Right! So the US Open is now just a week away as the final major of the season is nigh and it will see the world's best compete against each other once more. So in this post I will look at my pick of the contenders for the title that include the top favourites to win and those who might go deep and make a good run in New York.
So let's take a look....
1. Andy Murray
Right, so at the top for a change is the British No.1 and current World No.2, Andy Murray who has had a terrific summer so far having nabbed three titles on the trot with Queens, Wimbledon and recently the Olympic gold. Andy has also recruited Ivan Lendl, his former coach, once again in the hope that he will be able to win more majors and replace Novak the summit of the game and no doubt they will be working together over the next two weeks or so in New York. And their parternship so far has gotten off to a great start with Andy winning his 2nd Wimbledon title and he is looking good to repeat that success at Flushing Meadows.
However there are still a couple of snags ahead for Andy, one is that his most recent defeat was at the hands of Marin Cilic in the Cincinnati Masters final yesterday, which ended his unbeaten 22 match winning streak. And this is a defeat that all of a sudden does make Andy looks somewhat vulnerable and beatable again so there is still a small room for doubt if he can somehow muster the energy and the belief to win the next seven matches to claim his 4th major title.
And the other reason is simply Novak Djokovic, who has dominated Andy in their recent grand slam meetings with Andy only having been able to have defeated his nemesis twice in grand slam matches. Novak has of course been looking in questionable however over the summer with his shock defeats at Wimbledon and Olympics, he also has looked more vulnerable that he had before, which came as a real surprise after his French open victory. But it is safe to say that Novak will regroup for the US Open, depending of course if his wrist is still a problem and as such he will remain a serious threat for Andy to overcome.
But I have to say I would still give Andy the edge overall for this tournament and I think with his new sense of focus and intensity at the hands of Lendl, could prove yet another winning combination for him. Andy knows a thing or two about winning this season and he is now equal on the major events alongside Novak this season so far (if you include the Olympics) so I think its fairly safe bet that even if Andy doesn't win the final he should sure be in it, but for my money right now he is the top man. Prediction: champion or finalist.
2. Novak Djokovic
Next is of course Novak Djokovic, the World No.1 who has looked less than himself in recent months after he sustained two shock defeats at Wimbledon to Sam Querrey and Juan Martin Del Potro at the Olympics. And no doubt these are two defeats that will have shaken his confidence somewhat and he was in tears after he lost at the Olympics to Del Potro, which saw chances of winning the career golden slam go up in smoke.
But this guy isn't the world's best player for nothing and no doubt Novak knows how to bounce back from tough defeats and he has done it many times in the past so its a fairly safe bet that he can do so once again in time for New York. Novak will also be back on his beloved hard courts for the US Open so he should also be considered a top favourite for that alone as its overall his best surface and when it comes to the majors he's won 8 of his 12 majors on hard courts.
However there are still other concerns for Novak and not just his recent defeats but also his wrist injury, which kept him out of playing in Cincinnati and he is still yet to announce if he will play in New York although at this stage we can only assume he will be. But even if Novak does play and his wrist isn't still 100 percent then there is still room for doubt over how well he will perform at Flushing meadows this year so for now its all a bit up in the air.
But... regardless of all that, Novak is the World No.1 for a reason and I'm sure he will do all he can to play and if he fit and well enough its safe bet that he will reach the final. And if he does that 13th major could well be his for the taking although I wouldn't rule out an upset that could see him fall but I think the last four or two is for sure if he plays. Prediction: Champion, finalist, semi finals.
3. Marin Cilic
Next is the former US Open champ, Marin Cilic who has had a bit of a turbulent time performance in the last year or so, however he has now shown signs of steadying the ship and he has put in some goof performances already this season. And Marin also won his first Masters title in Cincinnati at the weekend there by beating Andy Murray in the final, which shows when he is on he really can beat the best. There was also at that thrilling match between Cilic and Roger Federer at Wimbledon last month where Cilic took a two sets to love lead and then eventually lost in five sets to Roger and despite the defeat, it still showed Cilic is a dangerous player and one to be reckoned with.
The only snags I see for Cilic are purely down to his draw and who he will face as it could really have an impact on his performance there and Cilic will need to do the best he can to take care of his earlier opponents and not use up too much energy. Cilic also has proven he can be a bit inconsistent at times when taking on the top players and he can get off to a strong start but finish weakly as he did against Roger and even Andy Murray at the US Open four years ago is another example when he went a set and a double break up before Andy fought back and won the match in four sets.
