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Preview: ATP at 2023 Roland Garros

May 24, 2023 by
Carlos Alcaraz

It is possible that Daniil Medvedev will win Roland Garros for the first time, but he has to play for two weeks, in a three out of five, and while he rarely gets tired, on the famous clay, there have been some stunning upsets. But not with Rafa Nadal, who has won it 11 times, but unfortunately, he won’t be able to play because he is still injured.

So he will not go, and then you can throw 10 players who can grab it. You can look at Medvedev, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas,  Holger Rune, Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz and Felix Auger-Aliassime. You can also throw in even more, but you have to think that they are very good, each day in Paris, or they can fall down in the second week.

In the 1990s, the American men were very valid, eventually, winning at Roland Garros with Jim Courier and Andre Agassi. It did take them a decent about of time to get hooked on the clay.   
They became patient, and when they had a real chance to crush there hard forehand, and also, there steady backhand. It was spot on.

Currently, over the past two months on clay, once again, the U.S. guys have not been deep enough. Fritz  has played terrific on the hardcourts, but in the past three years, he lost very early at Roland Garros. Perhaps he went too early,  and he didn’t want to rallies for hours. Sure, he can dish  quick and he can alloy it up, and return, too, but on the clay, he still isn’t sure what to do during the match.


The same thing goes with the No. 12  Frances Tiafoe, who put together a couple very good matches on the hardcourts, but on the clay, he is fumbling again. Last year, he was on fire at the 2022 U.S. Open and Tokyo, and he hit some phenomenal shots, but now he has been missing a lot. He is 25-years-old, so maybe he can re-adjust in the strokes, and to return, better. Also, both he and Fritz are cover good at the net, but they really have to put it away, and also, chuck in some excellent drop shots.

The rest of the U.S. men have had a good last 12 months, moving up, with Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda, Brandon Nakashima, Jenson Brooksby, Maxime Cressy, J.J. Wolf and Ben
Shelton. But into the quarters at Roland Garros, that would be surprising, but one person will turn on the lights.

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The Picks in Madrid: Tuesday, May 2

May 2, 2023 by
Alexander Zverev

Carlos Alcaraz  over Alexander Zverev
This is one of the best matches early, as the Spaniard has won a Slam, and the German has reached the final.  Last year, Alcaraz was on fire, with some breathtaking  shots. He beat Zverev in the 2022 Madrid, out-hitting him with some muscular shots. On Tuesday, he wants to do it again, and he won’t back down.  He wants to show the world that very soon, he wants to be No. 1 again. He has to, as Zverev beat him at the 2022 Roland Garros in the quarters, 7-6 (7) in the fourth set. That was so close.

“I really want to play that match. I really want to show my great level  I have great memories from last year in the final but obviously I have to be really focussed in that match,” Alcaraz said. “I know that Sascha [Alexander ] is a really good player, a really aggressive one with good serves. I have to show all my skills.”

Zverev can be hit some massive shots, and with his first serve, close to the corners, when he flips it as a winner. However, this year, he has been mediocre at times, but one of the main reason why is because last year at Roland Garros he tore his three ligaments in his right ankle. He had to retire in the semis verses Rafa Nadal. Had he not done that, he might have stunned Nadal. But he could not, so currently, he wants to play 100 percent.

“We played in the final here last year, played a massive match at [Roland Garros] before I got injured. … I’ve been on Tour for 10 years now, so,” Zverev said. “It’s kind of been a break, I’ve been injured, not dead so I’ve not been reborn again or something like that. It’s still the same old me and I still want to win these tournaments and I’m going to do everything I can to do so.” 

Perhaps he will, if he can push Alcaraz back, near the wall, and frustrate him. However, Zverev has lost some mediocre matches,  and while he used to be No. 2, this year he has not able to win the top 25 men. Because of that, while if he feels healthy, then he should be able to go into the top 10, again. But not yet, as Alcaraz will win it in two, dramatic sets. 

