After all there are still a couple more months left in the 2015 season, and plenty of big titles still up for grabs. And while these guys may have been a little quiet of late, there's plenty of time to turn up the volume now.
Showing posts with label Gilles Simon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gilles Simon. Show all posts
September 24, 2015
Time to Get Crackin'
The 2015 Grand Slam season may be in the books, but that doesn't mean there isn't more ball to be played. And a couple ATP stars that came up a little short at the U.S. Open seem to be taking the opportunity this week to turn things around.
Not everyone was successful of course -- in St. Petersburg top seed Tomas Berdych, who fell in the fourth round in New York, didn't make it even that far and dropped in straight sets to Simone Bolelli -- but others may fare a bit better. Milos Raonic, who's had some trouble coming back from foot surgery earlier in the year, opened with an easy win over Evgeny Donskoy. And Dominic Thiem, winner of back-to-back titles to start the summer but was dismissed quickly by Kevin Anderson at the Open. He seems back on track in Russia though, scoring his fourth straight win over compatriot Andreas Haider-Maurer to start his run. But perhaps the player under the most pressure to rebound is last year's standout Roberto Bautista Agut, who in 2014 boasted wins over the likes of Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro but this season only has one win over a top-twenty player, and that by retirement. Earlier today against hugely talented Teymuraz Gabashvili he saved match points before closing out the win in an over two-and-a-half hour match. Next up he faces young Lucas Pouille, who's had some big wins himself over the past several months -- but if the Spaniard recovers in time, he might just be able to end this year on a higher note.
Over in Metz a couple more heavy hitters are looking to make up ground. Some didn't have terrible showings at the U.S. Open -- surprise French Open titleist Stan Wawrinka made it all the way to the semis but ultimately lost in a quick three sets to countryman Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a semifinalist in Paris, took defending champ Marin Cilic to five sets in the quarters. But both have been tested this week though -- top-seeded Wawrinka came back after dropping his first set to Dustin Brown and Tsonga needed two tiebreaks and a decider to take out qualifier Mischa Zverev -- and will want to show they haven't lost any steam. But the player really looking to recoup is Gilles Simon who, despite climbing back into the top ten, has been on a bit of a lull this summer. He'd won just two matches since Wimbledon and was stunned in his New York first round by a resurgent Donald Young. But he finally stopped his losing streak in his homeland, taking out Edouard Roger-Vasselin in straight sets earlier today. He's slated next to face off against Gilles Muller, who had a promising start to the year and already took out seventh seed Fernando Verdasco -- he's won the pair's only previous meeting about a year ago, and there's no reason he can't do it again and perhaps put himself on course to ultimately claim the title.
After all there are still a couple more months left in the 2015 season, and plenty of big titles still up for grabs. And while these guys may have been a little quiet of late, there's plenty of time to turn up the volume now.
After all there are still a couple more months left in the 2015 season, and plenty of big titles still up for grabs. And while these guys may have been a little quiet of late, there's plenty of time to turn up the volume now.
September 1, 2015
Rife With Upsets
The first couple of days of the U.S. Open were not very good for the seeded players, and even some of the true contenders for the title proved vulnerable in their first rounds.
Of course, most of the heavy favorites sailed -- both Serena Williams and Simona Halep were squarely in control of their matches when their opponents retired, and players like Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer -- even embattled Rafael Nadal -- got through their opening rounds with little drama. Others were not so lucky.
The upsets actually started even before any balls were hit in New York, but perhaps that set the stage. Maria Sharapova announced Sunday that the leg injury that forced her out of Cincinnati and Toronto would keep her from playing at the Open too. That should have been a huge break for her slated first round opponent, Daria Gavrilova, the Girls' champion here in 2010 -- the twenty-one year old Russian stunned her compatriot in Miami and made it all the way to the semis in Rome. She came to Flushing Meadows near a career-high ranking of #38 in the world and now, instead of playing a former champion, was gifted a match-up against lucky loser Daria Kasatkina. Unfortunately for Gavrilova, she wasn't able to capitalize -- her namesake grabbed the first set and stayed tougher after being pushed to a third. She now has a huge opportunity of her own -- with Svetlana Kuznetsova already ousted by giant-killer Kristina Mladenovic, she won't face a seed until at least the fourth round. And the way things are going, maybe even after that.
After all, one of the first matches played resulted in the biggest upset we've seen so far. Ana Ivanovic, who reached the semis in Paris and came oh-so-close to defeating Serena in Cincinnati, carried the seventh seed in New York and could have been a dark horse this fortnight. But she was dealt a tough blow, drawing former Australian Open finalist Dominika Cibulkova in the first round. The Slovakian had been a little quiet this year, taking a break during the spring due to injury and only winning a couple matches since her return -- the lack of play sent her ranking out of the top fifty. But Domi didn't have much to lose at the Open -- she was unceremoniously ousted in her opener last year by teenage phenom Cici Bellis, and so could take her chances. After taking the first set from Ivanovic, Cibulkova could have easily let the match slip away from her -- she often does -- but for once she stayed strong, finishing out the match in just under two hours. Next up for the one-time top-tenner -- qualifier Jessica Pegula. The young American may get the crowd on her side, but maybe this time Domi will be able to power through.
It hasn't been just the top women who were susceptible to early exits either. Kei Nishikori, the surprise runner-up in 2014, this year made as surprising a move when he dropped his first round. Maybe it shouldn't have been that shocking, though -- after a solid run to the title in D.C. and a win over Nadal in Montreal, the fourth seed was demolished in the Rogers Cup semis and pulled out of Cincinnati with injury. So on day one in New York, Benoit Paire, who won his first title last month in Bastad, was able to take advantage -- he came back from two-sets-to-one down to notch what was just his third win over a top-ten player. The Frenchman now has a pretty decent path paved for him -- with Gael Monfils retiring from his first round, far short of his performance from last year, the only seeds in Paire's immediate section of the draw are wholly beatable Tommy Robredo and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He's never gotten out of the second round at this Major, but this might just be his best shot at doing it.
The upsets, of course, continued on Tuesday. Czech veteran Lucie Safarova had been having an incredible run already this year, picking up a title in Doha and a putting in a top-rate performance in the Roland Garros final. She did well during the summer too, narrowly losing in the New Haven final last Saturday. And with a win over her first round opponent Lesia Tsurenko in the Connecticut semis, she might have had momentum on her side. But the Ukrainian underdog was out for revenge -- having also lost to Safarova in the U.S. Open first round two years ago, this time she was able to turn the tables and in just about an hour scored her fifth top ten win of the year. She too has seen her section of the draw open up nicely -- with Irina-Camelia Begu losing in three today to Olga Govortsova, her first real threat will likely be either 2011 standout Angelique Kerber or two-time runner-up Victoria Azarenka. And with those two likely to put up a big fight against each other, it wouldn't be out of the question to see Tsurenko pounce on whoever comes out the winner.
Gilles Simon may not have been as highly favored as some of these other guys, but ranked just outside the top ten, he could have been a very dangerous second tier threat. The Frenchman had put together a pretty solid season, picking up a title to start the year in Marseille and reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon with wins over Gael Monfils and Tomas Berdych. He'd never made it out of the fourth round in New York, but it seemed like this could be his opportunity to change that. Unfortunately for him, though, brash American Donald Young had other plans. The one time prodigy turned bitter disappointment has clawed himself back to #68 in the world, and though he did score a nice win over Berdych himself in Montreal, it's been years since he's done anything notable at a Slam. That changed today though -- after dropping the first two sets to Simon, he roared back to take the next three in the three and a half hour match. He might have had a tricky next match, too, but Britain's Aljaz Bedene dispatched a struggling Ernests Gulbis for him, and potential third round opponent Viktor Troicki, despite a strong 2014 comeback season, hasn't been so impressive this year. If Young can keep his cool he might finally live up to the potential he once so clearly had.
There have been other upsets worth mentioning too, of course -- U.S. Open Series winner Karolina Pliskova was demolished in her first round and one-time finalist Jelena Jankovic lost her lead to little-known Oceane Dodin. And there will be plenty more to come. But the big question, as always, will be whether the vanquishers can keep their performances up as the stakes get higher.
After all, there's a lot on the line for everyone in New York. And whoever can take advantage will be hugely rewarded.
