Rafael Nadal – Page 2 – TennisReporters.net

Hello, Roland Garros: Nadal & Djokovic are favorites

September 24, 2020 by Matthew Cronin

On Monday, in the final in Rome, Novak Djokovic already knew that if he was playing respectably, he was going to win another ATP 1000

That is not easy. He wasn’t perfect, but he was good enough, and he mixed it up a lot. He confused Diego Schwartzman, and the Serbian was slightly in the zone. He went straight at him. Djokovic broke him down, and he pushed down Schwartzman 7-5, 6-3.

Djokovic hasn’t lost hardly anything over the past 12 months. He is obsessed with tennis, which is why he wants to be totally prepared in Paris.

Djokovic can be pissed off, and you can see at the 2020 US Open that he was not totally right while playing. But, last week in Rome, finally, with Djokovic and most of the players, the rust was gone.

Now Djokovic will have a week before Roland Garros starts in Paris, which begins on Sept. 27. He should be healthy and should take most of his matches.

Can Djokovic beat Rafa Nadal on clay and upset the Spaniard? It is doubtful on clay because Nadal has won the RG 12 times. He really is the “King of the Clay.” When he was a teenager, everyone saw that Nadal had a vast lefty forehand, his bulky serve and he just kept sprinting. Those are tremendous assets. And he hustles every second When he is set up, he can blast the winner over and over again.

What they would really like is not only to see Nadal and Djokovic face off, but Dominic Thiem, who won the US Open. He has gotten so much better. not just the strokes, but his expended mind. Thiem reached RG finals twice, losing to Nadal in the last two year. Whether No. 3 Thiem will get out there and really push. If he super close to victory, will he trip them up? He is better this year than last year. Thiem is growing.

Forget about the finals yet, as it is too early to figure out who will make it. But if you want a short list of who will reach the quarters in the second week, here they are: Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini, Denis Shapovalov, Roberto Bautista Agut and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Novak Djokovic, rafa nadal, Rafael Nadal, Roland Garros:, us open

Djokovic continues to make case as greatest male player

September 23, 2020 by Jeff Frank

It’s been an eventful year for Novak Djokovic. Starting by leading Serbia to an inaugural ATP Cup triumph, he followed that up with his obligatory Australian Open title – a record-extending eighth.

So began a 26-match winning run that also took included titles in Dubai and the Western & Southern Open either side of the five-month coronavirus lockdown.

COVID-19 and disqualification of US Open
Between those triumphs in Dubai and New York, Djokovic courted plenty of controversy for the ill-fated Adria Tour. A multistep exhibition series in the Balkans he spearheaded that descended into chaos when numerous players, including himself and his wife, tested positive for COVID-19.

The widespread criticism the No. 1 faced could derail the focus and form of most players. But Djokovic is not most players. No player can compartmentalize better than the Serb, whose proven time and again that off-court distractions rarely affect his ability to deliver on the court.

That certainly seemed the case at the US Open, where he looked on course to win his 18^th Grand Slam, before his astonishing disqualification in the fourth round where his perfect season came to an end after 31 matches.

Back on track in Rome
Once again, Djokovic regrouped in Rome and it was in the Italian capital that he made a renewed case as the greatest male player of all time. By winning the Italian Open, Djokovic moved ahead of Rafael Nadal as the most illustrious Masters 1000 player of all time, his 36 edging the Spaniard’s 35.

Roger Federer, meanwhile, trails both rivals substantially with a not insignificant 28.

The debate surrounding the greatest male tennis player of all time is a favored topic among tennis supporters and commentators and typically focuses on the “Big Three” of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic.

It is almost a tribal debate where fiercely loyal fans make their case for their favorite player, and while there are arguments to be made for each man, statistics and honors are quickly showing that Djokovic will soon standalone – if he doesn’t already.

If you take one of those free sport quizzes on the greatest French Open players of all time, then of course Nadal – with his 12 titles – is so far ahead that his status is indisputable. Similarly, eight-time champion Federer remains the king of Wimbledon, while Djokovic is the Australian Open’s finest.

In terms of overall Grand Slam titles, the three titans of tennis are within touching distance of each other. Federer retains a marginal lead with 20, closely followed by Nadal’s 19 and Djokovic’s 17. Even the most ardent Federer fan would admit that the Swiss is unlikely to add too many more major trophies to his enormous collection.

