Rafael Nadal – Page 4 – TennisReporters.net

The Draws: ’19 Aussie Open men

January 12, 2019 by Matthew Cronin

Top Quarter-
The No. 1 Novak Djokovic has won this tournament many times. He tends to focus, he can be calm or a little bit angry, and he runs forever. Yes, he is the favorite, as he won 2018 Wimbledon and US Open, but he has lost a couple matches at the end of the fall, and last week, he went down in the semis against the quick Roberto Bautista Agut.

But this is the Grand Slams, this is 3 out of 5 — not 2 out of 3 — so to upset Djokovic, you have to be on top of it all the time. He could face the Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the third round. Shapovalov is pretty powerful, off both sides, and he is aggressive a lot, but he can sink. Djokovic will win. In the fourth round, he might play Daniil Medvedev or David Goffin. The Russian improved a lot during the fall, pretty quick and very intelligent. Medvedev will exhaust Goffin, but against Djokovic, he is still a little bit too inpatient.

Who will Djokovic face in the quarters? Perhaps Fabio Fognini, Philipp Kohlschreiber or Kei Nishikori. The veterans have all played very well at times, but can they actually stun Novak? I cannot see it. Djokovic moves into the semis, the main man.

2nd Quarter
It’s a big tossup: Who will to reach the semis?

Perhaps Alexander Zverev, Borna Coric, Dominic Thiem, Milos Raonic, Nick Kyrgios and Stan Wawrinka. No one is immune from an upset. Outside of the Grand Slams, Zverev has been so good, jumping on the ball or being patient. He has yet to go deep at the Slams, but thsi young player will eventually learn what to do on the court. Perhaps he can do it in the hot heat, as he has a decent draw. In the third round, he might face the smart veteran, Gilles Simon, which could take three hours, minimum. Even before that, Zverev might have to play Jeremy Chardy, another patient veteran. The German has to be swinging very hard, and deliver a bunch of aces. He will and reach the fourth round. Milos Raonic and Nick Kyrgios will face off in the first round. That is a heck of a match. They have played each other a fair amount of times, with both men hitting ace after ace. When they have to hit a second serve, there will be some fun rallies. Kyrgios lives in Australia, so at least in the first match, he will feel mentally solid and move ahead.

Can Kyrgios reach into the fourth round to face Zverev? Who knows? He is so good when he is healthy, but when he isn’t, he retires. Plus, in the second round, he has to go up against the three-time GS champion Stan Wawrinka. The Swiss is getting healthy again and if he is 100 percent, clearly he is better than Nick. However, on some points, Kyrgios will surge and begin to be more consistent. Eventually, he will reach the fourth round and play against Zverev. What a match, and it will go five sets. Zverev will survive.
Two more will reach in the fourth round: Dominic Thiem and Borna Coric. Late in the summer, the Belgian decided to whack the ball hard, which is why he reached the final at Roland Garros and lost to Rafa Nadal in three sets. At the US Open on the hard courts, he locked in and he went for the lines. Thiem lost again, but that time, he pushed himself for five sets, which was long and brutal. He can do it again, and while Coric is smarter now, Thiem will out-stroke him. Then, in the quarters, he will be patient, and he will beat Zverev, and reach the semis.

Third Quarter
It appears that the injured Andy Murray will retire this year. Very soon. Maybe next week. Read this…
http://www.tennisreporters.net/archives/15602
In the first round, the humbled Murray has to face Bautista Agut. Roberto is a grinder, who just upset Djokovic, and Murray says that he can barely run. Roberto will grind him down, and quickly. Roger Federer is looming, he should beat Denis Istomin in the first round, and could face Gael Monfils in the third round. That could be fun, but Federer will destroy his backhand. The famous Swiss will likely play either two very good, young competitors: Stefanos Tsitsipas or Nikoloz Basilashvili. The winner will play Federer on the main court and he will be fired up. There should be a couple hours, celebrating, but Federer knows what to. He will reach into the quarters. We all knew that.

Up at the top, Marin Cilic will play the Aussie Bernard Tomic in the first round. Cilic is consistent all the time, but the odd Tomic disappeared for months, in 2018, but now he is hitting again. He is ranked No. 85. Not terrible. When he is feeling good and in good shape, he can reach the top 20 again. But he is way down, so Cilic is favored, and he will bash him.

Next up, Cilic could face the talented kid, Andrey Rublev. That could be tough, and assuming he wins, then he will likely have to go up against the rising Karen Khachanov in the fourth round. There, Khachanov will hit extremely hard and grab it. Can he upset Federer in the quarters? It will be close, but still, the Russian is learning how to play. Federer will win in four tight sets.