Of course, most of the heavy favorites sailed -- both Serena Williams and Simona Halep were squarely in control of their matches when their opponents retired, and players like Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer -- even embattled Rafael Nadal -- got through their opening rounds with little drama. Others were not so lucky.
The upsets actually started even before any balls were hit in New York, but perhaps that set the stage. Maria Sharapova announced Sunday that the leg injury that forced her out of Cincinnati and Toronto would keep her from playing at the Open too. That should have been a huge break for her slated first round opponent, Daria Gavrilova, the Girls' champion here in 2010 -- the twenty-one year old Russian stunned her compatriot in Miami and made it all the way to the semis in Rome. She came to Flushing Meadows near a career-high ranking of #38 in the world and now, instead of playing a former champion, was gifted a match-up against lucky loser Daria Kasatkina. Unfortunately for Gavrilova, she wasn't able to capitalize -- her namesake grabbed the first set and stayed tougher after being pushed to a third. She now has a huge opportunity of her own -- with Svetlana Kuznetsova already ousted by giant-killer Kristina Mladenovic, she won't face a seed until at least the fourth round. And the way things are going, maybe even after that.
It hasn't been just the top women who were susceptible to early exits either. Kei Nishikori, the surprise runner-up in 2014, this year made as surprising a move when he dropped his first round. Maybe it shouldn't have been that shocking, though -- after a solid run to the title in D.C. and a win over Nadal in Montreal, the fourth seed was demolished in the Rogers Cup semis and pulled out of Cincinnati with injury. So on day one in New York, Benoit Paire, who won his first title last month in Bastad, was able to take advantage -- he came back from two-sets-to-one down to notch what was just his third win over a top-ten player. The Frenchman now has a pretty decent path paved for him -- with Gael Monfils retiring from his first round, far short of his performance from last year, the only seeds in Paire's immediate section of the draw are wholly beatable Tommy Robredo and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He's never gotten out of the second round at this Major, but this might just be his best shot at doing it.
The upsets, of course, continued on Tuesday. Czech veteran Lucie Safarova had been having an incredible run already this year, picking up a title in Doha and a putting in a top-rate performance in the Roland Garros final. She did well during the summer too, narrowly losing in the New Haven final last Saturday. And with a win over her first round opponent Lesia Tsurenko in the Connecticut semis, she might have had momentum on her side. But the Ukrainian underdog was out for revenge -- having also lost to Safarova in the U.S. Open first round two years ago, this time she was able to turn the tables and in just about an hour scored her fifth top ten win of the year. She too has seen her section of the draw open up nicely -- with Irina-Camelia Begu losing in three today to Olga Govortsova, her first real threat will likely be either 2011 standout Angelique Kerber or two-time runner-up Victoria Azarenka. And with those two likely to put up a big fight against each other, it wouldn't be out of the question to see Tsurenko pounce on whoever comes out the winner.
There have been other upsets worth mentioning too, of course -- U.S. Open Series winner Karolina Pliskova was demolished in her first round and one-time finalist Jelena Jankovic lost her lead to little-known Oceane Dodin. And there will be plenty more to come. But the big question, as always, will be whether the vanquishers can keep their performances up as the stakes get higher.
After all, there's a lot on the line for everyone in New York. And whoever can take advantage will be hugely rewarded.
July 21, 2015
Some Strong Statements: Davis Cup Quarterfinal Recap
I was admittedly a little behind the eight ball last week and almost entirely missed the action as a couple countries vied for the semifinal spots in this year's Davis Cup World Group. But despite my lack of attention, there was a ton to talk about this weekend -- from stunning comebacks to one-sided drubbings we saw heavy favorites be shown the exit and some long counted out emerge as real forces. And the teams left standing at the end may not have been the ones you expected.
France vs. Great Britain
Despite its long history and legendary athletes, Great Britain hasn't been much of a force in the World Group for a while -- they'd been relegated to regional play for years, and after finally winning a playoff tie in 2013, they lost in the quarterfinals to Italy last season. And while they faced an intimidating opponent over the weekend -- three top fifteen players, including Wimbledon semifinalist Richard Gasquet, helmed the French squad -- they brought some firepower of their own. After Gilles Simon gave France an early lead, world #3 Andy Murray came out swinging against an always-tough Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, narrowly winning the first two sets before running away with the third. Murray then teamed with his older brother Jamie in the doubles rubber to give the Brits a 2-1 lead going into the final day of play. And while Simon put up a fight in the first reverse singles match, the two-time Grand Slam champion proved the stronger, rebounding after dropping the opening set and clinching the win in four. It sends the team to their first World Group semi since 1981, and maybe makes them a real favorite to take home the Cup.
Australia vs. Kazakhstan
Of course there are a couple ties left before the trophy is handed out, and if this weekend's performance is any indication, the ever-persistent Aussies continue to be a force. But somewhat surprisingly, despite a host of hot young stars, it was the veterans who ultimately delivered. Nineteen year old Thanasi Kokkinakis, who made his way to the Roland Garros third round, and 2014 upstart Nick Kyrgios, who stunned Milos Raonic this year at the All England Club, both lost their singles matches, putting the boys from Down Under at a 0-2 deficit to the Kazakhs by the end of Friday. But then the older guys stepped up to the plate -- big-serving Sam Groth and Lleyton Hewitt, likely playing his last few matches in Davis Cup, teamed up to get Australia on the board. And each dominated their singles turns, cementing an unlikely comeback late on Sunday. Whether they'll be able to repeat against Britain in the semis -- or whether the young guns will be able to step up to the plate this time -- remains to be seen. But it sure serves notice that the team can never be counted out.
Argentina vs. Serbia
Argentina, three times a runner-up for the Davis Cup crown in the last decade, was never in quite so precarious a situation this weekend, despite facing off against a tough Serbian team, themselves champions a few years ago. A couple of under-the-radar players -- Leonardo Mayer, barely in the top forty, and Federico Delbonis, ranked sixty-sixth in the world -- took advantage of an absent Novak Djokovic to give their country a 2-0 advantage heading into the weekend. And, maybe more impressively, Mayer teamed with Carlos Berlocq -- ranked now well in the triple digits -- to pull off a stunning defeat of 2014 comeback kid Viktor Troicki and doubles specialist Nenad Zimonjic and clinch the win on Saturday. Young Dusan Lajovic was able to get the Serbs on the board, avoiding a total shut-out, but it was too little, too late, and the South Americans were able to earn a trip back to the semifinals. And with decidedly more experience than their next opponents, they have a solid shot at continuing their run.
Canada vs. Belgium
But maybe the hugely underrated Belgians will put up a bigger fight than we expect. Playing in their first World Group quarterfinal in eight years, the team, which had dethroned the reigning champion Swiss in the first round, pulled no punches against the Canadians this weekend either. Giant-killer Steve Darcis came back after dropping the first set to give his country an early lead, while 2014 standout David Goffin easily handled Filip Peliwo in three sets. Without their top player Milos Raonic, Canada was certainly at a disadvantage, but even with the help of their own star veteran Daniel Nestor, a doubles titleist in Dubai and Sydney so far this year, they weren't able to make an impact and the Belgians swept over them with an astounding 5-0 score. Interestingly the Europeans do hold an edge over the Argentines in Davis Cup play -- they won the only tie the pair's ever contested way back in 1948 -- but with homefield advantage for September's semifinal tie, they might be able to ride their underdog status to a win again.
And whoever takes the opportunity to shine now could reap some big rewards.
France vs. Great Britain
Australia vs. Kazakhstan
Argentina vs. Serbia
Canada vs. Belgium
And whoever takes the opportunity to shine now could reap some big rewards.
March 5, 2015
A Long History: Davis Cup First Round Preview
Is it just me, or do the pairings for some of this weekend's Davis Cup ties seem to hold a little more historic significance than usual? Whether the battles bfacring up political tensions, reminders of centuries-old imperialism, or long-standing rivalries, you can't help but feel this weekend won't be the first time a couple of these combatants have faced off.
Germany vs. France
The two euro zone superpowers have a long political and economic history with each other as they jockeyed for control of the Continent, and things could get just as exciting on the tennis courts this weekend. Both teams are bringing their best, but despite homecourt advantage the Germans might find themselves struggling. Top ranked Philipp Kohlschreiber has only won two matches this year, both against sub-#90 players. And Benjamin Becker hasn't done much better, scoring a nice upset of Julien Benneteau in Melbourne, but failing to rebound from a long second round against Lleyton Hewitt a match later. Meanwhile, while the French are missing top dog Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, they do have both Marseille finalists Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils to helm their squad. Simon, who beat his compatriot for the title, also has a win over Andy Murray under his belt this year. With results like that, they'll have a pretty good shot at making a run back to the final.