Taylor Fritz over Zhizhen Zhang
Two days ago, it looked like he had a fine match, but he still wasn’t good enough to win the next contest. But once again, Zhang played incredible; edging Norrie. But now he has to face with Fritz, who apparently, on the clay, he adjusted. Perhaps the reason why is in Madrid, it is faster on the court, so he can hit the balls quickly, and tucked in a number of winners. He can really throw in some tremendous shots, in the backcourt. His first serve ishard-hearted, and he can ship. The quick Zhang will attempt to have some long rallies, and he will also try to put it in the lines, but Fritz will pound him back, and the American will win it in two, engaging, sets.

Aryna Sabalenka over Mayar Sherif
Even though when she starts at the tournament, the teenager can be a little bit slow, mentally,  to get into it when she can. She was thinking about at the tournament, how well she will be, and to play more than respectable. Currently, she knows that, as she said: “I think tennis is a little bit different right now. Everyone is playing well, and it’s not actually easy,” Sabalenka said. “I think just because I’m able to focus on myself and no matter what happen on court, I’m fighting for every point. … Everyone is trying to hit the ball very hard. Everyone is serving. Everyone is playing really aggressively and fighting for every point. You have to be really focused and have to work very hard to be on the top all the time.”

Then do it if you can. At the event, Sherif has came very strong. She has some amazing spin, and she can also re-set her direction. Her forehand isn’t that hard, but her backhand is powerful. Yes, Sherif is jumping into the air, but the No. 2 Sabalenka will hit it harder and she will win it in two amusing sets. 

Irina-Cametia Begu over Maria Sakkari 
The veteran Begu has been around for a long time, going place to place, with some classic matches, and also, some so-so cities. She can be consistent, and she also can punch her backhand. Begu can create, and she can go really low. However, the Greek Sakkari   also like some king-side rallies, and she will go back and forth, hoping that she can put it in a basket. Sakkari has not had a good year, but it does seems to like that she is playing more efficiently. However, she will continue to struggle, and Begu will win it in three, super long, sets.

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The Picks in Monte-Carlo Masters, BJK Cup: Saturday, April 15

April 15, 2023 by
Jannik Sinner
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Taylor Fritz over Andrey Rublev
That was a tremendous match with the American, who beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in two, smart sets. Now Fritz will have to beat against Andrey Rublev, who also is playing very real, and leaping on the ball.
Fritz  has never won an ATP 1000s on the clay, and yes, he did that on the hardcourts at the 2022 Indian Wells, so in orderer to do it this weekend, he must play fantastic, most of the time. On the hardcourts, he can play phenomenal, but in the dirt, he has to be very patient, The same goes with the Russian,  who is extremely strong, but while Rublev has beaten so many excellent players, yet he has not won a gigantic at the Grand Slams, or the ATP 1000s, although he has been close, twice. Both of them want to do it this season, that is for sure.

“He is a great player and a good friend and I am excited for the match,” Fritz said. “He is tough.”

Yes, they both are. They can turn it on, going toe-to-toe with there hard forehand and there backhand. They can return pretty good, and they also can throw it around. This time, Fritz will beat on the lines, and he will take down Rublev in three, wild sets.

Jannik Sinner over Holger Rune
The Italian Sinner is becoming elegant, on the court, and before, he would get a small opportunity and try to slam a winner. At times, he did that, but he made many errors. The reason is because that when they are very young, most of them have years to go, to figure out what they have to do. Constantly, playing in the match,  Sinner will be thinking how he should stay aggressive, or just to be super steady.

Rune is finally better now, as before that, he was second-rate, at best. But the young competitor climbed  up this week, and his strokes became more fitting. He does like to do it  on the clay, and chuck it around. His backhand can be steady, and nail it into the corners. However, Rune still needs to re-adjust his attitude, so Sinner will win it in two, brilliant sets.

Billie Jean King Cup
USA over Austria
In Delray Beach, Coco Gauff easily won over Julia Grabher, while Jessica Pegula also took it over, but the match was a little bit close against Sinja Kraus. Pegula will start on Saturday and the world’s No. 3 will certainly play better and frustrate Grabher.