Bottom Quarter
Rafa Nadal seems to be pretty good in the first two matches, and then maybe in the third round, he will play against the Aussie Alex de Minaur. The super young player concentrates well and can be forceful. But, can he step in and bash the ball all the time? Nadal can push people way back behind the baseline with his heavy forehand. He will win, and then in the fourth round, it is possible he will face either Kyle Edmund or Tomas Berdych. At some point, Czech Berdych will climb up again, and beat the Brit. If he reaches into the fourth round, Berdych knows that he has to be threatening, but Nadal — assuming he is healthly — will yank him around. Clearly, Nadal can reach the semis, but recall that in the fall he couldn’t play because he was injured — for at least 10 times over the years — but if his legs are not too sore, then he will move on.

What will be lively, though, is that four of the good players will try to reach the quarters: John Isner, Grigor Dimitrov, Steve Johnson and Kevin Anderson. Isner had a very good year, as did Anderson, obviously. Those two have played each other a lot, the very tall and crunch huge serves. It is tough to break them, especially on grass at Wimbledon, when Anderson edged Isner 26-24 in the semis in the fifth. A true marathon. But, does it really matter against Nadal who returns deep, on the first and second serve, while the other two can’t really return much. That is why Rafa has won 17 Grand Slams, while Anderson and Isner have won zero.

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

Top 30s in 2018: Men, 5-1

January 3, 2019 by Matthew Cronin

No. 5: Juan Martin del Potro
When he is healthy, and he has no pain, then he can beat anyone. However, every year, the Argentine gets hurt and he cannot play up to his potential. In 2018, in the first nine months, he was just fine. His body was OK, which is why he won a bunch of matches against some very excellent players. At the US Open, he reached the final, he beat Fernando Verdasco, Borna Coric, John Isner and Rafa Nadal (who retired) but lost to Novak Djokovic in straight sets. It was pretty close, though. For the first time, he won an ATP 1000 at Indian Wells, outlasting Federer 7-6 in the third. He also won Acapulco, beating Kevin Anderson. DelPo is so committed. Now, he has regained his two-handed backhand because, for years, after he underwent his surgery (three times), he could only hit a one-hander, slicing a lot. Now, he can hit both of them. He has won a major before, in 2009 at the US Open. But, can he do it again? I would think that the 30-year-old still has a chance, but he has to stay healthy in 2019 and truly focus for two weeks.

No. 4: Alexander Zverev
The youngest player in the top 10 is spectacular when he is on. He is only 21 years old, and the German can crush his first serve, forehand and backhand. He can be very focused. He has yet to go very deep in the Grand Slams, and while he really tries, he still doesn’t get it because there are moments when he starts to get foggy. Eventually, he panics and he loses focus and matches. But Zverev is so young and each year, he will get better. But, he has to learn how to excel at the Slam with their three-out-of-five-set format. At the end of the year, he won the ATP Final, upsetting Roger Federer and Djokovic to grab it. That was super impressive. In 2019, we will find out how calm he is at the Australian Open. If he does, he has a legitimate chance to snag it.

No. 3: Roger Federer
I would think that the 37-year-old Swiss had a pretty good year, but I am sure he was not happy at times, because he still wants to win everything. But he is aging, a little bit, so he cannot be expected to run over everyone. He has been around for a very long time, and most people have watchd him for so many hours. He brilliantly mixes it up on his serves, his forehand is one of the best ever, his returns are phenomenal, his backhand has improved a lot of the past two years, and he is very intelligent at the net. He won the Australian Open again, and he won three more, at good events. But, he was not delightful when he lost in the quarters at Wimbledon, and then he lost in the round of 16 at the US Open. The same thing at the ATP Finals in London. At times, he was pissed off. Regardless, Federer will try super hard to win a major again in 2019. In a couple of weeks, he will be in Melbourne, and right there, his confidence will rise immediately. Because of that, he is one of the favorites, but to win it, he has to figure out about how to beat Djokovic, who has beaten him a lot. Fascinating.

No. 2: Rafael Nadal
Through Roland Garros for five months he played about as well as he could, when he was healthy, that is. The Spaniard rarely retires, but he was forced to do it, retiring at the Australia Open against Marin Cilic. On clay, he was unbeatable, winning Paris at the Grand Slam, 11 times now. Totally locked in. He came very close on grass at Wimbledon, losing 10-8 in the fifth to Djokovic. Nadal certainly had some chances there by he barely missed it. The 32-year-old admitted that. This has happened many times. He went back on hard courts again, and he looked good, winning Toronto. He went to the US Open and, unfortunately, in the second week, he had to play for many hours against Dominic Thiem. Nadal won, but it was 7-6 in the fifth. So, in the semis against Del Potro, he couldn’t move. He yelled. There was tremendous pain, so he retired. That was it and he stopped for the rest of the year. Nadal knows his body is breaking down more and more, you have to wonder if he will retire in the next couple of years. But even so, when he is playing wonderfully, he will win another Grand Slam — one of two. His heavy forehand is his best, ever. No doubt about it.