Great Britain vs. U.S.
Over in Scotland the Americans will make another bid to get out from under British reign, and they may have had the firepower to do it. While big-serving John Isner has fallen a bit off the highs of his game recently, once-struggling Donald Young seems to have re-found his. After briefly falling out of the top two hundred in 2013, he's clawed his way back to relevance, reaching at least the quarters of three events already this year. It's been a while since he's beaten anyone in the top twenty, though, but he might have the momentum to change that this weekend. Of course world #5 Andy Murray will be standing in both their ways -- but the Australian Open runner-up has lost to both Gilles Simon and emerging star Borna Coric in recent weeks and notched a loss to Young in Indian Wells a few years back. Still, he's more than capable of carrying the team on his own. It may ultimately come down to the doubles rubbers and there the U.S. could rely heavily on its beacon Bryan Brothers -- the twins picked up their 106th title together in Delray and have clinched wins for their country on more than one occasion. There's no reason they can't do it again.
Argentina vs. Brazil
We're probably more used to seeing the South American soccer heavyweights face off on a different kind of battleground, but this weekend they'll concentrate instead on the clay courts. And while the surface certainly suits both teams, it's hard to give either one a clear edge. Argentina has the stronger roster on paper, but they are missing their big guns -- former world #4 Juan Martin Del Potro is still recovering from wrist surgery while Juan Monaco, last week's finalist in Buenos Aires, is sitting out this tie. The Brazilians, meanwhile, are bringing their best, but their top player Joao Souza is only just peaking at #75, and Thomaz Bellucci, once so close to the top twenty, hasn't had too many big wins over the last year. The Argentines do bring Leonardo Mayer, one of the more underrated players in the sport, and Diego Schwartzman, who won the year-end Challengers' title last season -- the Brazilians counter with a couple highly-ranked doubles players in Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares. At the end of the day Buenos Aires might provide a slight homecourt advantage, but it could go all the way down to the wire.
Serbia vs. Croatia
The two former Yugoslavian states faced off once before at Davis Cup, with the Serbs winning handily 4-1, and this time might not be much different. The Croats are still without their big star, U.S. Open champ Marin Cilic who continues to recover from a shoulder injury, and are instead led by young Borna Coric. That's not so bad, though -- the eighteen year old beat Rafael Nadal last year in Basel and is fresh off a win over Andy Murray in Dubai. At a career-high #61 in the world, he might just be able to add one more top-ten scalp to his take. Still you have to give a strong edge to the Serbs, who bring world #1 Novak Djokovic and rapidly rebounding Viktor Troicki to the mix. The former followed up a title in Melbourne with a run to the final in the UAE, while the latter picked up his first title since 2010 as a qualifier in Sydney. Add to that Nenad Zimonjic who, at thirty-eight years of age, is still a solid force on the doubles circuit and it's tough to see the home team having too much trouble.
Belgium vs. Switzerland
Of course not all the match-ups this weekend are so fraught with historical undertones, but everyone still has parts to play. The traditionally neutral Swiss are likely to remain typically unbiased this weekend, event as they should be mounting a defense of their first ever Davis Cup title. Roger Federer decided to sit out the 2015 season, while fellow top-tenner Stan Wawrinka, who's also skipping this weekend's action, has yet to decide whether he'll play later in the year. That leaves a host of relative unknowns to make any kind of stand for Switzerland -- the highest ranked player is #292 Yann Marti. That could give Belgian's comeback kid David Goffin an opportunity to make up for some recently lackluster results -- he's lost twice in a row to veteran Marcos Baghdatis and has only gotten past the second round of one event this year. Even Steve Darcis, who notched his biggest career win over Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon two years ago, could step up to the plate and notch a couple wins off the Challengers' circuit this year.
Czech Republic vs. Australia
Meanwhile the Czechs will try to reclaim the crown they ceded to the Swiss last year, but they too might have a bit of trouble. While rising star Jiri Vesely and one-time giant killer Lukas Rosol could certainly deliver, they are without their biggest stars, Melbourne semifinalist Tomas Berdych and doubles specialist Radek Stepanek. And the men from Down Under could take advantage of those holes -- players like Sam Groth and a resurgent Bernard Tomic have been rallying of late. And while veteran Lleyton Hewitt is far from his career highs, he's more than proven he can never be counted out. With a little more star power on the Aussies' side, they could stop the Czech's comeback cold.
Canada vs. Japan
We could see some fireworks in the match-up between a couple countries that haven't had a lot of experience in Davis Cup. Canada and Japan have combined for just a dozen years in the World Group -- but in this rematch of last year's first round they're both out to prove they belong. Kei Nishikori climbed to a career high #4 in the world after reaching the final in Acapulco and is coming off what's easily been the most prolific twelve months of his career. He'll be joined by Tatsumo Ito, who beat Stan Wawrinka last year in Tokyo and might be primed for another upset. The Canadians are slightly more armed, though -- Milos Raonic has always had tough matches against Nishikori, but he won their last meeting in Brisbane in three tight tiebreaks. And he'll have back-up from Vasek Pospisil, a man who's beaten John Isner already this season and made a nice run to the Washington semis last year. He's also an accomplished doubles player and might just be called on, with veteran star Daniel Nestor, to serve as a ringer.
Kazakhstan vs. Italy
And in the final tie being contested this weekend, a relatively inexperienced Kazakh team goes up against the long-time also-rans. The Italians have a lot to be proud of -- Andreas Seppi scored an enormous win over Roger Federer at the Australian Open, Simone Bolelli stunned Milos Raonic in Marseill and recently struggling Fabio Fognini pulled off a huge upset of defending champion Rafael Nadal in Rio. While none of these players is quite at their best, they certainly seem to have a little momentum on their side. There could be some surprises this weekend -- Andrey Golubev did take out Stan Wawrinka last year in Davis Cup and veteran Mikhail Kukushkin has had his moments in the past -- but this is really Italy's battle to lose. And there's no reason they shouldn't live up to expectations.
Whether this weekend's Davis Cup ties rekindle old rivalries or start to flame new ones, there's more than enough potential for some combative contests. And whoever emerges as the victors will have to recover quick -- this is just the beginning of what could be a long, drawn-out war.
Germany vs. France
The two euro zone superpowers have a long political and economic history with each other as they jockeyed for control of the Continent, and things could get just as exciting on the tennis courts this weekend. Both teams are bringing their best, but despite homecourt advantage the Germans might find themselves struggling. Top ranked Philipp Kohlschreiber has only won two matches this year, both against sub-#90 players. And Benjamin Becker hasn't done much better, scoring a nice upset of Julien Benneteau in Melbourne, but failing to rebound from a long second round against Lleyton Hewitt a match later. Meanwhile, while the French are missing top dog Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, they do have both Marseille finalists Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils to helm their squad. Simon, who beat his compatriot for the title, also has a win over Andy Murray under his belt this year. With results like that, they'll have a pretty good shot at making a run back to the final.
Great Britain vs. U.S.
Argentina vs. Brazil
We're probably more used to seeing the South American soccer heavyweights face off on a different kind of battleground, but this weekend they'll concentrate instead on the clay courts. And while the surface certainly suits both teams, it's hard to give either one a clear edge. Argentina has the stronger roster on paper, but they are missing their big guns -- former world #4 Juan Martin Del Potro is still recovering from wrist surgery while Juan Monaco, last week's finalist in Buenos Aires, is sitting out this tie. The Brazilians, meanwhile, are bringing their best, but their top player Joao Souza is only just peaking at #75, and Thomaz Bellucci, once so close to the top twenty, hasn't had too many big wins over the last year. The Argentines do bring Leonardo Mayer, one of the more underrated players in the sport, and Diego Schwartzman, who won the year-end Challengers' title last season -- the Brazilians counter with a couple highly-ranked doubles players in Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares. At the end of the day Buenos Aires might provide a slight homecourt advantage, but it could go all the way down to the wire.