Nadal remains a prolific collector of Grand Slam titles, particularly at Roland Garros, but the rate at which Djokovic is winning major tournaments, it almost feels inevitable that he will, in the not too distant future, emerge as the most successful Grand Slam player of all time.

Is Novak current the best male tennis player?
Since 2011, when Djokovic won his second major at the Australian Open, the Serb has won 16 Grand Slams, Nadal has won 10, and Federer has won four. Given the relentless pace the No. 1 is setting, by the end of the 2021 or 2022 seasons he could hold the record.

Then, there is the Masters 1000 achievements. The most prestigious tournaments outside the four Grand Slams, Djokovic is now the greatest three-set male player in history. While he trails Federer’s overall ATP title haul – 103 to 81 – Djokovic’s vastly superior record in the Masters events gives him another strong argument in the GOAT debate.

Despite having countless supporters around the world, Djokovic will never win a popularity contest against Federer or Nadal – two of the most beloved athletes in history. The Serb can be a spiky character and his style of play, although immensely effective, is not particularly pleasing on the eye.

But, while such attributes may not make Djokovic exciting or endearing, his accomplishments on the tennis court currently make him one of the greatest players in history. Soon though, it looks likely that he will push ahead of Federer and Nadal as the finest to ever play the game. His Masters 1000 milestone in Rome is just the latest reminder.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: GOAT, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer

The Grand Slams: Will they start again this summer?

June 12, 2020 by Matthew Cronin

According with Daily Tennis, with the fine writer Robert Waltz, “the plans to restart the season are getting serious — and, arguably, seriously weird.”

That is true.

In eight weeks, it is possible that the players will go up against each other in real tournaments. Most people like to watch the exhibitions, but 95 percent want to see the legitimate matches, such as the U. Open. The huge one. A real Grand Slam.

This is what I really believe: At some point this year, a few fans will go to watch at the tournaments. Not a gigantic amount, but a few, because the owners know that if there are no fans at all, then most events will lose money, perhaps a tremendous amount of money. So, what is the point of making a legitimate effort to hold a tournament this year? That is why dozens of tournaments have pulled out for the rest of the year. But, hats off to tournament owners who decide to operate in 2020 because then the they really love tennis. Good for them.

But, the tennis world has to figure it out in the next month or so. The aggressive coronavirus — which has now been responsible for 116,000 American deaths since March 11 — may still ravage more people in the summer and fall. Then all of the sports will continue to stop at the big events.

However, Daily Tennis has a schedule, here [not the entire schedule]:

Week of August 3: Charleston
Week of August 10: Washington
Week of August 17: Cincinnati
Week of August 24-September 7: US Open
Week of September 14: Madrid and Istanbul
Week of September 21: Rome
Week of September 28 and October 5: Roland Garros
Week of October 5: Seoul and Tianjiin

There are other tournaments in the fall, such as Beijing and Wuhan, that are yet to be decided. But, the tournaments and the tours are still working on it.

Right after the US Open ends, the players will go straight from hardcourts onto the clay at Roland Garros in Paris. That would be an incredibly quick turnaround, but that could be thrilling, especially for the player go deep into the second week of both Slams. Back to back will be very tough, but the top 10 players rarely give up.

NOTES
Roger Federer pulled out for the rest of the year due this second surgery this year. He hurt his leg while practicing last week; so he had to stop playing. It will take him a couple more months to become healthy, and he didn’t want to risk his leg again. As he said, he can’t wait to play again in January 2021. That is a long time, but the good news is that he wants to play again, even though he is will be 39 then. March on.

Rafa Nadal has said that the rest of the year, they may not play in a legitimate match in the summer and the fall. He could be right, or he could be wrong, but currently, no one knows how tennis will play out. But, with in a second, if he plays a Grand Slam, he will be right there.