No. 1: Novak Djokovic
In the first five months, the Serbian was unsure of himself. He had been hurt in 2017, and he returned in 2018, but he was shaky. On court, he had to trust himself and go for it on the lines. Finally, at Wimbledon, he was more comfortable, he ran and ran, hit it deep, crosscourt and down the line, he pounded it, especially with his backhand. He would wait until he had a legitimate opportunity, and would jump on it. He won the Big W on grass, and after that, he was the best player once again. He won Cincy, the US Open and Shanghai. He beat the Slam winners, so many great players such as Nadal, Federer, Cilic and Del Potro. He didn’t win Paris Masters or the ATP Final, but so what? He came back, he was right in there, and while he can get frustrated, still, he is so darn good. Try to pass him, really try, because he is so quick that he can pick the ball up and crack it. Djokovic is No. 1. He has done that for a long time. Can anyone pass him again in 2019 if he is healthy and playing when he wants to? Right now, that will be extremely difficult. At this point, he will win a major again, and maybe two this year. That’s how good he is.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Juan Martin Del Potro, Novak Djokovic, rafa nadal, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer

Spectacular Novak Djokovic wins the US title

September 10, 2018 by Matthew Cronin Leave a Comment

FROM THE US OPEN – Before Djokovic walked on the court, he knew that if he played well, he would win the title again. He is better than Juan Martin del Potro, he knew that coming in, but he realized that the Argentine was rising, very gradually. If he was very consistent and powerful, he would win.

And he did, 6-3 7-6 (4) 6-3. In the second set, DelPo had a few chances, to grab it, but Djokovic stayed in there, out-hitting with his backhand, moving so well, returning a lot, which he had to, because DelPo was crushing his first serves.

The Serbian stayed strong, he didn’t play great with his serves, but his backhand beat the Argentine down, especially crosscourt. Plus, his forehand was hard. He wouldn’t allow DelPo to come into the net hardly at all, unless he decided to bend him down, pull him over, and pass him. DelPo crushed his huge forehand a lot, and in the second set, there were times when it appeared that he was getting better and better. Had he won the second set, then who knows? But in the breaker, Djokovic focused, and he locked in, and when he won the second set, it was essentially over.

While the No. 3 DelPo has had a terrific year, still, if he wants to win a major again — and to stay healthy — he must continue to work his backhand and his return. Other than that, he is a darn good player. Djokovic is a fantastic player, because he is now won 14 Grand Slams, tied with American Pete Sampras. Surely, next year, the No. 2 Djokovic can win another title, possibly at the 2019 Australian Open. That would be something else.

The others

Rafael Nadal
The No. 1 played three marathons, before the semis started against DelPo. After the first set, he became injured, and after he lost 7-6, he told the umpire that he was going to retire soon. In the second set, he pulled out. He was sad, and a little upset, but the No. 1 Nadal knew that you cannot win all the time.

He will always remember in the quarters against Dominic Thiem, winning it 7-6(5) in the fifth, which ended in four hours and 49 minutes. It was spectacular. But after that, his body and his leg was exhausted so there was no way he could continue. He did win Roland Garros, plus four more ATP Masters 1000, so in the fall, assuming he is feeling better, he will continue to push, and try to win it again. The last time he and Djokovic played against each other, he lost 10-8 in the fifth at Wimbledon. That was super close. Maybe they will clash at the ATP Final in London, or early. We all hope so.

Kei Nishikori
The Japanese looked great heading into the semis, beating Marin Cilic in five, running fast, leaping in the sky, and punishing with his forehand. He returned pretty well, too. But, once again, Djokovic is better than he is. His first and his second serve, and he can grind him down, also with his phenomenal backhand. I am not sure that Nishikori can upend Djokovic ever again, maybe once, or twice. In a five-setter at a Grand Slam, he can’t take a quick win. In the two out of three sets, sure he can lock in and upset Djokovic, but he couldn’t do anything on Friday, losing 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. That was a good US Open for Kei, but not good enough to win the title.