But the good thing for Cilic is he appears to be finding his feet just time for the US Open and it is a tournament he has already won and he is obviously comfortable playing at the event so a 2nd title is far from impossible. So if Cilic does get a good draw he can definitely go on a deep run that could potentially see him win the title although I don't see him as the outright champion he still has a shot, so I think the last four or two could be a possibility. Prediction: finalist, champion, semi finals.
4. Kei Nishikori
Up next is Kei Nishikori who has had an excellent season so far and he has been very consistent throughout 2016. And so far Kei has reached two Masters finals in Miaimi and Toronto and then went on to play at the Olympics in Rio and claimed his first medal, wining the bronze by beating Rafa in three sets. Kei is also a former finalist in New York having lost out to Marin Cilic in the final, he also has managed to do very well at Flushing Meadows and could well go on another good run this year.
But the problems for me with Kei come down to the fact that he lacks any big weapons in his game that often sees him come up short against the likes of Andy or Novak, who he has seldom beaten. Kei also at times can be prone to injury and this could also hamper his progress at the event if it should occur and it would ultimatley see him potentially exit earlier on.
However I do think Kei should enjoy a good run this year and go deep into the tournament although I do have to say I don't see him as the champ but I do think he will make a good stab at it and should reach the final four. Prediction: semi finals.
5. Milos Raonic
At No.5 on the list is the big serving Canadian, Milos Raonic who also has had a very good season so far having reached the finals at Indian Wells and also his first major final at Wimbledon. Raonic's game is also fast improving under the coaching of John McEnroe who has taken him on over the grass court season and apparently appears to be still carrying out the role although on a part-time basis as he still has his commentating duties. Raonic also in recent times added to his powerful serve by becoming a decent volleyer aswell as improving his overall fitness and movement that makes him a formidable player.
The only problems for me with Raonic however is that he lacks the overall speed and athletism to really take it to the likes of Nole and Andy on a consistent basis as he has failed to beat either of them this year alone (and he has never beaten Novak for that matter). Raonic also needs to improve on when to use his aggression and power game and when not to use it as his potent shots can often misfire and let him down when he is pushed in longer rallies.
But depsite this I would still say that Raonic will have a pretty good run at Flushing Meadows and I do think its possible he could well reach the last eight or four before he eventually goes out. Prediction: quarter finals or semis.
6. Dominic Thiem
Next on the list is the fast rising Austrian player, Dominic Thiem who has exploded onto the scene this year having made his debut in the top 10 and at one stage he had won more matches than any other player this season (although he may have been overtaken since). Thiem also looks set to be a potential future World No.1 as he has the game, the speed and the ability and the mentality to make it to the top.
However right now I still think Thiem is a work in progress and he has much to learn before he can really get himself up to the very top of the game and so far he is still coming up second best against the likes of Novak, who thrashed him earlier this year at the French Open semi finals in straight sets. Thiem also appears to be stronger on clay than the other surfaces although he has won titles on all three surfaces this year alone but when it comes to the slams he will need to make further improvements on all surfaces before he will become the best there is.
But regardless of all that I still think that Dom should have a good tournament and I think he could possibly reach the last eight at Flushing Meadows before he potentially exits. Prediction: quarter finals.
7. Stan Wawrinka
Next up is Stan "the man" Wawrinka who has had a really up and down season so far, which is atypical of most of his seasons right neough. Yet, Stan is one of the two men in the last five years that has actually managed to win a grand slam outside the big four and the fact that he has won two makes him a formidable player when he is on his game.
But this season so far we have not seen a trace of that Stan of last year who defeated Novak Djokovic in the French Open final and instead he has been meandering in his results with a 4th round exit in Melbourne and a 2nd round defeat at Wimbledon. And Stan is very much a player who either blows hot or cold and when he is on he is near unbeatable but when he is off then he very much beatable. So Stan will really need to find his form and work his way into the tournament if he is to go on and win his first US Open title.
However regardless of that, Stan could still have a decent run in New York and even though I don't see him as the eventual champion either I think he could do well enough to reach the last eight. Prediction: quarter finals.