France over Great Britain
Right now in Coventry Building Society Arena in Great Britain, France has two very good players with  Caroline Garcia and the fine veteran with Alize Cornet. They are up 2-0, but  Katie Boulter played extremely well, nearly upsetting  Garcia  7-6 in the third. On Saturday, Garcia may or may not play to start, but either way,  Harrie Dart will try to shock him. She does have a chance, and if she does that, then  Boulter  has a fine chance to slug it down with Cornet. However, France will win the tie on Saturday.

Matt’s yesterday picks

Correct: Coco Gauff over Julia Gabher
Correct: Jessica Pegula over Sinja Kraus
Correct: Taylor Fritz over Stefanos Tsitsipas
Daniil Medvedev over Holger Rune

Matt’s current week picks

7 out of 11: 63.6% correct

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The Picks on clay in  Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters: Wednesday, April 12

April 12, 2023 by
Stan Wawrinka
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Stan Wawrinka over Taylor Fritz
The American returns to play on the dirt, and while he really likes the hard courts, he had improved a lot, but during the clay last year, he has been so-so. Now it is time to measure up. Fritz can hit with his fast forehand, and his bashing backhand. He can also be patient, but others time, he can be to distracting.

Clearly, the 38-years-old Wawrinka is aging, but the Swiss has played some amazing matches, on clay, when he won the 2015 Roland Garros, stunning  Roger Federer. His one-handed backhand is so heavy, with huge spin, and his forehand is also hard, and at times, when it is flat. However, he is little bit slower, and he has lost a number of matches. But with that, now in the spring, he will make a huge effort to show the fans that he can actually turn it on. Yes, Fritz is the better players on the hard courts, but on the clay, it is still Wawrinka, who will win in three, jarring sets.

Holger Rune over Dominic Thiem
This is super interesting that Thiem played his best match this year, easily beating Richard Gasquet. The Austria grew up leaning how to play on the clay, and gradually, he improved his heavy forehand and his backhand. However, he was hurt, and he lost control. Yes, he is darn smart, on the court, but the former 2020 U.S. Open champion started to push the ball, rather than making the attempt to hit it close to the lines.

The 19-year-old Rune has not playing well, hardly at all. He has won some decent matches, but he has not reach into the final in 2023, losing early at Indian Wells and Miami. The good thing is that last year in the fall, he was on fire,  when he won Paris, stunning Novak Djokovic. This week, he has decided that even if he loses,  at least he can make some different strokes, and to be much more focus. Rune is trying to be confident again, which means that while he knows that Thiem can grind it, all over the place,  he can out hit him. The No. 9 Rune will win it in two brutal sets.

Matt’s yesterday picks

Correct: Novak Djokovic over Ivan Gakhov
Correct: Stefanos Tsitsipas over Benjamin Bonzi

Matt’s current week picks

2 out of 4: 50% correct

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The Picks in Miami: Wednesday, March 29

March 29, 2023 by
Sorana Cristea
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

Aryna Sabalenka over Sorana Cirstea
She is on cruise control, and while her serves can be spotty, but her forehand and her backhand are mind blowing. Sabalenka is very loud, and she can swing super hard, and she goes for the lines almost immediately. Cirstea has had a terrific tournament, with some solid depths. She can throw it around, and also, she can fool you. However, while she has been a very depth player, but she is aging, so while Cirstea  will stay for a little while, she frankly is not as good against the No. 2 Sabalenka. At least Cirstea will win a set, but in the third set, Sabalenka will win it, stepping on her.  

Jannik Sinner over Emil Ruusuvuori
The Italian Sinner seems to be more thoughful on court, not becoming very upset, as the 21-year-old knows that he is not playing well, but eventually, he can push it up. He did have a solid tournament at Indian Wells, taking down Taylor Fritz in the quarters, and while he lost the semis against Carlos Alcaraz, he knew that he is right there. The Fin Emil Ruusuvuori had a solid year in 2022, but this season he has not play well at all, except in Miami. Perhaps he started to add some new things, or to focus every second. Even if he does, Sinner  will punch the ball,  super cruel.  Sinner  will win in two easy sets.