A high-level exhibition is coming to Charleston June 23-28. The field consists of: Sofia Kenin, Bianca Andreescu, Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, Victoria Azarenka, Amanda Anisimova, Monica Puig, Ajla Tomljanovic, Danielle Collins, Alison Riske, Shelby Rogers, Genie Bouchard, Jennifer Brady, Leylah Fernandez and Emma Navarro. That is an excellent field.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Grand Slams, rafa nadal, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer

‘Hand of God’ Touches Nadal as He Upsets Roddick

March 30, 2020 by Matthew Cronin

We started TennisReporters.net in May 2001, 20 years ago. We have posted well over 1,500 articles.

As coronavirus began to strike the tennis world, Indian Wells cancelled the tournament on March 9. Right after that, the tournaments pulled out quickly, including Miami, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros. Now, the WTA and the ATP have shut down until June 7. Or even further. No one really knows.

However, if you love tennis, you can reminisce with TennisReporters.net. We are resurfacing many of our best stories, written by Matthew Cronin.

SEVILLA, SPAIN – Andy Roddick has never fought harder in a Davis Cup match and has never experienced a team loss like he did in his 6-7 (6), 6-2, 7-6 (6) 6-2 defeat to Spanish 18-year-old Rafael Nadal on Friday in the US-Spain Davis Cup final. Roddick pushed, pulled, sweated and strained to dictate the action on the super slow clay in the three-hour, 38-minute contest, but the lightening quick lefty had too much from him from the backcourt. The extremely nationalistic and emotionally involved crowd of 27,200 cheered Roddick’s every fault. He was restrained for a man who usually makes his living debating the finer points of line-calling with chair umpires. He cut loose on the balls instead, but Nadal chopped him down nonetheless.

“Emotionally I’m pretty down,” Roddick said. ” I wanted to get one for the team. I leave everything out there, and I take a lot of pride in that. I just ran into a guy today that was too good. I couldn’t have tried any harder. I gave it everything I had. It just wasn’t enough on the day.”

As a result of Roddick’s dramatic loss and Fish’s routine 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 defeat at the hands of Carlos Moya in the opening match, the US will go into Saturday’s doubles in a 0-2 hole. It’s a hole as deep as they’ve ever been in and one they are not likely to climb out of.

For most of the match against Nadal, Roddick went above and beyond his capabilities on the surface. He’s never hit that many half-volley winners in his life. But in the end, the US’ big gun had his power muted on the wet clay by an 18-year-old with a world of spunk and shotmaking abilities.

Roddick and Nadal contested two of the most athletic and spectacular tiebreaker of the year. Both men dove, reflexed volleys and pulled off hooking passing shots that caressed the lines. In the first set breaker, Roddick came back from 3-5 down when the youngster got nervous and committed a series of errors. At that moment, it seemed like the 2003 US Open champion might have a shot at winning the contest based on experience alone.

But as one Spanish journalist said as they walked off the court, the hand of god touched Nadal. Gone was his youthful erratic swings and mental letdowns. In the tradition of his uncle, Miguel, who was nicknamed “The Beast” when he raged for the Barcelona soccer team, the now muscular Rafael was a lion. He hammered and hooked his forehand every way possible, and powered his once weaker backhand deep and with authority. He displayed remarkable touch with his sleight of hand drop shot. Roddick kept charging and serving bullets, but Nadal sped around with hungry determination, consistently getting returns in play and waiting for a chance to dip balls at Roddick’s feet and then swipe a passes beyond the reach of taller and equally ferocious American.

“He played well. It’s very impressive,” Roddick said. “Every once in a while people come along and they’re big-match players. He apparently looks like he’s a big-match player. He’s come through. This is the third time this year he’s stepped up in singles [in Davis Cup] and played well. I think you either have it or you don’t, regardless of age. Maybe it helps him in a way.”

With the fans sounding like a group of wasps on a mosquito hunt, the match turned in the third set. Nadal had eight chances to break Roddick, but the American team leader came up with tape-snapping serves and ambitious volley winners. Roddick fought off seven of the eight break points with winners, earning himself another nail biting tiebreaker. He was inches from winning the third set and had he done so, may have won the contest. Up 5-4 and with two serving points on his racket, Roddick doubled faulted to 5-5. He quickly responded by scooping up a low volley and forcing Nadal into a forehand error. On set point at 6-5, Nadal went to his drop shot, Roddick charged, and couldn’t lift a forehand passing shot over the net cords. The Spaniard then crushed a swing volley winner and a backhand crosscourt to win the set.