8. Rafael Nadal
Then we have the former two time champion, Rafa Nadal, who so far has had a season of mixed fortunes as early on he looked in good shape during the clay court season where he won his first Masters title in two years at Monte Carlo and also another title in Barcelona. However Rafa's season had been cut short temporarily during the French open due to a wrist injury that saw him wtihdraw from the event to undergo recovery. Rafa however did make a strong comeback at the Olympics where he put in a very good showing and he won the Olympic gold medal in doubles and he reached the semi finals of the singles event.
However there have been some real danger signs again for Rafa after the Olympics as he decided to go and play in Cincinnati, which I personally thought was a strange move given that before the Olympics he said he would not have played if it was any other event. And as a result of this Rafa's wrist troubles appeared to resurface during his 3rd round match in Cincinnati against Borna Coric, which saw him go out early and this left yet another big question mark over Rafa's fitness to play on the tour. So it still remains to be seen if Rafa will choose to compete or give the US Open a miss this year and even if he does can his wrist stand up to the pace of playing seven best of five set matches? In his current state probably not. But so far Rafa has claimed he full intends to play at the US Open despite any ongoing issues with his wrist.
So for me my prediction will depend purely on Rafa's attendance at the US Open in the first place but for argument's sake let's say he does play then I still think Rafa could have a fairly decent shot at getting into the 2nd week. However I don't see Rafa making it to the final as I'm sure he is bound to come up short against one of the other top players or maybe even this wrist could end up becoming an issue again. So I think that Rafa might or might not make the 2nd week so for me I think maybe the last 32, 16 or 8 could be a realistic guess. Prediction: 3rd, 4th round or quarter finals.
9. David Goffin
Next up is the Belgium No.1, David Goffin, who has also had a very good year so far in 2016 and he most notably was also part of the Davis cup team last year who played Great Britain in the final, which Goffin lost to in the deciding match to Andy Murray. But Goffin has shown great promise so far this season having reached back to back Masters semi finals at Indian Wells and Miami and he even reached his maiden slam quarter final at the French open.
However the problem I have with Goffin simply comes down to the fact that he lacks any big weapons in his game and his height of 5ft 11 leaves him at a disadvantage against taller opponents who have more firepower. So Goffin simply has to rely on his speed and athletism to combat against the top players but that in itself may not be enough.
But regardless of this I think Goffin could also enjoy a decent run at the US Open and he could very well make it into the last 16 or 8. Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.
10. Juan Martin Del Potro
And last but not least by any means is the Olympic runner up, Juan Martin Del Potro, who stunned everyone with his impressive showing at the Olympics where he beat both Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal on his way to the final. Delpo has also had his misfortunes of late as he has just returned earlier this year from a continued wrist injury that saw him undergo two surgeries. However Delpo proved at the Olympics he belongs back in the top 10 and being a former US Open champ he knows already what it takes to win a major.
The only problem however for Del Potro is in how his draw will work out for him as he could easily come up short at any time if he plays the wrong opponent, however he could end up making a deep run in New York also. Del Potro is also still lacking in five set matchplay this year as he has only played at Wimbledon in the slams and he had that one incredible four set match against Andy Murray in the Rio Olympic final, which left him almost dead on his feet, so his fitness over five set matches at this stage could still possibly be an issue.
But....Del Potro is that one guy that can cause an upset out of nowhere and he is very much a top 10 player, even if his current ranking is inside the top 200, make no mistake he was playing top 10 tennis at the Olympics. And if he continues to do so at the US Open then I think he may yet have a shot at winning his 2nd title at Flushing Meadows. But if I'm being entirely honest I think that's a bridge too far at this point and more realistically I would say that Del Potro has a shot at reaching the last 16 or 8 before he exits New York: Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.
Right! So that's it for now and I will be back to do some coverage of the US Open once it get's underway.
So until then its bye the now.
Monday 22 August 2016
Monday 15 August 2016
Rio 2016 Olympics - Men's event review
OK so now to get onto the men's tournament at the Rio 2016 Olympics and let's see who claimed the top prizes in the men's.