Petra Kvitova over Ekaterina Alexandrova
The Czech Kvitova is one of the most powerful people in the past 10 years. Her first serve, her return, and her forehand and her backhand are huge. She did win Wimbledon twice, but that is on the hardcourts, and while she can also be intense, she does not run that fast, and she eventually get very tired.
Alexandrova is rising gradually again, when she thinks on court, thinking about what to do, during the points. She can be fitting, and she can also try to whack on the lines. However, the veteran has never gone deep at the Slams, and believe it or not, the 28-year-old has never made it in the second week. Maybe she can do it eventually, and perhaps she can go further at Miami, but Kvitova is healthy right now and she will win it in two hard-hitting sets.

Carlos Alcaraz over Taylor Fritz
Carlos Alcaraz hit some amazing shots,  and so much variety. He beats Tommy Paul sprinting in the backcourts, and touching at the net. The American Paul played pretty good, but he has to continue to get better. That is not with Fritz, who did reach the top 5 before Indian Wells, his first time. He could not win it again, but here at  Miami, he is playing pretty darn good, with his first serves, his return, and with his grim  forehand. It will be very close again, yet the No. 1 Alcaraz has a tremendous firepower, and in the third set, he will rush the net, and put it away, frequently. The Spaniard will beat the American Fritz, pumping in the air.

Tuesday picks

Correct: Carlos Alcaraz over Tommy Paul
Correct: Jessica Pegula over Anastasia Potapova
Stefanos Tsitsipas over Karen Khachanov

Matt’s Miami picks

13 out of 21: 61.9% correct

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Can Taylor Fritz win Indian Wells again?

March 12, 2023 by
Taylor Fritz
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

INDIAN WELLS – Four years ago, Taylor Fritz won some important matches, but he also lost quite a few. Now, the American is ranked No. 5, and last year he won this ATP 1000 tournament.

When he was younger, he had been going up and down. Now he is smarter and more thoughtful, and as he said, he finally found a mental approach to play more consistently.

“I think for me what made me a really good player and gave me a lot of success early on when I was 17 or 18 was how aggressive I was and how big I was hitting the ball. I could do that because I was free,” he said. “I’m not supposed to beat these guys, I’m the younger guy. Then all of a sudden I remember thinking this, I had some good wins when I was 18. One year later when I was 19, I barely beat a guy that I was supposed to beat. I thought to myself, wow, if I had this win one year ago, it would have been the best one of my whole life. We’re only a year now in the future and I’m supposed to win that. It’s bad if I don’t win that match. So I just feel like there was a lot of pressure on me, and it just tightened me up. I wasn’t playing my game as much as I guess should have. I got away from playing what made me good.”

Some young players with potential don’t go through usual teenage paths like going to high school and college and have restricted perception. On the court and off, the players gain more time to understand why they are playing tennis and deal with extensive traveling. It could be odd, or upsetting.
 
“Some deal with it better than others. At the age of 17, 18, 19, maybe you’re not the most well-equipped to deal with that stuff. Now it’s different, I’m older and the pressure I feel is just the pressure that I put on myself,” Fritz said. “I don’t care about what other people are saying and what pressure other people may be putting on me to succeed. That’s kind of just a lesson you need to learn.”

The 25-year-old has won five tournaments. Is that enough considering his age and potential? At least he has beaten a number of excellent players in the past year, such as Rafa Nadal, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Andrey Rublev.

Fritz’s forehand and his backhand have grown more solid, and his return has been much better. He is coming together. 

“I think one of the biggest improvements in my game from two years ago is the return. Before I would only stand up and stand in the same position and try to return,” he said. “I have made some tweaks to where I stand. I can mix up where I stand, as well. I definitely put way more returns in the court than I used to, for sure.”

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Jordan Thompson stuns Stefanos Tsitsipas

March 11, 2023 by
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

INDIAN WELLS – Players can overjoyed, especially they are hitting their shots very deep from both sides. Also, strong returns and the ability to chip it when you are going into the net can be a big assets on these courts.

Jordan Thompson did, upsetting Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6(5) in the third set. Tsitsipas missed two key shots, and the Aussie Thompson finally rose.