“Obviously that was going to swing the momentum either way – and fast,” Roddick said. “You were playing those two points for the next two sets. They were pretty crucial. I just missed that [set point], so that was big.”

The match essentially ended there as Roddick’s confidence level plunged and Nadal soared along with the crowd. Roddick slowed considerably and Nadal became the new darling of Spanish tennis, celebrating like he won the Grand Slam.

There is a glimmer of hope on Saturday, because Nadal might be tired when he and Tommy Robredo go up against the Bryan Brothers, former Roland Garros champions who might be able to pull out a win. But even if that occurs, Sunday looms. To think that the Bryans will emerge victorious and Roddick and Fish can both win their singles matches on Sunday is wishful thinking, but if you’re a US fan, there’s nothing left to ponder. In the 104 years of Davis Cup competition, an 0-2 comeback has happened only once in the World Group, in 1939, when Australia came back to shock the US. It’s only happened eight times in the World Group period and here’s a shocking fact: the hard court bred boys of the US have never pulled it off on clay. They did it once in an inter-zonal match in 1934 against Australia on grass. The US is 1-30 when they are 0-2 down. They are underdogs of the scraggly and wounded variety.

With the temperatures dropping into the mid 40s, US captain Patrick McEnroe nearly froze sitting five hours courtside. But he needs to gets his team fired up as quickly as possible because the last thing the US wanted coming here was to travel across the Atlantic, spend all week get used to sliding on dirt and have their buts kicked in a shutout.

“We know our backs are against the wall,” McEnroe said. “But we’re going to come out and we’re going to fight for every point. We’re going to come out and hopefully play a great doubles match. And Sunday will be a new day. There’s no big mystery of what we need to do. We came here knowing the difficulty and knowing the challenge. We’re still going to relish the opportunity. We’ve still got an opportunity to make history.”

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Andy Roddick, davis cup, Rafael Nadal

Nice titles but great competitors don’t play 250s/Internationals

February 22, 2020 by Matthew Cronin

Was last week a positive one for pro tennis? Oh, sure, props to the winners, Gael Monfils, Kyle Edmund, Casper Ruud, Kiki Bertens and Magda Linette. They all had terrific tournaments, because they won. And I am sure that they are extremely happy.

However, the vast top competitors did not play last week. None of those five winners have won a Grand Slam. They may never do that.

It is very rare that the best players — the Slam winners —play the ATP 250s or the WTA Internationals. It is super rare, especially for the men. More of the top women play the Internationals because the WTA doesn’t have as many tournaments as the ATP.

With the guys, they are supposed to play all the four Grand Slams, and the ATP Masters 1000s— let alone the ATP Finals. That means they have to play at least nine ATP events, in total, so you have to compete 13 tournaments combined.

The fantastic players, such as Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer, can skip the 1000s, because they have gone very deep everywhere on hardcourts, clay and grass. Their number of points are huge, which is why that Djokovic, Nadal and Federer are No.1, No. 2 and No. 3. They rarely play the 250s. At the 500s, they will play a little bit, during the year, such as Acapulco, or Barcelona and Switzerland. But after that, exactly when and why? Also, with the women, Serena Williams loves playing the Slams, which is why she has won 23 majors. But, playing other events, there were years when she would pull out, because she didn’t want to go. The big players just want to stay home.

In 2019, Djokovic only played one 500, in Tokyo, not three. So, two of them provided no points. But he is No. 1, so it really doesn’t matter. The same thing went with Nadal, who got hurt in 2019, and he couldn’t play three times at the 1000s, but he wanted to regain No. 1. He did in the fall after he won Canada and the U.S. Open.

Federer is 38 years old, and he is always thinking how to handle his schedule. In 2019, he decided that he wouldn’t play at two 1000s: Canada and Paris. In the ATP Tour 500s, he did play Dubai, Halle and Basel, winning all of them. That is all good, but Federer had three zeros, and because of that, a lot of people won’t bother attending the 250s. Why? When he isn’t there, the fans are disappointed so they won’t go.

If you are an owner of those tournaments, how will you bring in the fans when you aren’t sure who is playing? There are thousands of people who love tennis, and they will go to the events just to watch them. But, those people – the diehard fans – truly understand what tennis is, with the rallies, the strokes, and how fast they are running. It is amazing. Truly.