Dominic Thiem
The Belgian played well as he could, especially on the hard courts, because he has won a number of titles on clay, but the 25-year-old wasn’t ready for long, hard-court contests. At the US Open, he knew he had be very aggressive, with his huge first serves, and his heavy spin, with his forehand and his backhand. He did, and he battled, and he fought, and he pumped his fist, but he couldn’t make it. After he lost, the No. 8 Thiem said that he will always remember this defeat. But, perhaps in the fall, he can shake it off, and during the fall, he will add more variety. I would think that we will reach the ATP Finals in England. But that is a toss-up. It’s all in his head now.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: delpo, Dominic Thiem, Juan Martin Del Potro, Kei Nishikori, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, us open

US Open men’s semifinal pick: day 12

September 6, 2018 by Matthew Cronin Leave a Comment

FROM THE US OPEN – Well, that was some kind of a match. We’re talking about the quarterfinal clash between Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem.

The Spaniard was so close to losing, but he kept hanging in there, running and running. He simply never gives up. He may not play particularly well, but he will continue to push himself to a level beyond other players.

At the end, against the now fantastic Thiem, Nadal looked in deep down and found the solution, winning 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7(4), 7-6(5). Good enough.

Now, the 17-time Grand Slam champion has to face Juan Martin del Potro, who won it nine year ago, in 2009.

The 32-year-old Nadal has also won the US Open three times in 2010 and 2013. Last year, he won again over Kevin Anderson, somewhat quickly.

Recall back in 2009, when DelPo crushed Nadal in the semis. The Argentine was red hot, as he shocked the famous Roger Federer in five sets in the final. At that time, Nadal said that DelPo played amazing tennis, but it won’t happen again. Well, he has, once in a while, but not against Nadal again. The Spaniard has beaten him 11 times, while DelPo has won five.
Last year at the USO, in the semis, Nadal beat him 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2. Clearly, DelPo was exhausted after a couple hours, but Nadal nailed his forehand all the time.

This year at Wimbledon, in the quarters, on Nadal edged him, 7-5, 6-7(7), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. That was a toss-up, but Nadal served extremely well.

However, DelPo has improved this year, a lot. He is now ranked No. 3 and he could go further. He now can hit his two-handed backhand, where for many years, he couldn’t, because his left leg was almost destroyed and broken. It is hard to predict how long he will continue to be healthy. Hard to say month to month. No one really knows, but on Friday here at Flushing Meadows, he shouldn’t be tired or hurt when he walks on the court.

DelPo does love to slice his one-hander. When he is on top of it, he will hit it very low. But look, Nadal can knock it with his huge forehand, time and time again, and that is why he has won many matches. He belts the ball.

Nadal has played very long contests in the last three matches. His serves are very good, but over the past 11 days, he is not crushing it. I am not sure exactly why, but against DelPo, if he can, Nadal has to nail it on the Ts.

DelPo has to find away to break him, which means that he has attack on his backhand, and keep him off the baseline. Even if he does, he has to be patient. Of course, this will go five, with a long service game. In the end, DelPo will figure him out and win it, say 6-3 in the fifth. Just one break and hold on.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Dominic Thiem, Juan Martin Del Potro, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Rafael Nadal, us open

US Open picks, day 8: Stephens vs Sevastova, Nadal vs. Thiem

September 3, 2018 by Matthew Cronin Leave a Comment

FROM THE US OPEN – Can we call Tremendous Tuesday? Sure were can, with four fantastic matches.

Let’s start with the 2017 US Open champ Sloane Stephens, who will face Anastasija Sevastova. In her last two matches, Stephens was super steady, strong and fast. Mentally, she is focused. When she gets an opportunity, she runs forward. Sevastova has incredible variety, especially with her drop shots. She can be fairly quick, she can run ahead or back, and she is very emotional. They will split sets, they will have numerous rallies, and then it will be finished, with Stephens raising her arms and smiling. She will advance into the semis.

Who knew that John Isner was able to take down Milos Raonic in five sets? The American is playing so much better than he did last year. Currently, he is analyzing his options and he is going for it, with his huge serve. At the net when he is on top of the ball. However, he has to play against Juan Martin del Potro, who is on fire, and his backhand is substantially better than he was a couple years ago. His serve is massive, as is his gigantic forehand. Like Isner, del Potro is pretty clean at the net. He bends down to put it away. This has to be a five-setter, and both of them want it very badly. There won’t be a lot of rallies, but here and there, they will go side-to-side and hope they can strike winner. To me, the former US Open champ del Potro has been better over the years — when he wasn’t injured — and this week, the Argentine is playing amazing ball. He will win 7-6 in the fifth set.