EARLY EXITS AND UPSETS
First up to cover the early exits and upsets well the early exits of the top seeds included David Ferrer, who lost out to the Russian player, Evgeny Donskoy in a very tense three set battle that saw the Russian come back from a set down to win 3-6, 7-6, 7-5. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also suffered an early defeat at the hands of the Luxembourg player, Gilles Muller in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. Jack Sock of the USA also had an early exit in the 1st round as he came up short against the Japenese player, Taro Daniel in staight sets, 6-4, 6-4. Marin Cilic of Croatia and the former US Open champion suffered an exit in the 3rd round to Gael Monfils in a very close three set match that saw the Frenchman top Cilic in 6-7, 6-3, 6-4. And lastly David Goffin of Beligum went out at the hands of the home favourite, Thomaz Bellucci as the Brazilian won the match in straight sets, 7-6, 6-4.
And now for the biggest upset of them all which saw the World No.1, Novak Djokovic, who was seeking his first Olympic gold medal, come up against Juan Martin Del Potro in his opening round. And the match itself proved to be its last for the top seed as Del Potro put in a stunning performance to put out Novak in two tiebreak sets 7-6, 7-6 to pull off the biggest upset of the tournament and with it end Novak's dreams of completing his golden career slam.
Well this was no doubt the biggest surprise of the tournament which was an almost perplexing loss for Novak who after the match finished, broke down in tears and was devastated at losing out so early in the event. However it was soon revealed that Novak had been suffering from a recurring wrist injury after the rigours of his tennis season so far but I will get onto that in a bit more detail later. Meanwhile Del Potro really re-established himself once again in the tennis world with this performance after having been out of the game for such a long time with injury and there was even more to come for the big Argentine.
SEMI FINAL MATCHES
And this brings me onto the men's semi final matches which saw in the first match Andy Murray, the defending gold medal champion take on Kei Nishikori for a place in the final.
And to quickly recap both men had come through tough quarter final matches as Nishikori survived a 3rd set tiebreaker against Gael Monfils, who double faulted on match point to let Nishikori back into the match and win it. And Andy had two tough prior matches where in the 3rd round he looked to be exiting early as he played the dangerous, Fabio Fognini who took a 3-0 lead in the 3rd set but Andy managed somehow to break back and turn it around. And after this Andy had to endure another tough battle against the in form American, Steve Johnson, who pushed Andy to a 3rd set tiebreak, which Andy dominated to reach the semis.
So their semi final match had alot riding on it however it was Andy that made a stronger start and Nishikori got careless on his serve and ended up suffering a double break and Andy handed him a matchstick (6-1). And in the 2nd set, Kei seemed to be struggling with his feet as he changed his shoes his movement appeared to be hampered and he went down a break again and despite a valiant attempt to beak back, Andy served out the match to reach his 2nd gold medal final with a commanding 6-1, 6-4 win.
So now onto the second men's semi final which was between Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin Del Potro as both men looked set for an epic contest infront of a firey crowd of Brazilian/Spanish and Argentine fans. And the match itself did not disappoint as both men were locked into an outright battle for the final that saw Rafa take the opening set. However in the 2nd set, Del Potro mounted his spirited fightback that saw him break Rafa and take the match into a deciding set. And in the 3rd and final set both players treated the crowd to a thrilling contest as the match's momentum swung to and fro and Del Potro appeared to have the upper hand at serving for the match at 5-4 only for Rafa to break back. And play went into a very tense tiebreak that saw Rafa even recover a minibreak down to go 6-5 to Delpo but he ended up spraying a forehand and with that Delpo fell to the ground in delight as he won an incredible epic match in 3 hours and 10 minutes with a score of 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 that saw him reach his first Olympic gold medal final.
Well there is not much doubt that this was one of the best matches of the tournament that saw both men put in an incredible effort on the court for a decidedly split crowd who were both booing and cheering the two players but they produced an incredible atmosphere all the same. And I personally thought it looked certain that Rafa would come out on top of this one but in the end it wasn't to be and Delpo deserves nothing but credit for how he turned this one around in his favour from a set down. And it also reinforced how Del Potro really has recovered his great form and despite his current low ranking of 141, he is playing top 10 tennis.
BRONZE MEDAL PLAY OFF
As for the bronze medal play off match it saw both losing semi finalists, Rafael Nadal and Kei Nishikori face each other for the 3rd place prize. And the match itself proved to be an absorbing encounter that had twists and turns and it was Nishikori that made the stronger start as he had the shorter match the other day against Andy, whereas Rafa played over three hours against Del Potro so is fatigue was evident as Kei won the first set with a double break. And in the 2nd set, Rafa continued to appear to be running on empty as he went down a double break again and it looked to be all over for the Spaniard.