This is reality; at the 250s [the men], and the Internationals [the women], that I have seen, over the past 27 years, there weren’t many fans at the events, especially early during the day. I mean, not much.

During the spring, on Monday through Thursday in the afternoon, there are very few people at the events. At night, it is a little better, but not much. It is not only that certain people are working and cannot go, but also because in order to take a day off, they have to know who is playing and is it worth it? A few, or some, will do it, but it is pretty rare.

That has happened when I started writing tennis, and doing radio, and still goes on today. You can’t pretend. But, it was packed during the weekend, here and there. There were more people to watch the semis and the finals, especially in California, where I live. But before that…ugh.

At the ATP Tour 250s and the WTA Internationals, it hasn’t changed at all. The owners have tried, for sure, but it is extremely difficult to get attendance to watch the “unknown” players. Without sponsorship and TV income, these smaller tournament would rarely survive.

So once again, props to Monfils, Edmund, Ruud, Bertens and Linette, for winning the event, but none of them have reached the Slam finals yet and maybe they never will. Or maybe they will play fantastic for seven matches and shock the world. That would be very surprising, but I cannot see it.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Casper Ruud, Gael Monfils, Kiki Bertens, kyle edmund, Magda Linette, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal

Nadal and Spain win the Davis Cup

November 24, 2019 by Matthew Cronin

It is the end of the year, for the men, after almost 11 months. They are done, finally, at the end of November, and the No. 1, Rafa Nadal, has had a tremendous year.

On Sunday, in Madrid, Spain won the title at the Davis Cup, beating Canada 2-0.

Nadal won everything, in singles, and believe it or not, in the doubles, too. Through the year, the lefty Spaniard rarely plays doubles because he wants to make sure that if he does, he could get hurt and he would not play at all. But the 33-year-old is very careful now, with the exception of playing clay constantly, but when he is conscious of how his body is reacting, then he can just rip the ball and be aggressive.

On Sunday, in the final, he edged the young man, Denis Shapovalov, 6-3, 7-6. The Canadian Shapovalov had a fine event, in the singles and doubles, too. But, in this match, Nadal was a little more intense and he was on fire. Over the past two years, the now 20-year-old Shapovalov has gotten better, and next year, he may crack into the top 10, but currently, he get frustrated, and he knock it too long. Shapovalov looks pretty darn good, but to win the match, he had to overcome the fans who were screaming for Nadal. To stun Nadal at his home, well, Shapovalov would have to play 100 percent. That is very difficult, and while the Canadian was trying as hard as he could, he must realize that the 19-Grand Slam champion Nadal is better than he is.

Shapovalov did upset Nadal in Montreal two years ago, but that was then, and this was now.

In the first match, the veteran Roberto Bautista Agut beat a super young player, Felix Auger-Aliassime, 7-6 6-3. Nadal was raring to go, and he did. Nadal was lethal with his big forehand, and he mixed his serve into the middle into the chest, and he touched the corners. He could swing it away, because Spain already was up a match.

Nadal won all eight matches, including five singles, and three doubles. He did not drop a set. He is the clear No. 1, winning Roland Garros, the US Open and now the Davis Cup, among others.

Since 2000, Spain has won the Davis Cup six times. It wasn’t just about Nadal.

Next January, Nadal will be thinking about winning the Australian Open. If he does that, he will tie with Roger Federer at 20 Slams. Of course, he can wait until Roland Garros, which he has won 12 times in June on clay, but perhaps Nadal wants to celebrate on the hard courts in Melbourne. He never brags, but for everyone, they have to here the voices when you are sleeping. You cannot take it away. Or perhaps, the dreams will hide you, but for Nadal, when you are awake, then you will think about it and believe he can still beat everyone. Just like he did at Madrid.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Canada, davis cup, denis sharapolov, madrid, rafa nadal, Rafael Nadal, roberto bautista agut, spain

Zverev has started to climb up the mountains, beats Nadal

November 12, 2019 by Matthew Cronin

No. 1 Rafa Nadal can play fantastic in the winter, the spring and the summer. But, in the fall, the Spaniard’s legs collapse. He wants to play — he always wants to walk on the court and crack the ball — but he is 33 years old. While he can win another Grand Slam in 2020 (isn’t Roland Garros his for the picking?), or to win the ATP 1000s, too, that does not mean that he can compete a lot year after year.