Serbia vs. Croatia
Belgium vs. Switzerland
Of course not all the match-ups this weekend are so fraught with historical undertones, but everyone still has parts to play. The traditionally neutral Swiss are likely to remain typically unbiased this weekend, event as they should be mounting a defense of their first ever Davis Cup title. Roger Federer decided to sit out the 2015 season, while fellow top-tenner Stan Wawrinka, who's also skipping this weekend's action, has yet to decide whether he'll play later in the year. That leaves a host of relative unknowns to make any kind of stand for Switzerland -- the highest ranked player is #292 Yann Marti. That could give Belgian's comeback kid David Goffin an opportunity to make up for some recently lackluster results -- he's lost twice in a row to veteran Marcos Baghdatis and has only gotten past the second round of one event this year. Even Steve Darcis, who notched his biggest career win over Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon two years ago, could step up to the plate and notch a couple wins off the Challengers' circuit this year.
Czech Republic vs. Australia
Canada vs. Japan
We could see some fireworks in the match-up between a couple countries that haven't had a lot of experience in Davis Cup. Canada and Japan have combined for just a dozen years in the World Group -- but in this rematch of last year's first round they're both out to prove they belong. Kei Nishikori climbed to a career high #4 in the world after reaching the final in Acapulco and is coming off what's easily been the most prolific twelve months of his career. He'll be joined by Tatsumo Ito, who beat Stan Wawrinka last year in Tokyo and might be primed for another upset. The Canadians are slightly more armed, though -- Milos Raonic has always had tough matches against Nishikori, but he won their last meeting in Brisbane in three tight tiebreaks. And he'll have back-up from Vasek Pospisil, a man who's beaten John Isner already this season and made a nice run to the Washington semis last year. He's also an accomplished doubles player and might just be called on, with veteran star Daniel Nestor, to serve as a ringer.
Kazakhstan vs. Italy
Whether this weekend's Davis Cup ties rekindle old rivalries or start to flame new ones, there's more than enough potential for some combative contests. And whoever emerges as the victors will have to recover quick -- this is just the beginning of what could be a long, drawn-out war.
February 22, 2015
Taking Charge
While many of the sport's top players have used the past couple weeks to transition to clay, there was still plenty of action to be had on the hard courts. And the champions crowned this weekend took to the surface in dominating style and made some pretty big statements about what we should expect from them the rest of this season.
The draw in Delray Beach got cracked wide open quickly this week with top seed Kevin Anderson, a finalist last week in Memphis, only getting one win down in Florida and big-serving John Isner losing his opening match in straight sets. The lack of on-paper star power may have cleared the way for some -- Donald Young, on a disheartening downward spiral not that long ago, took out a talented Alexandr Dolgopolov on the way to his first Tour-level final since 2011. But he ran into a super force named Ivo Karlovic on Sunday -- the veteran Croat is one of the most over-looked players out there, but he made runs to four championship matches in 2014 and kicked of this season by winning his first. With thirteen aces and three breaks of his opponent's serve, Karlovic got the win in just over an hour, scoring his sixth career title, just his third on hard courts. But with such decisive performances all week, he might just be adding more to that kitty soon.
The players in Marseille also got a little bit of a pass -- Milos Raonic was stunned in his opening round by sub-fifty Simone Bolelli while recent Grand Slam titleist Stan Wawrinka couldn't come back against some-time giant killer Sergiy Stakhovsky in the quarters. Even defending champion Ernests Gulbis continued to struggle, remaining winless this year after a loss to Jeremy Chardy. That paved the way for two Frenchmen to make the trip to Sunday's final -- Gael Monfils, who hadn't so far kept pace with his performances from last year notched his second straight upset over Roberto Bautista Agut during his campaign, and Gilles Simon, who won the title here way back in 2007, made his way through the draw without facing another seed. But even though he was challenged throughout the week, dropping sets to both Stakhovsky and young Borna Coric, he was able to stay strong on Sunday, withstanding an ugly middle set to notch the win in a deciding tiebreak. It was his first title since 2013, but maybe more importantly for the thirty-year-old, shows he's still more than relevant at the big matches.
Simona Halep, on the other hand, is only just starting to show us what she's got. Last year's French Open finalist is coming off a career-making year and kicked off the 2015 season by winning her ninth career title in Shenzhen. She might not have gotten quite as far as she wanted at the Australian Open, but this week in Dubai she may have made up for that -- taking the top seed after Serena Williams pulled out of the event, Halep ended Daniela Hantuchova's comeback and then avenged her Melbourne loss to Ekaterina Makarova in the quarters. Against an inspired Karolina Pliskova in Saturday's final -- the Czech hadn't faced a player outside the top forty all week and caused upsets of Ana Ivanovic and compatriot Lucie Safarova along the way -- she kept her head again. Despite being broken four times, being out-served and under-faulted, she came out on top in two tight sets, adding the second truly high-profile trophy to her mantel. And it may give her just the push she needs to really deliver when it counts the most.
There's still a little time left before tennis stars make a real shift onto the clay, and this week's events gave us a good idea of what we might see in the weeks to come. And if this weekend's champions can take charge again, there's no reason we won't be seeing more of them on the winners' stands.
There's still a little time left before tennis stars make a real shift onto the clay, and this week's events gave us a good idea of what we might see in the weeks to come. And if this weekend's champions can take charge again, there's no reason we won't be seeing more of them on the winners' stands.
October 14, 2014
Still Got Some Fight Left
It's been a long, tough year on the ATP Tour, with four different men claiming each of the season's Grand Slams and only two reaching more than one final. Momentum has shifted from one player to the next all year long, but even with the rise of a new crop of top-tier talent, the old stalwarts remain standing. And last week in Shanghai, one Master proved yet again that he's still a force to be reckoned with.
Roger Federer seemed to be staging a resurgence this year, taking titles in Dubai and Halle before grinding his way to his first Major final in two year, taking eventual champion Novak Djokovic to five sets before finally succumbing. He'd been overshadowed in recent months, though, losing quickly to Marin Cilic in New York, and has only played a couple Davis Cup matches since. In Shanghai, one of the few Masters events she's never won, he was only given a #3 seed, behind two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic and a still on-the-mend Rafael Nadal. He was challenged early, too, dropping the middle set to a barely-unranked Leonardo Mayer, a man who'd earned his first top-ten victory just a few months ago in Hamburg and held five match points for his second last week. And though Nadal fell early, now nursing appendicitis along with everything else, plenty other threats remained deep into the draws.
Roger ran into the biggest of those in the semis, meeting top-seeded Novak Djokovic for the first time since their Wimbledon clash in July. And this time the Swiss giant did get the better of his opponent -- he saved the only break chance against him and needed just over ninety minutes to secure the win. He actually struggled more in the final against a surprisingly unseeded Gilles Simon, playing in just his second Masters championship match -- Federer was broken early on Sunday, but eventually crawled back from a 3-5 deficit to take the set in a tiebreak. And despite being denied break points in the second, he closed out the match more decisively in this breaker, scoring an important win over a man who's given him a little trouble in the past.
Federer's win, his fourth title of the year, brings him back to #2 in the world, not far behind Djokovic, and at thirty-three years of age, that's no small feat. And it certainly serves notice to all the upstarts who're trying to nose their way into the sport's elite. He's still kicking strong and hard, and the way's he's playing this year, there seems to be no stopping him.
Roger Federer seemed to be staging a resurgence this year, taking titles in Dubai and Halle before grinding his way to his first Major final in two year, taking eventual champion Novak Djokovic to five sets before finally succumbing. He'd been overshadowed in recent months, though, losing quickly to Marin Cilic in New York, and has only played a couple Davis Cup matches since. In Shanghai, one of the few Masters events she's never won, he was only given a #3 seed, behind two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic and a still on-the-mend Rafael Nadal. He was challenged early, too, dropping the middle set to a barely-unranked Leonardo Mayer, a man who'd earned his first top-ten victory just a few months ago in Hamburg and held five match points for his second last week. And though Nadal fell early, now nursing appendicitis along with everything else, plenty other threats remained deep into the draws.
Roger ran into the biggest of those in the semis, meeting top-seeded Novak Djokovic for the first time since their Wimbledon clash in July. And this time the Swiss giant did get the better of his opponent -- he saved the only break chance against him and needed just over ninety minutes to secure the win. He actually struggled more in the final against a surprisingly unseeded Gilles Simon, playing in just his second Masters championship match -- Federer was broken early on Sunday, but eventually crawled back from a 3-5 deficit to take the set in a tiebreak. And despite being denied break points in the second, he closed out the match more decisively in this breaker, scoring an important win over a man who's given him a little trouble in the past.