However the match took another turn when Kei was unable to serve it out twice and Rafa levelled to go 5-5 and play then went into a tiebreak that saw Rafa dominate it to much to the surprise of everyone, take the match into a decider. However in the final set, Rafa appeared to be distracted by Kei's long 12 minute bathroom break at the start of the set and he lost concentration as he went down another break. And this time, Kei did not relent as he finally closed the barn door and claimed one of his biggest wins and the bronze medal with a 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 win.
Well there was not much doubt this was another high quality match and a fascinating battle between two top players and the twists and turns in the 2nd set also made it great to watch. And I think its great to see Kei win this medal as he was clearly the better player for the most part and for once losing quickly worked in his favour as it left him fresher for this match. And this will rank as one of Kei's biggest achievements as winning any medal in the Olympics is quite an achievement in itself so he deserves it. Although there was a bit of controversy from Rafa over Kei's decision to go for a lengthy bathroom break before the start of the 3rd set, which did appear to affect Rafa's concentration but in the end Kei was the fresher player and fatigued in the end played its part in Rafa's defeat.
And as for Rafa, well he will no doubt be disappointed with this loss but he gave all that he had left in it and he also gave his absolute all in the semi final against Del Potro so ultimately it would take its toll. However Rafa will take many positives out of the Olympics as he not only reached the bronze medal play-off in the singles, he also won his first Olympic gold medal in the men's doubles as he won the event with his doubles partner, Marc Lopez.
So Rafa is looking to be in good form ahead of the US Open and let's hope that he will be able to compete there if all is good and well with his wrist. And rather suprisingly Rafa has decided to play in the Cincinnati masters this week even though he has indicated that his wrist is still not 100 percent but he is keen to play so he can try and bump up his points in the race to play the year end finals at the o2 in London. This might be a dangerous decision though on Rafa's part because he could risk further damage to his wrist but it is ultimately his decision and let's hope it isn't one that will affect his ability to play for the remainder of the season.
MEN'S GOLD MEDAL FINAL
Sooooo this brings me onto the men's final between Andy Murray and Juan Martin Del Potro in what promised to be a highly intriguing match. Although Andy went into the match as a heavy favourite given his current form and having been on a 17 match winning streak going into the final he looked to be surefire winner.
As for the match itself....well it delivered on its promise in spades as both men produced an incredible match that was more than worthy of an Olympic final.
And the match itself had its fair share of twists and turns as even in the 1st set despite taking an early lead, Andy kept dropping his serve to let Delpo back into the match. However as play went to 6-5 with Delpo serving to take the match into a breaker it was Andy that made his move and broke Delpo to grab the first set. In the 2nd set however, Andy came off the boil and starting to make more errors and dropped serve again and this time Delpo took advantage and went on to level the match at a set all. In the 3rd set however, Andy managed to regain the momentum as Del Potro started to tire from his efforts in the match and also his Rafa match, and Andy broke Delpo twice to grab the two sets to one lead. And in the 4th set both men produced some thrilling points and great tennis that saw momentum swing back and forth as Delpo twice went a break up only for Andy to break back twice. And at 6-5 with Delpo serving again for a tiebreak, Andy made his move and on his 2nd gold medal point he sealed the deal as Delpo netted a backhand that saw Andy win his second gold medal with a stunning 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 win.
Well... there is little doubt that this was not only the match of the tournament but one of the best matches of the year as for four hours and two minutes both men produced a sensational encounter for the 8,000 strong crowd. And both men gave their absolute all throughout even though there were many dips during the match from both players, the intensity was always there and the crowd, which produced the atmosphere of a football match also played their part in what was a memorable experience.
As for Andy this surely ranks as one of the crowning achievements of his career as he successfully defended his gold medal and he became the first singles player in the history of the Olympics to do so and win back to back golds. And despite at times some atrocious serving, Andy was able to dictate play and physically outlast Del Potro at the key moments in the match that in absence of Djokovic, showed him to be the best player on the planet right now. And it was the perfect way to cap off a memorable summer, which will see Andy head into the US Open with much confidence.