“I have been on a bit of run of matches. I felt confident, even playing against a top-10 player I felt comfortable in my own skin and what I was doing, and just snuck out a win,” Thompson said. “It feels unbelievable.”

The first and second rounds can always be tricky. Players who have not played yet at this tournament can be unsure of the surroundings. However, many of the players have done it for years and years and know you have to adjust, and fast.

Three veterans won on Friday: Jelena Ostapenko, Barbora Krejcikova and Petra Kvitova. They hope they can bang into the second week. They all have won a number of big events, but they can also be ineffective if they are not feeling right. 

Kvitova and Ostapenko will face off in the round of 32. The last time they played was on the Eastbourne grass last year, with the Czech veteran winning easily. But in California on hard courts, Kvitova will try to hit big immediately, with her first serve, backhand and forehand. However, her foot speed has dropped a little bit.

Kvitova said, “I think you can expect quick game, one, two shots max. We played final of Eastbourne before I lost on the hard court from the match point against Jelena. We practiced few times as well. We know each other pretty well. Yeah, it will be quick game for sure. I will not have a time to think where I’m going to put my ball. Any times I gonna feel it I will go there.”

There are some amazing matches already in the desert. On Thursday night, Sofia Kenin somewhat easily beat Sloane Stephens 6-4, 6-1 late at night. Kenin was very good — finally — bending down and blasting her forehand and backhand. A few years ago, the former Roland Garros champ Stephens was so steady, but now she is mentally down, and she has yet to add a few more shots. She went from being steady, but currently she is so erratic.

Emma Raducanu, who beat Danka Kovinic, is trying to get back into the top 10 this year. She looked very decent, and she is more aggressive, yet she does need to get a string of victories.
 
American Emma Navarro took down Caty McNally in three sets, when it was very late and cold. She was steady, while McNally was frustrated.

On the court, Ben Shelton is so enthusiastic and he celebrates all the time. When he is on, then he can attack, and he can be steady. He crushed Fabio Fognini 6-4, 6-1. However, in the next round he has to play Taylor Fritz, who won the tournament last year. On the big stadium, in the afternoon, the sun will be very warm, and they will sweat hard in what should be an excellent matchup.

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Always lurking: Taylor Fritz is moving up, again

February 23, 2023 by
Taylor Fritz

The ATP 250 Delray Beach has had some incredible matches over the decades

On the Florida hardcourts near the ocean, Taylor Fritz beat Miomir Kecmanovic 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 in the final. There were some wild shotswith some fine variety. Finally Fritz’ forehand and backhand were sailing deep and were more challenging. Yes, the No. 7 still can be up and down week to week. Whenhe is pushing himself, and he can mentally center and beat anyone. Well, most of them.

Kecmanovic lost but he really has improved a lot of the past year and a half. He is fit, his forehand is pretty darn good and his backhand is decent. In order to eventually reach into the top 10, he has mix it up more. Also, his second serve is marginal. The good thing for the 22-year-old is he has reached the top 30. If he can add to some new shots, then he can upset some of the very excellent players.

Daniil Medvedev had an odd year in 2022, playing a few spectacular events. After lost the 2022 Australian Open final in a classic five-setter against Rafa Nadal, Medvedev began to slip. After that, he started to make a lot of errors, which is unusual for him. He could not take down Novak Djokovic at all.

All of a sudden, Medvedev is back into it. He was so solid, with his consistent forehand and his backhand that he hits pretty flat. He managed to win the Rotterdam title, beating Jannik Sinner 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.

The Italian Sinner can really pop the ball and can also mix it up. When the Russian Medvedev is locked in and goes for winners, he is again among the four best players in the world.

Even at the 2023 Aussie Open, American Sebastian Korda beat Medvedev, in just three sets. Korda was jumping on the ball while the Russian was so unfulfilled. And then, a month later, he not only beat Sinner, but he also took dwon Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semis. Then, the fans were almost stunned that he could move it all around the box.

Now, he is back into the top 10 at No. 8. Can Medvedev eventually go into No. 1 this season? Perhaps, but he is not ready yet.