Federer's win, his fourth title of the year, brings him back to #2 in the world, not far behind Djokovic, and at thirty-three years of age, that's no small feat. And it certainly serves notice to all the upstarts who're trying to nose their way into the sport's elite. He's still kicking strong and hard, and the way's he's playing this year, there seems to be no stopping him.
September 2, 2014
Diamonds in the Rough
Things sure got crazy over the weekend didn't they?
Only one of the top eight seeds on the women's side has made it to the quarterfinals and, though all the men who've won Majors over the last nine years -- at least those who were entered in the U.S. Open -- are still going strong, we nevertheless have some unfamiliar faces hanging around at the start of Week Two. And a couple players still standing have quite an opportunity to shine even brighter.
Serena Williams, not surprisingly, continues to dominate the top half of the ladies' draw, but she's joined by a couple players you might not have expected to see still hanging around. Two-time runner-up Victoria Azarenka has been struggling with injury all year, and has only played in a handful of events this season. With early losses in Stanford and Montreal, and a withdrawal from Cincinnati, which she won last year, the sixteenth seed was a long shot at best. But she powered through early matches and last night, withstood a first set meltdown against Serbian Cinderella Aleksandra Krunic, sneaking out a win in over two-and-a-half hours of play. But perhaps the biggest story here is Ekaterina Makarova, a highly underrated Russian who quietly came to New York at her highest ever ranking -- she beat Aga Radwanska on her way to the Wimbledon quarters, beat Petra Kvitova in Montreal, and perhaps most importantly, is the only woman standing who's beaten Serena at a Slam. In yesterday's sweltering heat she outlasted a struggling Genie Bouchard, ending the Canadian's streak of three Major semis. She has a decent record against Vika, having won two of their five meetings, and with the relatively easier road so far, she might be able to even the score.
The bottom half of the bracket is a little more open with only two of the four remaining having ever even played in a Major final -- they both lost. Meanwhile, Shuai Peng is riding high after her second round upset of Aga Radwanska, taking out Roberta Vinci and Wimbledon semifinalist Lucie Safarova to make her first Slam quarter. She'll take on former Junior #1, seventeen-year old Belinda Bencic, who's playing her first year's worth of Major main draws. The youngest player in the top hundred, she's already beaten Angelique Kerber and my dark horse pick Jelena Jankovic -- there's no reason she can't pull off another upset today. But perhaps the player with the clearest path to the final is former world #1 Caroline Wozniacki, who's put together quite a successful summer -- she won her twenty-second career title in Istanbul and took sets off Serena in both Montreal and Cincinnati. Sunday she scored a huge upset over Maria Sharapova to reach her first Slam quarterfinal since 2012 -- she'll take on Sara Errani for a spot in the semis, avoiding potential match-ups with Simona Halep or Venus Williams, and could easily go on further.
On the men's side, the brackets are still stacked with three former Grand Slam champions occupying four of the spots in the top half of the draw. Novak Djokovic, despite a questionable performance during the summer, has yet to lose a set in New York, and Stan Wawrinka, the newest member of the Major Winners club, survived a bit of a scare against veteran Tommy Robredo last night, but is in good shape to make it back to the semis. Meanwhile 2012 champion Andy Murray, who shockingly hasn't won a title yet this year, seems to have finally found his game again and scored his first top-ten win of the season with a straight set win yesterday over Toronto champ Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. But of course the big story in this half is that of Kei Nishikori, whose five-set, four-plus hour marathon against fifth seeded Milos Raonic last night earned him his first U.S. Open quarterfinal. The man from Japan had already notched wins over Gael Monfils, David Ferrer and Roger Federer this year, and while he'll have a little more to recover from, he might just be able to add one more scalp to his trophy case.
Of course, the biggest question marks remain in the bottom half of the bracket, where three top ten seeds -- including one five-time champion -- are still standing, but it's the lower-ranked players that are making the biggest waves. Spain's Roberto-Bautista Agut continues his breakthrough year with a run to the fourth round -- he'll take on second seeded Roger Federer for a spot in his first Major quarterfinal in tonight's late match. Perhaps, though, France's Gilles Simon has a slightly better chance at advancing -- the former top ten player crushed David Ferrer in their third round on Sunday, and though he'll be the on-paper underdog against Marin Cilic today, he has a decisive 4-0 record against the Croat. But the biggest opportunity in this half lies with this year's ATP standout Dominic Thiem, who's climbed from a ranking of #139 to start the year to #45 now. The young Austrian beat Simon at Indian Wells, Wawrinka in Madrid, and got to the final in Kitzbühel. He's already taken out two seeds so far in New York, and with a fourth round date with a recently struggling Tomas Berdych today, he could add one more to that list. Thiem turns twenty-one tomorrow, after all, so he might as well give himself something to celebrate.
There's still a lot of play left to go at the U.S. Open, of course, and while the tried-and-true champions have stayed on top of their game so far this fortnight, it might just be dark horses that take the second week of the tournament by storm. Whether they're shaking off the cobwebs or just finding their footing on the big stage, these stars seem to have really tapped into their potential in New York. And it sure would be great to see them really shine.
Only one of the top eight seeds on the women's side has made it to the quarterfinals and, though all the men who've won Majors over the last nine years -- at least those who were entered in the U.S. Open -- are still going strong, we nevertheless have some unfamiliar faces hanging around at the start of Week Two. And a couple players still standing have quite an opportunity to shine even brighter.
There's still a lot of play left to go at the U.S. Open, of course, and while the tried-and-true champions have stayed on top of their game so far this fortnight, it might just be dark horses that take the second week of the tournament by storm. Whether they're shaking off the cobwebs or just finding their footing on the big stage, these stars seem to have really tapped into their potential in New York. And it sure would be great to see them really shine.
January 14, 2014
It's Getting Hot in Here...
We've got a full round's worth of action in the books for this year's Australian Open, and it's not just the athletes claiming victims in Melbourne. We've already had nine retirements in the first two days, an Open Era record for one round -- and while triple-digit temps weren't responsible for all of them, it seems likely they will result in a few more over the days to come. And that could mean the favorites face some tougher-than-expected times on court -- and may just open open the door for some others in the field.
Day One saw two top ten women fall by the wayside. Sara Errani, who began her climb to the top here two years ago, was sent home in her opener for a second straight year, while 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova was stunned by unknown Thai Luksika Kumkhum. The men suffered their own losses too -- twelfth seeded Tommy Haas retired with a shoulder injury late in his second set, while Auckland champion John Isner, already pushing his luck with an ankle injury there, got two sets down to qualifier Martin Klizan in Tuesday's heat before pulling the plug. Even those that survived were tested. Two-time defending champion Victoria Azarenka, historically not great in the heat, already withstood a challenge from world #91 Johanna Larsson -- the little-known Swede served for the first set twice before relenting in the second. And eighteenth-seeded Gilles Simon, who arrived in Melbourne on crutches after rolling his ankle at an exhibition last week, marked more time on court than he wanted in his opener -- he needed four and a half hours and a thirty-game final set to dispatch German Daniel Brands.
So clearly where there are not holes in the draw, the fabric may be worn pretty thin.
Julia Goerges, ranked in the top twenty a year ago, got the better of Errani in dominating form on Monday and won her first match at a Major since reaching the fourth round here in 2013. The next seed she'd face is wholly untested Eugenie Bouchard, who's playing her first Australian Open main draw -- if Goerges keeps playing aggressive, there's no reason she can't match or beat her previous showing here. And American Alison Riske, who upset Elena Vesnina on Monday, would have been in Kvitova's section of the draw. While there are plenty of threats still around -- Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki and U.S. Open Cinderella Flavia Pennetta to name a few -- she might be able to pull off a few more surprises.
But also keep an eye on super-underdog Garbine Muguruza. The young Spaniard sailed through the qualifiers in Hobart and stunned Klara Zakopalova for her maiden title. Now in the top forty, she continued her run with a win over twenty-fourth seed Kaia Kanepi in her first round. Though she's never won more than a match at a Major and while most of the favorites in her quarter are still alive, there's reason to keep believing -- Caroline Wozniacki, her probable third round opponent, went down in straight sets to Muguruza just last year in Miami, so there may be no better time make a breakthrough.