Yes, this season, Nadal won Roland Garros and the US Open. That is tremendous, but he absolutely has to rest. He does a bit, but in the ATP 1000 Paris two weeks ago, he pulled out after the quarters. He wanted to be healthy in anticipation for London.

Against Alexander Zverev on Monday, Nadal couldn’t play well at all. He could not smoke the ball. He hit it short, and all over the place.

Zverev did play quite well; he was solid, strong and patient. He beat Nadal 6-2, 6-4, which was a little bit surprising, considering that Nadal had beaten the German five times. But, not this time. As the Spaniard said, he came to London, but his body is suspect.

“I am disappointed, because knowing that I will not be at my 100 percent in terms of feelings, in terms of movement, in terms of confidence or hitting the ball. I needed my best competitive spirit , and I was not there in that way,” Nadal said.

How about this? Zverev hit 26 winners, while Nadal hit just three forehand winners. Given that his forehand is the best in the game, he just wasn’t sharp. He is dealing with his abdominal injury. Maybe on Wednesday, Nadal will shake it off and pound it.

“What really matters is I need to play much better in two days,” Nadal said. That’s the only thing.”

The good thing about Zverev is that he admitted that he has had a so-so year, and he struggled, a lot. Last year, a year ago, he was riding high. Then he slipped way down. Over the past month, he has started to climb up the mountains. On Monday, Zverev looked very different.

Can Zverev, the defending champ, win it again? It is too early to say, because they just started and they will play three matches, win or lose. Zverev really likes the London O2. On Wednesday, Zverev will go against Stefanos Tsitsipas, who just beat Daniil Medvedev.

At the Slams, Nadal has played for 15 years, while the other three are just starting out. All three of them are enthusiastic, but Nadal must be irritated because he lost. He doesn’t like pushing the ball, so on Wednesday, win or lose, he is going to swing much harder and, hopefully, inside the lines.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, atp finals, daniil medvedev, london, rafa nadal, Rafael Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas

Laver Cup event: Will the top players come back in 2020?

September 23, 2019 by Matthew Cronin

It will be a very interesting to see in the Laver Cup survive. Oh yes, this weekend, there is a ton of terrific players, but that doesn’t mean that next year, right after the US Open, they will play another time.

Many of them want to rest after the summer, when they had to play three of the Grand Slams: Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. The summer season starts late in May, and then it ends in the beginning of September. It is three and a half months, a real grind. Especially with the very good players, because they always go deep at the tournaments, most of the time. That is why their bodies can be very sore, or extremely hurt.

At the Laver Cup, the players are competing for Team Europe, and, for all other continents, Team World.

Yes, it was a dramatic end. They were all there: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Kevin Anderson, John Isner, Alexander Zverev, Denis Shapovalov, Milos Raonic, Fabio Fognini and Nick Kyrgios, among others, and more.

In Sunday, the last match, Zverev beat Raonic 6-4 3-6 10-4 and Europe won cemented the win. Earlier, in the doubles, two Americans, Jack Sock and John Isner, overcame Roger Federer and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Then, another young American, Taylor Fritz, upset Dominic Thiem 7-5 6-7(3) 10-5. Then, Federer turned it around in singles by beating Isner 6-4, 7-6. Zverev has not had a great year, but he played much better this week in the Laver Cup

There were three days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Was it very serious, or just having fun? That’s a toss-up.

Believe it or not, in singles, early on, Sock beat Fabio Fognini 6-1 7-6(3). Sock hadn’t beat anyone this year, in singles. That is a shocker, because in the fall of 2017, he reached No. 8, in singles at the ATP Finals. Yes, last year and this year, he was hurt, but he tried in singles and doubles. Clearly, now, he loves doubles, as he won a could majors with Mike Bryan. But, in singles, Sock has so much work to do, certainly in his head and beyond.

With the third Laver Cup in the books, I would think that many people had a fine time and attendance is strong. But again, outside of the Slams, it is not easy to sell it, year after year. My suggestion is a reevaluation and make some changes.