Sinner has won six in the 250s, but in the 500s, he won it only one time, back in 2021 at Washington. A couple years ago, when he reached the final in Miami, it looked like that when he continued to rise, all the time. Now 21-year-old serves and returns better. His volleying is even improved. His forehand and backhand are very . Mentally he can be slips, which is his downfall. Sinner will attempt to mature on the court. Hopefully, he can go much further at the ATP 1000s and the Grand Slams. He really has to be totally honest with himself.

Carlos Alcaraz has not played since he became injured at the 2022 ATP Masters 1000 Paris in the beginning of November. He was happy to be back on the court in Buenos Aires. You’ve got to figure it will take a while to be very good again. Then, in the last couple matches, he was pretty darn good, sliding around on the clay. He was quick, and he swung very hard. In the final, he edged Cameron Norrie 6-3, 7-5.

He became No. 1 when he won last year’s US Open along with Miami on hardcourt and also grabbing five tiles on clay. His biggest title was on the dirt in Madrid.

Alcaraz is only 19 years old. Sometimes the Spaniard can forget exactly what he has to do. Yes, if he is healthy, he will win many titles, just like Rafa Nadal has. Alcaraz can follow Nadal’s career who played all the time when he was young. He also knew he had to improve with his backhand, second serve and net game. Then eventually, he did it.

Nadal has won 22 Grand Slams. Can Alcaraz do the same? Who knows, but if he can continue to Still Djokovic is No. 1 right now.

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Will the Americans go into the top 5?

February 5, 2023 by
Taylor Fritz
Mal Taam/MALTphoto

We can talk about Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal and then we will find out who has more Grand Slam winners. It is tied, 22 huge wins, but they cannot play until June, at Roland Garros. So that is months from now. Instead, it is more important to find out who can try to reach into the top 5 this year, and beat the those nearly untouchable players.

No. 8 Taylor Fritz does has a chance to repeat at Indian Wells in March and Frances Tiafoe have another opportunity to win his first ATP 1000. The No. 15 Tiafoe has been better over the past year and a half, but he also can be inconsistent.

Fritz looked very good going into the Australian Open, after he beat four good players. But in the second round in Melbourne, he went down against Alexei Popyrin. That was a big shocker. If he can re-set immediately, then he can start to turn on the jets. Coming up, he will play in the Dallas Open,

Tiafoe, who looked stellar in Melbourne until the third round, when he went down to the resurgent Karen Khachanov.

Another American, Tommy Paul, had a fantastic two weeks at the Australian Open, as he reached into a Grand Slam semi for the first time. He has so locked in, and his forehand and his backhand were more than muscular. However, in the last two sets, Djokovic wiped him out. For Paul, he finally made it into the top 20, and for sure, if he wants to leap into the top 10, then he will have to continue improving.

The American men have not won a Grand Slam since 2003 when Andy Roddick grabbed the US Open. That is almost 20 years ago. Eventually, someone will, but this year at RG, Wimbledon, and the US Open? That would be a somewhat astonishing, such as beating Djokovic, Nadal, and the teenager Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. Or you can throw in Stefanos Tsitsipas who reached the Aussie Open final. In the two out of three, it is possible to play great and upset the opponent, but in the three out of five, then you have to sit there for hours. If you get tired, or you become nervous, then you can slip in the fifth set. It has happened so many times.

This week in Dallas, there are lots of players competing such as Brandon Nakashima, John Isner, J.J. Wolf, and Marcos Giron. Whomever wins can think that when he eventually goes to Indian Wells, he will be totally pumped up and ready to chop down everyone.

Breakthrough: Alycia Parks wins first title
Speaking of which, who would have thought that Alycia Parks won her first WTA singles title in Lyon, upsetting Caroline Garcia, 7-6(7), 7-5? Last year, the American was going up and down, winning and losing a lot. Yet in the fall, the 22-year-old kept going into the net, and putting away losts of volleys. Plus, she is fast, and her strokes go deep. Last year, she beat Karolina Pliskova and Maria Sakkari in Ostrava. After that, she knew that she could be much more daring on the court.