On the men's side, fewer seeds have been sent packing, but plenty have been pushed to the limit. Former top ten player Marin Cilic, Simon's challenger in the next round, was pushed in Tuesday's heat as well, taking more than three hours to get past Spain's Marcel Granollers. It's been several years since he's faced the Frenchman, but as the relatively fresher player, he might be able to end a three-match losing steak. And Donald Young, looking to turn around his career -- and his reputation -- could take advantage of an exhausted Andreas Seppi on Thursday. The veteran Italian squandered a two-set lead to hometown favorite Lleyton Hewitt, and might not have it in him to rebound so quickly.
But let's also not count out Guillermo Garcia Lopez, the man who was up a set and a break when Haas retired. The three men he could face over the next two rounds have combined to spend nearly ten hours on court already, with nineteenth seeded Kevin Anderson, arguably the biggest threat among that group, putting in the most time. GGL, pro since 2002, has never made it past the third round of any Major, but he did notch wins over Mikhail Youzhny and Janko Tipsarevic last year -- and he has nine career wins over top ten players -- so he shouldn't be overlooked. If he stays rested and focused, he could be the Cinderella of this Slam.
Of course the favorites in the field -- all of whom are still alive -- will have a lot to say about any of these guys' chances. Though as the temperature and the pressure heats up, it could be out of their control. Still, it's important for everyone in the field to keep their cool -- to stay healthy and play their best. After all, no one wants to have this title decided by the weather.
So clearly where there are not holes in the draw, the fabric may be worn pretty thin.
Julia Goerges, ranked in the top twenty a year ago, got the better of Errani in dominating form on Monday and won her first match at a Major since reaching the fourth round here in 2013. The next seed she'd face is wholly untested Eugenie Bouchard, who's playing her first Australian Open main draw -- if Goerges keeps playing aggressive, there's no reason she can't match or beat her previous showing here. And American Alison Riske, who upset Elena Vesnina on Monday, would have been in Kvitova's section of the draw. While there are plenty of threats still around -- Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki and U.S. Open Cinderella Flavia Pennetta to name a few -- she might be able to pull off a few more surprises.
On the men's side, fewer seeds have been sent packing, but plenty have been pushed to the limit. Former top ten player Marin Cilic, Simon's challenger in the next round, was pushed in Tuesday's heat as well, taking more than three hours to get past Spain's Marcel Granollers. It's been several years since he's faced the Frenchman, but as the relatively fresher player, he might be able to end a three-match losing steak. And Donald Young, looking to turn around his career -- and his reputation -- could take advantage of an exhausted Andreas Seppi on Thursday. The veteran Italian squandered a two-set lead to hometown favorite Lleyton Hewitt, and might not have it in him to rebound so quickly.
Of course the favorites in the field -- all of whom are still alive -- will have a lot to say about any of these guys' chances. Though as the temperature and the pressure heats up, it could be out of their control. Still, it's important for everyone in the field to keep their cool -- to stay healthy and play their best. After all, no one wants to have this title decided by the weather.
April 4, 2013
Unusual Suspects: Davis Cup Quarterfinal Preview
There are going to be a couple unfamiliar flags flying this weekend as the eight countries left in the hunt for the 2013 Davis Cup crown contest the quarterfinals. And while there will certainly be plenty of star power in the field, there are enough wildcards out there that there's really no telling who'll be left standing on Sunday night.
Canada vs. Italy
The Canadians are playing in their first ever World Group quarterfinal, but despite their relative inexperience they could be the spoilers in this tie. World #16 Milos Raonic will be the highest-ranked player on the courts this weekend and comes to Vancouver with a 11-4 record on the year, including a title in San Jose. He's never met either of Italy's likely singles players, though, and with just five top twenty opponents so far this season he hasn't really been tested yet. And while he is by far the best on-paper singles player on the Canadian squad, the team could eventually find its leadership in veteran doubles star Daniel Nestor, holder of eighty crowns in his twenty-plus year career. The forty year old could very well help clinch the win for his countrymen if Raonic is able to take care of his job on his own.
The Italians can't be fully discounted though. All four of their representatives are ranked in the top eighty in singles and they've each pulled off a few upsets in their time. Andreas Seppi, sitting at his highest ever ranking more than a decade since going pro, has won two titles in the past twelve months and famously took the first two sets off Novak Djokovic at last year's French Open. Fabio Fognini, who did his best to end Andy Roddick's career in New York, made his way to the finals in St. Petersburg last fall and the semis in Acapulco in February. The disadvantage the team has, though, is that most of their success has come on clay -- all ten of Paolo Lorenzi's Challengers titles and seventy-five percent of Simone Bolelli's have been on the dirt. If the 1976 champions can't make a quick adjustment to the hardcourt, they might be sent home much sooner than they expected.
U.S. vs. Serbia
Somewhat surprisingly the U.S. is sporting the better recent Davis Cup record than the 2010 champs. After shocking wins over Switzerland and France, their magical 2012 performance ended at the hands of Spain in the semifinals. The Serbs, meanwhile, were summarily dismissed in the quarters to the eventual Czech titleists. Still it could be a tough task for the Americans to repeat last year's success. Former top-ten player John Isner has been nursing a knee injury most of the year, withdrawing from the Australian Open and falling in his Indian Wells opener, dropping points he'd accumulated by making the final last year. Sam Querrey is now the top player for the U.S., and with fourth round showings at both of the American Masters events and wins over the likes of Kei Nishikori, Fernando Verdasco and, stunningly, Novak Djokovic late last season, he certainly has earned that spot. If both players play to their potential, it would be a good sign for the U.S. -- if not, it could come down to the doubles tie here too with the record-breaking team of Mike and Bob Bryan needing to come through for their country again.
The Serbs will do their best to keep that from happening. World #1 Novak Djokovic returns after taking last year off from Davis Cup play, having already avenged recent losses to both Querrey and Isner. His twenty-two match win streak ended in the Indian Wells semis, though, and he failed to capture a third straight Miami trophy when he lost to Tommy Haas in the Sony Open fourth round. But with solid winning records against the Americans, he should be able to tie up his matches cleanly. The bigger question mark will be Viktor Troicki, #12 in the world less than two years ago but with just three Tour-level wins so far this year. He has winning records against both potential opponents, but hasn't met either since 2011. If he ends up losing both his rubbers, former doubles #1 Nenad Zimonjic might have to carry the burden against the Bryans. Ultimately this tie will probably come down to whether Isner has recovered enough to put up a fight against a mid-forties player or whether Troicki will be able to recapture the talent that sent his star soaring not so long ago.
France vs. Argentina
It's a bit of a shame that these two recent powerhouses are meeting so early this year -- runners-up in 2008, 2010 and 2011, both squads have what it takes to stir the pot at Davis Cup. France is led by world #8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who holds a solid 14-3 record in Davis Cup play. He won the title in Marseille in February, outlasting rival Tomas Berdych in the final, and only has a couple sub-fifty losses on his resumé this season -- but Tsonga's had some long matches too, having already played thirteen tiebreaks in 2013. We might actually see bigger things from Gilles Simon, just out of the top ten but steadily climbing the rankings over the last five months. The French #2 #3 has notched wins over Janko Tipsarevic and Juan Martin Del Potro and has made at least the quarters of five events this year. He may be relegated to second rubber status this weekend, but don't be surprised if he ends up becoming the star.
The Argentines meanwhile are missing their biggest weapon in Del Potro, who lost his opener in Miami after shocking both Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic on his way to the Indian Wells final. Instead Juan Monaco, who last year climbed to #10 in the world, a full decade after going pro, will lead the team. He's struggled, though, winning just two matches so far, albeit both during Davis Cup play in February, and dropping nearly all the points he'd earned by making the Miami semis last year. With losing records against both Tsonga and Simon, it'll be difficult for him to deliver now. Carlos Berlocq, a semifinalist in Viña del Mar and a fourth rounder in Indian Wells, may be a better bet, but at #71 in the world he's no sure thing. I wouldn't be surprised if the South Americans subbed surprise Chilean champion Horacio Zeballos in for the singles action -- with a win over Rafael Nadal on clay this season, he may have shown the most spunk on this team and could surprise us all.