Serena Williams is playing better than she has since she returned in March. Her serves are very hard, her first serve and the second serve are bombs, her backhand down the lines is very clean, and her forehand is deep. Almost out of nowhere, Karolina Pliskova is confident again and she is cracking the ball. Pliskova has had a mediocre year, but when she feels good, she will put together her first serves, ace after ace, and she will immediately go for the lines. Two years ago, the Czech beat Serena 6-2, 7-6(5) in the semis. That was then, that is now. They have changed, both of them got married last year, and Serena had a baby. Times change, and off court, they are very happy. Pliskova will immediately attempt to out-hit Serena, but the American is steady now, and she is returning very well. Serena will win 7-6, 7-6, but it will be a tough contest.

Rafa Nadal is the No. 1. In the last two matches, he looked very good at times, and so-so at other times, too. The thing is though, even when he is not serving the right way, his backhand is too short, and he isn’t attacking enough when he was returning, still, he is so smart and he readjusts. The key is that he wins.

Can he best Dominic Thiem on Tuesday night? I would think so, because Nadal has beaten him seven times against three losses — all on clay, especially at the 2018 Roland Garros final, when the Spaniard won 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Nadal is just better than he is. However, Thiem played well last week, he likes to hit heavy spin, he has a terrific first serve, and he is fast, too. But on the hard courts, I just can’t see a Thiem victory. Nadal has won Flushing Meadows three times, while Thiem has never reached the semis. It should be a fun match, with some wonderful rallies, but Nadal will win in straight sets.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: anastasija sevastova, Dominic Thiem, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Rafael Nadal, sloane stephens, us open

Nadal wins Toronto, beating Tsitsipas

August 13, 2018 by Matthew Cronin Leave a Comment

FROM TORONTO — Rafa Nadal keeps on battling, pushing himself, and he is always fighting. In the final here, he took down Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 7-6(4). He has won 33 ATP Master Series, the most ever, eclipsing two of the other great competitors, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

We all know that he is very quick, and that he is very strong. For the most part, he is pretty efficient with his first serve and his second serve. Ten years ago, he didn’t like coming into the net. But now, he can move forward and put it away, with his forehand and backhand. He bends down low and scoops it up. He can slice, or flatten it out.
Just like Federer and Djokovic, Nadal has improved over the past two years. They keep working and improving, even though they are in the 30s.

The No. 1 can be dominant when he is locked in.

Five years ago, Nadal won 10 tournaments. He won Canada (over Milos Raonic), Cincy (over Federer in the quarters and John Isner in the final) and the US Open (over Djokovic). That was the best year, ever.

Today, not only did he defeat Tsitsipas , but he edged Marin Cilic 2-6 6-4 6-4 in the semis. It was very close, and during the first set, he thought that he had to change a few things in the second set, or he would be out of the tournament. But he began to serve pretty big and he moved it to the left, to the right and down the middle. His forehand was falling deep and bounced up pretty high. He mixed his backhand, and when he had a chance, when the tall Cilic had some second serves, he returned it deep.

Really, Cilic could have won the match and yes, he has won one Grand Slam at the 2014 US Open. Too often, he loses control. In the last game, Nadal cracked the ball, and Cilic made a couple pretty easy errors. Goodbye.

Later in the day on Sunday, Nadal announced he won’t play Cincinnati.

Here is what he said in his post-match press conference, as he was weighing his options: “For me personally it’s not the moment to think about that. For me just having this trophy with me means a lot. It’s a very important moment for me. I can’t answer the question (of whether to withdraw from Cincinnati). I need to come back to speak with my team, to speak with the people who are close to me and really make a decision about what is going on in the next week and the next couple of weeks.

“There is a tighter (schedule) too because we have the Davis Cup semifinals after the US Open. So, we need to think about the things that we can do or the things that about we can’t do, no? So, it’s all about the decisions. I only want to play. I want to be everywhere. I love this sport. I don’t like to miss events. But at some point, if I don’t stop for myself, my body stop me. So that’s the experience that I have.”

Tsitsipas’ makes his mark
Sure, the young players are coming up — gradually — but it could take them another year to win a Grand Slam.

Tsitsipas is now 20 years old. He almost came from nowhere, but now the Greek is very close to reach the top 10 in the next months. His first serve is huge, he can slap his forehand and spin it way back in the court. His return is so-so, but hopefully he will learn to concentrate. When he happens to get into the net, he hesitates, but within a second, he composes himself and puts it away.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: cincinnati, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Toronto

Djokovic comes alive, wins Wimbledon

July 15, 2018 by Matthew Cronin Leave a Comment

Remember when Novak Djokovic won everything? The No. 1 was unstoppable. But last year, his body broke. After 2017 Wimbledon, he stopped, for six months, and when he came back in the start of this year, he was way off. He was upset, nervous, and mentally constrained.