Notes
But the way, Kyrgios and Sock are good friends. They are controversial, and maybe, during the fall, they can win a lot of singles matches in Asia.

Here is a good quote from Zverev: “I had two great coaches [Federer], one on the court and one [Nadal] on the sidelines. I could just shut off my brain and do whatever they told me to do.”

In St. Petersburg, there are some good players last week. No. 4 Daniil Medvedev was there, and without a doubt, the fans were cheering for him. A year ago, not many people knew who he was. Now they do, after he reached the final at the US Open. And then, he beat Borna Coric 6-3, 6-1 to win on Sunday, He is a huge hitter, and he hustles…

Croatian Coric is ranked No. 14. Five years ago, he looked very good, and many thought he would go very far. But he has sort of stopped. Yes, he can win matches, but can he take down the best players? He is a true grinder, which is good, but he needs to be more aggressive and thoughtful.

Another top 10-er, Karen Khachanov, lost in the first round. He is slipping a little bit…

In Metz, France, the veteran Jo Tsonga won the title, beating Aljaz Bedene. In his long career Tsonga has been somewhat close to winning a Slam, but he hasn’t. I have said this so many times, that certain people become injured all the time. It is hard to stop it. But at least Tsonga keeps trying, and he can focus. He goes have a terrific forehand and his first serve, too. Now he is back in the top 40. He has won a bunch of events, winning 18 trophies. Yes, he was won two ATP 1000s, in Paris and Canada. But, can he win a Grand Slam for the first time next year? He is a nice, terrific person, but can he grab his first major when he is 34 years old? That is extremely difficult, but he can push, hard.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, John Isner, Laver Cup, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Stefanos Tsitsipas

US Open final: Nadal vs. Medvedev, can the ‘older’ Rafa win it?

September 8, 2019 by Matthew Cronin

There are times when Rafa Nadal isn’t crushing the ball, and the Spaniard has said that he was a little nervous, or mentally somewhere else. Most times, though, he pushes himself until he finds the solution.

Nadal has won 18 Grand Slams, and on Sunday at the US Open, he will be favored against the rising Russian Daniil Medvedev.

Nadal pays attention, scouting the good, young players at the tournaments or watching on TV. He studies, which is very important. But, really, you have to be playing on court against the opponent. Whether you are practicing, or playing against him, eventually, you will understand their game.

The 33-year-old Nadal knows about the two other fantastic players, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, because they have played against each other so, so many times. But he has not been around with Medvedev too often. However, five weeks ago, they played each other in the final for the first time and Nadal crushed him in Montreal, 6-3, 6-0. He was just much more consistent, and solid.

Perhaps that the Russian was too tired, or messed up in Canada. And the next week, in Cincinnati, he kept trying, thinking and keep the ball in the court. Medvedev won the event (Nadal pulled out before play started), upsetting with the No. 1 Novak Djokovic, and now he is happy and driven. That’s why the No. 5 advanced this final.

At 6’6”, he is very tall, he is potent and he can mash his first serve. He can also be patient.

Nadal likes hitting spin, especially with his massive forehand. When he returns, he stands way back behind the court, and frequently, he gets it back. Here comes the rally.

If Medvedev wants to win, he just has to focus on the ball for every shot. It appears that the Russian will win a Grand Slam someday, but not yet.

Nadal will play almost spectacular for a couple hours, and he will win in four sets. The gigantic lefty will have his 19^th Slam.

Andreescu wins the US Open
There are times when people reach the final of a Grand Slam, and then they freeze. But, that wasn’t Bianca Andreescu, who beat Serena Williams, 6-3, 7-5. Serena has won it 23 major titles, but the 19-year-old Andreescu had not done it yet.

Going into the final, and watching her, she was so intense, and she could smack the ball off both sides. She also can return well, too.

That is why that coming into the US Open, she had won Indian Wells and Toronto, two huge titles. But to win a Slam, against everyone? That was questionable. But, oh no, there she went, hustling, sprinting and just putting it away, game after game.

The Canadian was up 6-3, 5-1, and it looked like she was about to win. Serena was not playing well, especially her serve and her forehand. But, all of a sudden, Williams began to play well. And Andreescu almost froze.