Kazakhstan vs. Czech Republic
In what's likely the strangest match-up this weekend, the little known Kazakhs take on the defending champion Czechs and carry with them home-court advantage and a surprising 1-0 record against their rivals. There's not a lot of star power on the squad, though -- no singles player is ranked in double digits -- and Mikhail Kukushkin, who made the fourth round in Melbourne last year hasn't won a main draw match yet this season. And Andrey Golubev, #205 in the world, has played mostly qualifying matches in 2013 -- he did cement the Kazakhs' win over Austria in the first round, though, and could be the spoiler this time around.
And that's because the Czechs may have opened the door for an upset -- world #6 Tomas Berdych is sitting out this tie and last year's clincher Radek Stepanek has been relegated to the middle Saturday doubles rubber. That's not to say things won't be shifted around, but as it stands, world #94 Jan Hajek -- just 2-5 this year -- and giant-killer Lukas Rosol will be opening up singles action. Again, Stepanek may very well be called in to pinch hit should the Czechs find themselves in a hole after Friday's action, but if the Kazakhs pounce early we could see a big surprise by one of the biggest underdogs in the field.
Canada vs. Italy
U.S. vs. Serbia
France vs. Argentina
Kazakhstan vs. Czech Republic
April 21, 2012
The Year Was 2004...
It's hard to remember a time before Rafael Nadal was champion of the Monte Carlo Masters -- way back when, things were quite different.
In April 2004 then-clay court powerhouse Guillermo Coria had taken the title. Ranked #4 in the world at the time, the Argentine went on to the final in Hamburg and a runner-up trophy at Roland Garros, where unseeded Gaston Gaudio came back from two sets down to capture his first and only Grand Slam crown. Since then it's been all about Rafa.
It's been such a long time since we've thought of anyone else but Nadal as ace of this base. And so much has changed in the interim that things that were once commonplace are now even harder to imagine.
Eight years ago Illinois State Senator Barack Obama was just prepping his career-changing keynote address to the Democratic National Convention, Mitt Romney was in his second year as Massachusetts governor. John Edwards was in the running to be Vice President, Newt Gingrich was already on his third wife and at least his second affair. Al Franken was best-known as a writer for SNL, Sarah Palin as the former Mayor of Wasilla.
Tony Blair was still Prime Minister of Britain, Angela Merkel was not yet Chancellor of Germany, Nicolas Sarkozy was just France's finance minister -- not a supermodel's husband. Kim Jong-Il was alive. So was Osama Bin Laden. And Saddam Hussein.
Mark Zuckerberg was an unknown undergrad who had just launched theFacebook at Harvard, the only things that tweeted were birds -- and they were very seldom angry. Google wasn't yet a public company, and Apple's stock was trading under $28 a share.
Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual were still in business -- and making big bucks. The U.S. unemployment rate was just 5.6%, down from recent highs above a staggering 6%. No one outside Wall Street knew what a "subprime" loan was. Or had an opinion on Goldman Sachs. Or spent any time in Zucotti Park.
Tsunami was an SAT vocabulary word, Katrina was just a girl's name, Pluto was still a planet.
Marlon Brando, Christopher Reeve and Ronald Reagan were all still with us. Arrested Development was wrapping up its first season, Friends was gearing up for its series finale. The last installment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy was Best Picture, Denzel Washington's Man on Fire was tops at the box office. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez had just split, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston hadn't yet. Mel Gibson was only showing signs of his insanity, Robert Downey Jr. was just climbing out of his.
The New England Patriots had won their third and (so far) last Super Bowl, but all anyone cared about was Janet Jackson's half-time show. The Red Sox were at the tail end of an eighty-five year World Series drought. Michael Phelps hadn't made his Olympic debut, Jeremy Lin hadn't applied to college.
Seventeen-year-old Rafael Nadal was ranked #37 in the world.
And whether or not you're excited by the possibility of a world where Rafa no longer dominates the clay, you can't deny that tomorrow's result could make this season look very different from here on out. And the implications might mean the world for the two men who take the court Sunday.
* Rafa's only loss in Monte Carlo came in the 2003 third round, when he was ranked #109 in the world.
In April 2004 then-clay court powerhouse Guillermo Coria had taken the title. Ranked #4 in the world at the time, the Argentine went on to the final in Hamburg and a runner-up trophy at Roland Garros, where unseeded Gaston Gaudio came back from two sets down to capture his first and only Grand Slam crown. Since then it's been all about Rafa.
It's been such a long time since we've thought of anyone else but Nadal as ace of this base. And so much has changed in the interim that things that were once commonplace are now even harder to imagine.
Eight years ago Illinois State Senator Barack Obama was just prepping his career-changing keynote address to the Democratic National Convention, Mitt Romney was in his second year as Massachusetts governor. John Edwards was in the running to be Vice President, Newt Gingrich was already on his third wife and at least his second affair. Al Franken was best-known as a writer for SNL, Sarah Palin as the former Mayor of Wasilla.
Tony Blair was still Prime Minister of Britain, Angela Merkel was not yet Chancellor of Germany, Nicolas Sarkozy was just France's finance minister -- not a supermodel's husband. Kim Jong-Il was alive. So was Osama Bin Laden. And Saddam Hussein.
Mark Zuckerberg was an unknown undergrad who had just launched theFacebook at Harvard, the only things that tweeted were birds -- and they were very seldom angry. Google wasn't yet a public company, and Apple's stock was trading under $28 a share.
Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual were still in business -- and making big bucks. The U.S. unemployment rate was just 5.6%, down from recent highs above a staggering 6%. No one outside Wall Street knew what a "subprime" loan was. Or had an opinion on Goldman Sachs. Or spent any time in Zucotti Park.
Tsunami was an SAT vocabulary word, Katrina was just a girl's name, Pluto was still a planet.
Marlon Brando, Christopher Reeve and Ronald Reagan were all still with us. Arrested Development was wrapping up its first season, Friends was gearing up for its series finale. The last installment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy was Best Picture, Denzel Washington's Man on Fire was tops at the box office. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez had just split, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston hadn't yet. Mel Gibson was only showing signs of his insanity, Robert Downey Jr. was just climbing out of his.
The New England Patriots had won their third and (so far) last Super Bowl, but all anyone cared about was Janet Jackson's half-time show. The Red Sox were at the tail end of an eighty-five year World Series drought. Michael Phelps hadn't made his Olympic debut, Jeremy Lin hadn't applied to college.
Seventeen-year-old Rafael Nadal was ranked #37 in the world.
And whether or not you're excited by the possibility of a world where Rafa no longer dominates the clay, you can't deny that tomorrow's result could make this season look very different from here on out. And the implications might mean the world for the two men who take the court Sunday.
* Rafa's only loss in Monte Carlo came in the 2003 third round, when he was ranked #109 in the world.
April 6, 2012
Davis Cup Quarterfinals: Separating the Men...
I don't think I'm the only one who was surprised by some of the results during first round Davis Cup action this year. Even beyond the amazing U.S. triumph over Swiss giants Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka, we saw a surprisingly close call in the Austria/Russia tie, and the upstart Japan team took Croatia down to the wire. And with the fields narrowed for this weekend's quarterfinal matches, we'll now really see who's stronger than their record and whose previous wins were just a fluke.
Spain vs. Austria
The Austrians will have their work cut out for them. Against defending champion Spain, they'll be up against a slew of strong stars. They might be missing their biggest star in Rafael Nadal, but David Ferrer is consistently one of the biggest fighters on court, and Nicolas Almagro, relatively quiet recently, has nonetheless continued to show his prowess on the clay. Rounded out by Marcel Granollers and doubles powerhouse Marc Lopez, they should be the clear favorites.
Austria will be banking on the strength of Jurgen Melzer, playing well again after a title in Memphis. The 2010 French Open semifinalist has had his own success on the dirt in the past, and might just be able to recapture that momentum. It'll be tough, though, with no other real singles stars on the team -- the Austrians may have to hope that doubles rubber goes their way.
Argentina vs. Croatia
The Croats will also have tough time if they're going to advance further. Pitted against a veteran Argentine team that boasts resurgent talents of Juan Martin Del Potro, finally back in the top ten again, Juan Monaco, a surprise semifinalist in Miami, and veteran David Nalbandian, arguably a bigger surprise in the Indian Wells quarters. They've made at least the semis in five of the last seven years and seemed primed to do it again.