As for Del Potro well there is no doubt this will be a tough loss for him but he said after the match he was very proud to win the silver medal and he has every right to be as he truly re-established himself as a top player in this event. And this match proved once again what a great player Delpo really is and its a pity that he had been out of the game for so long as he could well have went on to win several more major titles of his own had he had kept healthy. But with this tournament, Del Potro has proven he is back to his best and from here things can only get better as he will go into the US Open also with a great deal of confidence that could see him make a good run there.
SO WHAT NOW FOR ANDY HEADING INTO THE US OPEN????
Well....what indeed as Andy right now is arguably the best player in the world in absence of Novak Djokovic, who is currently out of the game with a wrist injury but he is set to return for the US Open at the end of the month. But even if Novak does return for the US Open is there any gurarantee that he will be able to get back ontop and win a 3rd title at Flushing meadows??? Well this is the one question that remains to be answered as first of all we will need to wait and see if Novak will be fit enough to play the event but if he doesn't then Andy is the hot favourite to win. And right now the way I see things is that Andy right now is the hot favourite to win the US Open given his current form and that he is on an 18 match winning streak (the longest of his career).
However the only question mark for Andy right now is how much has he got left in the tank after the Olympics as he has to play the Cincinnati masters event this week before the US Open comes round. And Andy's winning streak could easily come to an end as he will no doubt be feeling the effects of fatigue after the Olympics tournament so its questionable that he will be able to go on to win in Cincinnati. However I wouldn't be concerned if Andy does go out as it would be purely down to fatigue more than anything else and no doubt if he does lose in Cincy then he will no doubt come back strong and regroup for the US Open.
SUM UP
Right so to sum up its been a terrific tournament for men's tennis at the Olympics and it ends again with a terrific result for Great Britain as Andy Murray claimed the gold medal for the 2nd time and in the final we got a terrific and highly memorable match. And for me personally this was a far better and more competitive match than Andy's Wimbledon triumph last month and it will surely remain as a match that will last long in the memory and with it Andy made his own piece of history by winning back to back singles gold medals.
So next up is the US Open and I will do a preview on that for the men's event and give my pick of the top contenders for the title (and I think I know who I will put right at the top!) within the next week or so once Cincinnati has finished.
Right so until the next one its bye for now!
EARLY EXITS AND UPSETS
First up to cover the early exits and upsets well the early exits of the top seeds included David Ferrer, who lost out to the Russian player, Evgeny Donskoy in a very tense three set battle that saw the Russian come back from a set down to win 3-6, 7-6, 7-5. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also suffered an early defeat at the hands of the Luxembourg player, Gilles Muller in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. Jack Sock of the USA also had an early exit in the 1st round as he came up short against the Japenese player, Taro Daniel in staight sets, 6-4, 6-4. Marin Cilic of Croatia and the former US Open champion suffered an exit in the 3rd round to Gael Monfils in a very close three set match that saw the Frenchman top Cilic in 6-7, 6-3, 6-4. And lastly David Goffin of Beligum went out at the hands of the home favourite, Thomaz Bellucci as the Brazilian won the match in straight sets, 7-6, 6-4.
And now for the biggest upset of them all which saw the World No.1, Novak Djokovic, who was seeking his first Olympic gold medal, come up against Juan Martin Del Potro in his opening round. And the match itself proved to be its last for the top seed as Del Potro put in a stunning performance to put out Novak in two tiebreak sets 7-6, 7-6 to pull off the biggest upset of the tournament and with it end Novak's dreams of completing his golden career slam.
Well this was no doubt the biggest surprise of the tournament which was an almost perplexing loss for Novak who after the match finished, broke down in tears and was devastated at losing out so early in the event. However it was soon revealed that Novak had been suffering from a recurring wrist injury after the rigours of his tennis season so far but I will get onto that in a bit more detail later. Meanwhile Del Potro really re-established himself once again in the tennis world with this performance after having been out of the game for such a long time with injury and there was even more to come for the big Argentine.
SEMI FINAL MATCHES
And this brings me onto the men's semi final matches which saw in the first match Andy Murray, the defending gold medal champion take on Kei Nishikori for a place in the final.