But he kept on and at Wimbledon, his confidence was resurrected. When he was practicing, he could crush his backhand, forehand, his serve, at the net, his return, but that didn’t work on court. He would shake his head a lot. He would hesitate. However, two weeks ago, he told himself that win or lose, he would be brave.

And that is exactly what he did. The Serbian won his 13th Grand Slam by beating Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-2, 7-6. He clubbed him. On Sunday, after he won, he admitted that it was a tough time this year.

“There were several moments where I was frustrated and questioning if I’d get back to the desired level,” Djokovic said. “But that makes this whole journey even more special for me. …There were several moments where I was frustrated and questioning whether I could get back on [the] desired level or not,” he said. “There were turbulences – as well as moments of doubt, disappointment, frustration and anger. But it’s usually in a struggle that you get to know yourself. And get to have an opportunity to rise like a phoenix and evolve and get better.”

How about this? Just six weeks ago, at Roland Garros, he lost to Marco Cecchinato in the quarterfinals. Djokovic was so upset that in the press conference, that he might skip Wimbledon.

“I did not expect to be back in the top shape already here in Wimbledon so quickly,” Djokovic said. “If you asked me after Roland Garros, I would probably maybe doubt that. At the same time there is a part of me that always believes in my own abilities, believes in my own quality of tennis, what I possess. Whenever I come to the tournament and Grand Slam especially, I believe I can have a good opportunity to fight for the trophy.”

Oh, he battled, did he ever battle. In the semis, he was playing Rafa Nadal. In the fifth set, it looked like that he was very close to losing. But he never backed off and he won it 10-8 in the fifth.

After that, Djokovic was going to win. On Sunday, he pulled the tall Anderson all around, and he returned whenever he wanted to.

On Monday, Djokovic will be ranked No. 5. At sometime, maybe in the fall, he can grab the No. 1 once again. After all, he is as good as Roger Federer and Nadal right now. It is all about the confident factor.

“I’m really grateful to go through these mixed emotions and turbulence mentally. I’m human and we all have to go through that,” Djokovic said.

Angie Kerber knocks off Serena, wins Wimbledon

Last year, Angie Kerber said that she didn’t understand exactly what she was doing, losing all the time. She was frustrated and almost hopeless.

But in 2018, she decided that she would push herself every match, everyday, looking for the confidence factor.

At Wimbledon, she knew that she was right there. She was so, so fast, running and sprinting. This time, she would attack, hit it closer to the lines, returning deep, On her serve, she would mix it up constantly.

Kerber did and now she has won three Grand Slams, beating the famous Serena Williams 6-3 6-3 to win Wimbledon.

“I just feel like I’m taking the steps in the right direction,” she said. “I took a giant step at Wimbledon, but my journey has just begun.”

When Kerber was just a baby, and she had just started playing tennis, the now 30-year-old German watched Steffi Graf at Wimbledon. Graf won everything, 23 Grand Slam titles, with an unbelievable forehand, her slice backhand, and a phenomenal serve. On occasion, Graf lost, but she was very calm inside and she was so focused. That is exactly what Kerber did over the past two weeks.

“She was winning all the matches in two sets actually. I just remember that everybody was playing in white on the grass court,” Kerber said. “I think Wimbledon is something special. I think it’s traditional. To win here is forever. Nobody can take the title away from me now.”

Kerber will rise to No. 4 on Monday, and for sure, she could eventually become No. 1. She has been so much better over the past three years and without a doubt, now, she is a huge factor for years to come.

“I was enjoying [being No 1] but I was not expecting so many things because when you reach the top, you have no idea what you have to deal with in this moment,” she said. “What I have learned from that is that sometimes you have to say, ‘No,’ and take time for yourself, not doing every single day media or some stuff, just making a few days for yourself. When you do this, I think you can enjoy it more.”

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: angelique kerber, Kevin Anderson, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Serena williams, wimbledon

The men’s semis: Isner vs. Anderson, Djokovic vs. Nadal

July 13, 2018 by Matthew Cronin Leave a Comment

FROM WIMBLEDON, July 13 –

ISNER VS. ANDERSON

Is it for real that the American John Isner has reached the semifinal at Wimbledon? It is real, as he has won five matches in a row. He is 33-years-old, and he is a very tall man, and his first and second serves are gigantic. But, on certain days, he was calm and cool, and other days, he would get angry and check out.

But on Friday, Isner will have a good chance against Kevin Anderson. The veteran Anderson have improved a good amount of the past year and a half, stunning Roger Federer in the quarters. His backhand is heavier, he returns a little bit better, and of course, his forehand, his serve and even at the net, he is totally controled.

They know each other very well.