It was 5-5 in the second, the American fans were thrilled, cheering loudly for Serena. But, then Andreescu began to be good again, hitting with depth, and force in the backcourts. She wasn’t nervous anymore, she stared down and she won it. She did cry, almost everyone has, and she smiled for a long time.

Now the No. 5 Andreescu can become No. 1 fairly soon. Perhaps at the end of the year, or at the beginning of 2020. If Andreescu stay healthy, she will win a Slam again, without a doubt. She is that good.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Bianca Andreescu, Canada, daniil medvedev, rafa nadal, Rafael Nadal, us open

Men: Who will win the US Open?

August 25, 2019 by Matthew Cronin

Who will win the crazy tournament in Flushing Meadows?

There have been some wonderful contests, dozens of them, in the past 26 years that I’ve covered the US Open. At the end of August and the beginning in September, it can be super hot, or cool and windy. And rain, too. There were so many perfect days, sunny and bright. Also, at night, playing matches, in the biggest stadiums, or medium sized, the fans were thrilled.

That’s what they will do next week. On words, with the men.

The No. 1 Novak Djokovic is favored, but perhaps, slightly. He could face the rising Hubert Hurkacz, who just won Winston-Salem, pretty early, but the young players might panic at the US Open. Then Djokovic might play Stan Wawrinka, a great player, but he hasn’t played fantastic this year. Maybe he will rise up, but the Serbian will crack at his forehand and his serve in the third round.

In the quarterfinals, Djokovic must be staring at the fifth-seed Daniil Medvedev, who just won Cincinnati. He knows that Medvedev has improved a tremendous amount over the past month and a half. He is very steady, and even more powerful now. That could go five sets under the lights. Bring it on.

If Djokovic wins, then the very famous person, Roger Federer, could be in the semis. The Swiss has won 20 Grand Slams, but he hasn’t grabbed it in New York since 2009. Now it has been a relatively long time ago for Federer. Yes, he is very smart, and he can hit the balls upwards and backwards, but that doesn’t mean that the 38-year-old can seize the night. He just has to find his rhythm in the first week, and then when he gets to the second week, Federer must step on the gas.

He could face David Goffin in the fourth round, and the Belgian is confident again. Yes, he can be fast and has heavy shots from his forehand and backhand, but he has yet to reach the semis at the Slams over the past decade. Goffin just can’t do it.

There are a punch of good people who can go to the second week: Borna Coric, Milos Raonic, the Aussie Alex de Minaur, and San Diego’s Taylor Fritz. All four of them really want to upset Federer. There will be a five setter, for all of them. While Federer will win, that doesn’t mean that he will struggle for hours. Last year in Queens, Federer was sweating all night. And he lost.

On the bottom half, the No. 2 Rafa Nadal is cruising already. He doesn’t have to face Djokovic or Federer until the final, so he has to be relieved. Of course, he can beat them if he is playing 100 percent. Last year, in the semis against Juan Martin del Potro, he got hurt badly. He was angry and then he retired. This time, hopefully, his sore legs will be healthy and happy.

Nadal should crack Fernando Verdasco in the third round, and then in the fourth round, he will have to face American John Isner or Marin Cilic. Both of them hit huge serves, with Isner’s nailing his forehand and Cilic hitting dangerously from both sides. Cilic won the USO before, so he will be very excited on court. Either way, Nadal will move ahead easily.

However, in the quarters, he might face Karen Khachanov, another young Russian, who is ranked No. 9. If he gets there, Khachanov has to bash Nadal’s backhand, and return really well and into the corners.

Here are some other terrific opponent who might face the 18-Grand-Slam champion Nadal: Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev (who will play the Greek in the first round,) Nick Kyrgios (who won Washington), Gael Monfils, Denis Shapovalov Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexander Zverev (who is still slumping).

Nadal’s biggest hurdle could be No. 4. Dominic Thiem, who really relives that he can win a major, somehow, someway. Thiem has reached the final at Roland Garros twice. But, on the hardcourts, he can get frustrated. When he is on, he will jump on the ball. However, I would be surprised that Thiem can reach the semis in New York, because it can be too sticky.

At the US Open, it is August and September, so it is impossible to predict about the weather. And that makes the tennis unpredictable, too.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Dominic Thiem, New York City, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, us open