevil most of the field, which is why she has risen to No. 4. She hasn’t played since Roland Garros, where she retired with a right calf injury. The lack of matches on grass could slow down her path to the second week. Still, she has the game to advance.

Serena Williams
What do you say about Serena? She still is a mighty force in women’s tennis. But, she has only played two doubles matches since her retirement in singles at 2021 Wimbledon. She is considered a threat to win her record-tying 24^th Slam. But, she arrived in England out of shape. She will make all of her opponents worry. But, she could face Pliskova in the third round. So, we mention Serena in our top group but really have no idea how far she can go.

-RC

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Andy Murray, Carlos Alvarez, coco gauff, Iga Swiatek, Maria Sakkari, Matteo Berrettini, Novak Djokovic, Ons Jabeur, rafa nadal, wimbledon

Serena Williams, 40, returns to singles at Wimbledon

June 20, 2022 by Matthew Cronin

Serena Williams will return next week, but the 23-time Grand Slam champion has not played in a year.

She gave birth to her daughter in 2017 and wanted to be around all the time, just like other people. Obviously, there are also other people who do not really care, so they can continue to work away from their kids a lot.

During 2021 Wimbledon, Serena had to retire with her leg a leg injury in the first round. She has rarely done that, so it was a shook. But, why push it? Now Williams has to be 100 percent to compete with the best on tour.

Serena has always been very thoughtful, but it took her years to trust people, on court, and off court, too. She quickly became one of the best players when she was only a teenager. And then after that, she became a dominate player, with her amazing first serve, locked-in return, gigantic forehand and backhand. She would just crack the ball on any line. She started at the WTA in 1998, and next week, when she start in Eastbourne, she is 40 year old.

Williams will play with Ons Jabeur in the doubles at Eastbourne, but not singles. Serena has won 14 Grand Slams doubles titles, along with — of course — her older sister Venus.

Is Serena lurking? Does she really believe she can grab another singles title at Wimbledon, where she has won seven times? That would be very surpriseing. Five years ago, Serena still looked like that when she was on it, she can find the solution. But the other excellent people became smarter and driven, especially Iga Swiatek, the current No. 1, who hasn’t lost a match since early February.

In 2016, Serena won it at Wimbledon over Angie Kerber. In the 2018 final, the German got her. Once again, at 2019 Wimbledon, she was in the final, but the intense Simona Halep stoned her.

Is it possible that the aging Serena can be brilliant again? Roger Federer, who won 20 majors, but he also is 40 year sold, and he hasn’t won a Slam since 2018, at the Australian Open. And just like Serena, his body broke down and now he cannot play until next year.

We all know that Serena can play some incredible points. But not every point, just like she did when she won four Grand Slams in a row. That was amazing. Now, Serena will need to excel over the long haul. It takes seven pressure-packed victories to win a major. A rusty, but still masterful Serena will have great moments at Wimbledon. But raising the Venus Rosewater Dish will probably not be one of them.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Ons Jabeur, Serena williams, Venus Williams, wimbledon

The Italian final: Iga Świątek versus Ons Jabeur

May 15, 2022 by Matthew Cronin

Iga Świątek goes into the Rome final with 27 wins in a row. She is not only No.1, but now on the clay, she is crushing people day after day. Last year, who would have thought that she became not only very fast, but smarter. She can belt her forehands and her backhand, she can mix it up, and she can also return like a ghost.

In the semis in Italy, she totally crushed Aryna Sabalenka. She wiped her out 6-2, 6-1.

Świątek has won just one Grand Slam, at the 2020 Roland Garros, but she is now tied with Serena Williams, who also had 27 wins in a row. Świątek is not quite there — a long shot— because Martina Navratilova had 74 wins in a row back in 1984.

Who would have guessed that at the start of the year? Świątek is a little bit shocked. She has lost three matches in January and early February, against the now retired No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, Danielle Collins and Jelena Ostapenko. After that, she began to streak.

“I needed time to learn how to do that properly, how to use the streak or ranking to put pressure on my opponents. I feel like I’ve done that pretty well last season and this season at the beginning, just learning how to use it in a positive way,” Świątek said. “Last year when I had better ranking, it felt like it’s something that’s pressuring me down. This time it’s totally different. Also having Tomasz [Wiktorowski, a coach who worked Aga Radwanska for many years], who is so experienced, who has been working with top players already, it’s also really helpful. I feel like I can lean on them in that matter. I just wasn’t analyzing that much as I did in previous seasons, so it also helped.”

In the final, the rising Jabeur has finally improved a lot. The 27-year-old has been pretty decent, but she has been downcast. She does have a lot of shots, and she can run for a long time, but when she has a chance to bang it, she can become confused.

Then in April, she switched her approach and became so much more confident. She did more grinding, which helped her win in Madrid.

“Honestly I feel like I was playing better the other matches. Maybe today wasn’t the best,” Jabeur said. “Probably another test for me mentally, for sure. But to back up the performance from Madrid, it’s very important for me. It’s one of the reasons why I’m here, why I want to continue showing myself on the court. It’s part of maybe the journey. I told you I want to win a Grand Slam, so maybe I have to go through this to be able to win one Grand Slam. For now I’m doing it right. Different test from each match. Hopefully I can still continue.”

Świątek and Jabeur have played three times, with the Tunisian winning two times, and the Pole winning once.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Świątek, Italian Open, Ons Jabeur, rome