“I think the key was to stay focused and take my time,” Parks said. “Every time I passed myself, I kind of lost points, so I told myself to slow down. All this week I’ve been kind of chilled this week and just kept playing my game and getting into it.”

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2023 Australian Open favorites

January 15, 2023 by

The women

Jessica Pegula
Rick Limpert

With the women, clearly, the favorite is No. 1 Iga Swiatek. But, she has never won in Melbourne. She can be very aggressive on the hardcourts. Last year, Ash Barty won it and then retired. However, one of the Americans, Sofia Kenin, won it in 2020, but then she went straight downhill. Maybe she will get going again but she has to turn thing around quickly, because she has to face Vika Azarenka in the first round. Azarenka won it twice in 2012 and 2013. Now she is playing decently, but she is not great right now. Both of them are super fierce and then they can go for the lines. Sometimes they miss it, the other times they can control play in the backcourt. But, to win it, that would be very surprising.

Three American women should reach the second week or to get into the final: Coco Gauff, Madison Keys, and Danielle Collins. But 18-year-old Gauff, who reached into the final at Roland Garros, would have to beat Świątek in the quarters if they both advance to that round.

Keys is a former US Open finalists and Collins reached that level at the Australian Open. No one won, but at least they played were tough outs all the way to the finals. Maybe something occurred, either they were too nervous, or maybe they were not strategic.

Another veteran, Jessica Pegula, is ranked No. 3, which means that she has been much more assertive with her ground strokes. She won Guadalajara in the fall and that was her best tournament ever. However, she has yet to go deep at the Slams, so this will be a huge challenge for her to show she can dominate in a major.

There are others who can win a Slam for the first time: Caroline Garcia, Aryna Sabalenka, Maria Sakkari, Daria Kasatkina, Belinda Bencic and Amanda Anisimova. The big question is: Does anyone here have a real shot?

Stefanos Tsitsipas

The men

To win the Australian Open, you have to be super patient and also mash the ball. Novak Djokovic has won it eight times,and Rafa Nadal grabbed it twice. Serena Williams also won it many times, but she retired last year. Naomi Osaka, took it twice, but now she is not playing because she is pregnant.

There are some people who can win a major for the first time. How about the men? Yes, Djokovic and Nadal, who won it last year, are the favorites,. But, there are more than a few who can win it for the first time like Nick Kyrgios, Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini and Americans Taylor Fritz, Sebastian Korda and Frances Tiafoe.

Here is what is odd: among active men only Djokovic, Nadal and Stan Wawrinka have won Aussie Open in the past 25 years. Repeat: no one managed to grind it and nail the shots. Plus, those three really understand what to do during the matches. Plus, their strokes, serves and returns are fantastic. Medvedev managed to reach the final against Nadal last year. He was so coherent all the time, but in the finalps fifth set, Nadal threw some astonishing shots and he beat him 7-5. The Russian can look so steady, but after that he was mentally down. If he rises again, then perhaps he can be much more solid.

The Aussie Kyrgios is one of the hardest hitter on court. He can slug his forehand, he can clip his first serve and he really likes to be creative during the points. 

There are some who have a real chance to control matches and go deep at the Slams, such as the basher Andrey Rublev, the thoughtful Casper Ruud, the hustling Felix Auger-Aliassime and the Mr. Variety Matteo Berrettini. Now there are three American men who are seeded and can go deep too: Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe and Sebastian Korda. Fritz won Indian Wells last year, upsetting Nadal. At the ATP Finals, he looked very good, but it will be different at the Slams. Tiafoe reached the 2022 US Open semis and he was spinning around, and he hit some unreal shots. So if he can go into the semis, then perhaps he can take the gloves off. Korda’s dad, Petr, won the 1998 Australian Open. So, if Sebastian can lock in early, then without a doubt, he can reach into the second week — or further.

Three players have outside chances to the final at Melbourne, such as Andy Murray, Marin Cilic and Dominic Thiem. They have all won a Slam — not on the Australian Open — but they have took it on the hardcourt. It is possible that they can win more than a few matches, but to win it all, that would be almost shocking.

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