Their opponents, meanwhile, will be lead by Marin Cilic and big-serving Ivo Karlovic, neither of whom are playing at the top of their game. Either is capable of pulling off an upset, of course, but they'll have to bring their A-game if they're going to unseat last year's runners-up. But playing on the Argentine's homefield, it seems unlikely we'll see any huge surprises here.
Czech Republic vs. Serbia
Both the Czechs and the 2010 champion Serbs were able to handily take their opening ties, each just losing a rubber during the weekend. But things might not be so one-sided this time around. Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek are both playing well for their team, while their opponents' brightest start, world #1 Novak Djokovic, will be sitting out this round. Sure Janko Tipsarevic, at a career high ranking of #8, is coming off a run to the Miami quarters, where he very nearly notched an upset over Andy Murray. And Nenad Zimonjic is always a force in the doubles rubber. But if both these countries play to their ability, it could be the closest match-up we see.
France vs. U.S.
Quite possibly the most attention will be put on the Americans as they try to return to the semis for the first time since 2008 -- though that might just be because I'm in America. Still, having deposed a heavily favored Swiss team does put a bit of a target on their backs. They'll be missing stalwarts like Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish, and will instead rely on Indian Wells finalist and rising star Ryan Harrison. Backed up by the #1 doubles team Mike and Bob Bryan, they're not without firepower, but this will be a true test of the next generation of U.S. stars.
France, on the other hand, will bring four top-fifty singles players to the mix, a couple of whom are also well-accomplished in the doubles realm. But Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, though always a threat, has been little better than mediocre this year, and Gilles Simon suffered a close loss to Isner in the California dessert. They have experience on their side, though, and a little more time at the top than their opponents. But if the Americans can score the win, it might be the coup we've been waiting for.
Of course, like with any major tennis event, there's no way to really know what will happen. But this weekend's quarterfinals sure hold potential for more than a few surprises -- and a couple blowouts. The results could really make clear the differences between those that advance and those that stay behind. And as the survivors continue to vie for Davis Cup glory, it looks like the competition will only get tougher from here.
Spain vs. Austria
Austria will be banking on the strength of Jurgen Melzer, playing well again after a title in Memphis. The 2010 French Open semifinalist has had his own success on the dirt in the past, and might just be able to recapture that momentum. It'll be tough, though, with no other real singles stars on the team -- the Austrians may have to hope that doubles rubber goes their way.
Argentina vs. Croatia
Their opponents, meanwhile, will be lead by Marin Cilic and big-serving Ivo Karlovic, neither of whom are playing at the top of their game. Either is capable of pulling off an upset, of course, but they'll have to bring their A-game if they're going to unseat last year's runners-up. But playing on the Argentine's homefield, it seems unlikely we'll see any huge surprises here.
Czech Republic vs. Serbia
France vs. U.S.
France, on the other hand, will bring four top-fifty singles players to the mix, a couple of whom are also well-accomplished in the doubles realm. But Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, though always a threat, has been little better than mediocre this year, and Gilles Simon suffered a close loss to Isner in the California dessert. They have experience on their side, though, and a little more time at the top than their opponents. But if the Americans can score the win, it might be the coup we've been waiting for.
Of course, like with any major tennis event, there's no way to really know what will happen. But this weekend's quarterfinals sure hold potential for more than a few surprises -- and a couple blowouts. The results could really make clear the differences between those that advance and those that stay behind. And as the survivors continue to vie for Davis Cup glory, it looks like the competition will only get tougher from here.
February 1, 2012
Overcoming the Withdrawal
Like many tennis fans this week and, frankly, every week after a Grand Slam ends, I find myself at a loss now that the trophies have been presented. After two weeks of unending surprises, amazing breakthroughs, and heart-pounding displays of mental and physical strength, I'm not entirely sure what to do with myself these days. But not all players lasted long enough to make an impact Down Under, and some who've been in the doldrums for quite some time are right back in action this week trying to return to the top.
In Montpellier a handful of top twenty players are contesting the second Open Sud de France, but perhaps second seeded Gilles Simon has the most to prove. Since falling out of the top fifty a little more than a year ago, the Frenchman has been working his way back into the upper echelons of the sport. He had been on the comeback trail, but struggled through ten sets in Melbourne, and only won one match -- the second straight year he's fallen so early at the Australian Open. He's already had a comfortable win over Flavio Cipolla today and faces world #209 Guillaume Rufin in the quarters, so he's off to a better start this week. And if he can make an even deeper push here, and erase the memory of the last fortnight-plus, he could finally make that move back into the top ten, a level he hasn't seen since late 2009.
Jurgen Melzer suffered his fall from grace a little more recently, having peaked at #8 in the world just last April. But after failing to defend points at the French Open, falling after just one match win at every tournament since July, and losing to his own doubles partner Philipp Petzschner in Melbourne, he's now out of the top forty. He avenged that loss after qualifying for the Zagreb main draw, though, and followed it up with a straight set win over Andreas Seppi today. He gets a bit of a break in the quarters, as Germany's Michael Berrer took care of top seeded Ivan Ljubicic for him, and with the highest-ranked player left in the draw Alex Bogomolov at #34, his opportunity to go all the way couldn't be better. And he'll need to make a big stand soon if he's going to get that momentum back.
Chile's Fernando Gonzalez has fallen ever so slightly more out of favor. After hip surgery in late 2010, the one-time world #5 didn't play again until last April, when his ranking had fallen out of the top five hundred, and a knee injury kept him from making much of an impact the rest of the year. He didn't play in the Australian Open, but came to Viña del Mar as a wildcard and dispatched Pere Riba in his opening match. He gets a bit of a break next against Joao Souza and, I hate to admit, faces a field of aging veterans like Juan Monaco and Juan Ignacio Chela. If he's truly back in form, he might be able to pull off quite a set of upsets in his homeland.
All these guys have been well off their best game for various lengths of time, but they're still out there, fighting to climb back. And this week, now that the pressure of the biggest stage is off them, maybe they'll have a chance to work their way up the rankings. And with nearly four months before their next opportunity to shine at a Major, there's plenty of time for them to sate our appetite for more excitement.
In Montpellier a handful of top twenty players are contesting the second Open Sud de France, but perhaps second seeded Gilles Simon has the most to prove. Since falling out of the top fifty a little more than a year ago, the Frenchman has been working his way back into the upper echelons of the sport. He had been on the comeback trail, but struggled through ten sets in Melbourne, and only won one match -- the second straight year he's fallen so early at the Australian Open. He's already had a comfortable win over Flavio Cipolla today and faces world #209 Guillaume Rufin in the quarters, so he's off to a better start this week. And if he can make an even deeper push here, and erase the memory of the last fortnight-plus, he could finally make that move back into the top ten, a level he hasn't seen since late 2009. 
Jurgen Melzer suffered his fall from grace a little more recently, having peaked at #8 in the world just last April. But after failing to defend points at the French Open, falling after just one match win at every tournament since July, and losing to his own doubles partner Philipp Petzschner in Melbourne, he's now out of the top forty. He avenged that loss after qualifying for the Zagreb main draw, though, and followed it up with a straight set win over Andreas Seppi today. He gets a bit of a break in the quarters, as Germany's Michael Berrer took care of top seeded Ivan Ljubicic for him, and with the highest-ranked player left in the draw Alex Bogomolov at #34, his opportunity to go all the way couldn't be better. And he'll need to make a big stand soon if he's going to get that momentum back. 
Chile's Fernando Gonzalez has fallen ever so slightly more out of favor. After hip surgery in late 2010, the one-time world #5 didn't play again until last April, when his ranking had fallen out of the top five hundred, and a knee injury kept him from making much of an impact the rest of the year. He didn't play in the Australian Open, but came to Viña del Mar as a wildcard and dispatched Pere Riba in his opening match. He gets a bit of a break next against Joao Souza and, I hate to admit, faces a field of aging veterans like Juan Monaco and Juan Ignacio Chela. If he's truly back in form, he might be able to pull off quite a set of upsets in his homeland. All these guys have been well off their best game for various lengths of time, but they're still out there, fighting to climb back. And this week, now that the pressure of the biggest stage is off them, maybe they'll have a chance to work their way up the rankings. And with nearly four months before their next opportunity to shine at a Major, there's plenty of time for them to sate our appetite for more excitement.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)