“There could be a little mental aspect in our match. I say that because our rivalry, goes back way before the pro tour,” Isner said. “We played each other in college probably three, four, five times. We played each other a bunch on the pro tour. We’ve been lined up against each other for about 14 years now, because he left Illinois when I left Georgia. We’ve been doing it ever since.
“For me this matchup, and I think for him as well, is especially cool. It’s a very nice spotlight on college tennis, that one of us, no matter what, is going to be playing in the Wimbledon final. We’re duking it out in the semifinals.”

While Anderson has reached the 2017 US Open, final, which is very good, but playing against Isner, he cannot figure him out. Or maybe he finally has. Isner has beaten Anderson eight times, and the South African has won only three times. In the last five matches, Isner has prevailed. In 2015 at Indian Wells, on the hardcourts Isner knocked him back 7-6, 6-2. That is the last time they have played, so it has been more than three years. They both have changed somewhat, and this week, they are rocking. There will be short points, and I would think there will be a few tiebreaks. In the end, Isner will hit so many aces that he will reach the final in five sets.

NADAL VS. DJOKOVIC

Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic will clash in the semis. That will be their 52th contest. That is a record, which is mind blowing. In 2007, Nadal beat Djokovic in the semis at Wimbledon, when the Serbian retired. In 2011, Djokovic beat him in four sets in the final. That has been a long time now on grass, but still, having to skid, they are more comfortable at the net, and to know that when they return, they have to hit it deep.

Djokovic has won Nadal 26 times, and Rafa has beaten Novak 25 times. They are nearly even.

“Always is a big challenge face Novak. Is one of the more complex players that I ever saw on our sport.” Nadal said. “Is always a big test. You know that you can’t win against him if you don’t play very well. My goal is to try to play very well. I know in semifinals of Wimbledon you will not have an easy opponent in front. You have to accept that if you want to win important things. You will face the best players. You need to be ready.”

Since April, on clay, Nadal won just about everything. But on grass, it’s different. Now on the surface, it has been warm so the balls bounces up on the court. Also, when it is dry, you can slip and fall down. That is the way the balls bounce .

We all know that Nadal has a mammoth lefty forehand that is better than Djokovic, and the Serbian has a better sharp backhand. They are tied on with the first serves — twising balls — and at the net, putting it away, very low, competent.

While Djokovic is surging, that doesn’t mean that he is 100 percent emotionally. Maybe he will find his fighting spirit on Friday, but Nadal is so focused. Rafa will win in five marvelous sets.

THE WOMEN

On Saturday, Serena Williams and Angie Kerber will be ready to clash. Serena is almost back, playing wise, and Kerber is driven. The last time they played, back in 2016 in the final at Wimbledon, Serena served big and consistent, and she found the lines in two sets. But it was close, and now, they have aged over the past two years. They are crafty, they are very strong, and they can smack both sides, the forehands and the backhand. Neither of them like to go to the net, but Serena’s second serve is substactially better, but Kerber is faster. Also in 2016, the German won her first Slams, beating Ms. Williams in three sets at the Australian Open. So right now, this weekend, they are almost even. Obviously, neither of them will be very nervous. They have played so many Slams, and neither of them will shake in their boots.
They will go into the third set, and Serena will hit it deeper and deeper until Kerber will fold. Serena will win in three sets. The dominator.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: angelique kerber, John Isner, Kevin Anderson, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Serena williams, wimbledon

Men’s final: Nadal v. Theim: ‘I know how to play against him’

June 9, 2018 by Matthew Cronin Leave a Comment

FR0M ROLAND GARROS — Rafa Nadal is a pretty big favorite to win Roland Garros once again. He has won it 10 times, and he has never lost in the final, starting in 2005 when the teenager shocked the world. Last year, in 2017, he won it again. He was so locked in and so good.

Last year, in the semis, he blew out
Dominic Thiem. He destroyed him. But now, the 24-year-old is a little bit more mature, he has improved his heavy backhand and his volleys at the net cords. He likes changing the tactics a lot, and he is fairly smart, so maybe, he can unearth Rada.

Or maybe not. The thing is, the 32-year-old Nadal is brilliant when he is playing. He can be tricky, or he can attach very soon, blasting his forehand. He is very patient with his first serve, and when he manages to get into the net, he can jump up into the air, or he can bend down, grip it his racket, stare at it, and then decide where he could go. Many times, he puts it away. With his return, he stands way in the back, right near the fence, he quickly moves forward when the ball is struck and he pounds it deep. He doesn’t try to immediately hit a winner, he wants to start the points and then eventually, he will explode.

That is why Nadal has won so many clay court tournaments. Dozens and dozens. But eventually, all reat players will retire, too old, too injured, too mentally tired. Pete Sampras did that back in 2002, when he won the US Open for the last time. He had won 14 Grand Slams, but then he woke up one day later and he thought, “I don’t want to play anymore. It is time to rest, and change how I feel, and I will have a new chapter.”

But right now, while Nadal maintains his health — which is very rocly — he will continue to improve his backhand. Ten years ago, his backhand was so-so, it wasn’t going deep, but now he hits it deeper and harder. It is not perfect, and he probably never will be. But that’s because his forehand is gigantic, all the time. Plus, he gets everything.So what about Thiem? For sure, over the past five years, he has gradually improved, and he loves the clay. He likes to punch it out, and he likes long rallies, when he moves forward inch by inch until he can touch the line. His one-handed backhand is fantastic. He by slices and spins it, by flatting in out and smacking the ball for a winner. His forehand is heavy, and he can move it around.Yes, he has beaten Nadal three times, on clay, but Rafa has won five times, twice at Roland Garros. The Spaniard hasn’t lost a set to Thiem in Paris.

Can Thiem change it up? He will have to start playing well, because if he loses the first and second set, see-ya. But as he says, there is an opportunity“[Nadal is] a big favorite against everybody. Still, I know how to play against him,” Thiem said. “I have a plan.”

Halep battles for Slam

After she lost the first set 6-3, and she was broken, 1-2, Simona Halep blew up quickly. The last time at three finals at the Slams, she went down. But this time, she didn’t panic, she kept running, getting the balls back constantly, pretty deep and hard. She ran and ran, she just kept striking.

“I felt that and I said, ‘It’s not going to happen again, but it’s okay. I have just to play,’ ” Halep said. “And then when I started to win games, I said that last year happened to me [against Jelena Ostapenko in the final], same thing, I was set and a break up and I lost the match. So I said there is a chance to come back and win it. So I believed in that, and my game was more relaxed. I could make more things on court, and that’s why I could win.”

Halep won it all, out-hitting Sloane Stephens 3-6 6-4 6-1. In the fourth game in the third, she and Stephens were at the net, twisting around, bending down, and finally, Halep went in the air, with her back behind her, and she put it away. That was a tremendous point. After that, she pumped her first, while Stephens put her head down.

‘That was really important, and I think maybe the most important ball in the third set. I remember last year and this year in my mind all match, when, at 3-3 I think in the third set, she hit the net and the ball was going, like, five meters out and came back to my court. So I remember that. I said, if I did this point, so has to be mine this match. I was confident after that.”

It was over. The No. 1 Halep knew that she was going to win. She did, and she is still grinning, her first major. Whether she wins another Slam — and she really could — at least on Saturday, she finally showed that she was spectacular, through and through.

Filed Under: Lead Story Tagged With: Dominic Thiem, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, rafa nadal, Rafael Nadal, Simona Halep, sloane stephens

Report card: top five men in Rome

May 21, 2018 by Matthew Cronin Leave a Comment

Here are the men with the best results last week in Rome.

Rafa Nadal A+
The Spaniard can be so-so at times, and he knows that, and he says that, even if we don’t always believe him. On clay, when he is on top of his game, he is control 95 percent of the time. When he was close to losing the final to Alexander Zverev, he stepped up, smacked his forehand and weaker backhand, and he found his range. He is super smart and driven. Nadal will come into Roland Garros this week and be a serious favored to win it again: that would be 11 times. Wow!

Alexander Zverev A-
The German was pretty close to winning Rome, moving forward, pounding his backhand and serving big. The 21-year-old has had a terrific three weeks, beating 13 different players, knocking down a few of the best. But as Zverev has said, he was so close to put down Nadal for the first time but coulnd’t make it happen at the end of the match. With a break in the third, he lost his fire. Can he win in Paris? That is unsure.

Novak Djokovic B+
At least the former No. 1 reached the semis. While he lost against Nadal, he was finally a little bit confident and focused. He may not love clay, but he is a very good player from top to bottom. As long as he stays healthy, he will return to the top 10, then into the top 5, but after that, to win a Grand Slam this year? The jury is out.

Marin Cilic B+
The Croat had a very good week in Rome. Yes, he didn’t win, but at least he hustled and changed his tactics. Reaching the semis on clay makes Cilic smile.

Kei Nishikori B
The Japanese also had a good week, not retiring, staying in there. He never gave up. He and Djokovic had some fun rallies, and coming up to Roland Garros, I am sure they will be practicing for many hours.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Kei Nishikori, Marin Cilic, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Novak Djokovic, rafa nadal, Rafael Nadal, rome, Sasha Zverev