And to quickly recap both men had come through tough quarter final matches as Nishikori survived a 3rd set tiebreaker against Gael Monfils, who double faulted on match point to let Nishikori back into the match and win it. And Andy had two tough prior matches where in the 3rd round he looked to be exiting early as he played the dangerous, Fabio Fognini who took a 3-0 lead in the 3rd set but Andy managed somehow to break back and turn it around. And after this Andy had to endure another tough battle against the in form American, Steve Johnson, who pushed Andy to a 3rd set tiebreak, which Andy dominated to reach the semis.
So their semi final match had alot riding on it however it was Andy that made a stronger start and Nishikori got careless on his serve and ended up suffering a double break and Andy handed him a matchstick (6-1). And in the 2nd set, Kei seemed to be struggling with his feet as he changed his shoes his movement appeared to be hampered and he went down a break again and despite a valiant attempt to beak back, Andy served out the match to reach his 2nd gold medal final with a commanding 6-1, 6-4 win.
So now onto the second men's semi final which was between Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin Del Potro as both men looked set for an epic contest infront of a firey crowd of Brazilian/Spanish and Argentine fans. And the match itself did not disappoint as both men were locked into an outright battle for the final that saw Rafa take the opening set. However in the 2nd set, Del Potro mounted his spirited fightback that saw him break Rafa and take the match into a deciding set. And in the 3rd and final set both players treated the crowd to a thrilling contest as the match's momentum swung to and fro and Del Potro appeared to have the upper hand at serving for the match at 5-4 only for Rafa to break back. And play went into a very tense tiebreak that saw Rafa even recover a minibreak down to go 6-5 to Delpo but he ended up spraying a forehand and with that Delpo fell to the ground in delight as he won an incredible epic match in 3 hours and 10 minutes with a score of 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 that saw him reach his first Olympic gold medal final.
Well there is not much doubt that this was one of the best matches of the tournament that saw both men put in an incredible effort on the court for a decidedly split crowd who were both booing and cheering the two players but they produced an incredible atmosphere all the same. And I personally thought it looked certain that Rafa would come out on top of this one but in the end it wasn't to be and Delpo deserves nothing but credit for how he turned this one around in his favour from a set down. And it also reinforced how Del Potro really has recovered his great form and despite his current low ranking of 141, he is playing top 10 tennis.
BRONZE MEDAL PLAY OFF
As for the bronze medal play off match it saw both losing semi finalists, Rafael Nadal and Kei Nishikori face each other for the 3rd place prize. And the match itself proved to be an absorbing encounter that had twists and turns and it was Nishikori that made the stronger start as he had the shorter match the other day against Andy, whereas Rafa played over three hours against Del Potro so is fatigue was evident as Kei won the first set with a double break. And in the 2nd set, Rafa continued to appear to be running on empty as he went down a double break again and it looked to be all over for the Spaniard.
However the match took another turn when Kei was unable to serve it out twice and Rafa levelled to go 5-5 and play then went into a tiebreak that saw Rafa dominate it to much to the surprise of everyone, take the match into a decider. However in the final set, Rafa appeared to be distracted by Kei's long 12 minute bathroom break at the start of the set and he lost concentration as he went down another break. And this time, Kei did not relent as he finally closed the barn door and claimed one of his biggest wins and the bronze medal with a 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 win.
Well there was not much doubt this was another high quality match and a fascinating battle between two top players and the twists and turns in the 2nd set also made it great to watch. And I think its great to see Kei win this medal as he was clearly the better player for the most part and for once losing quickly worked in his favour as it left him fresher for this match. And this will rank as one of Kei's biggest achievements as winning any medal in the Olympics is quite an achievement in itself so he deserves it. Although there was a bit of controversy from Rafa over Kei's decision to go for a lengthy bathroom break before the start of the 3rd set, which did appear to affect Rafa's concentration but in the end Kei was the fresher player and fatigued in the end played its part in Rafa's defeat.
And as for Rafa, well he will no doubt be disappointed with this loss but he gave all that he had left in it and he also gave his absolute all in the semi final against Del Potro so ultimately it would take its toll. However Rafa will take many positives out of the Olympics as he not only reached the bronze medal play-off in the singles, he also won his first Olympic gold medal in the men's doubles as he won the event with his doubles partner, Marc Lopez.
So Rafa is looking to be in good form ahead of the US Open and let's hope that he will be able to compete there if all is good and well with his wrist. And rather suprisingly Rafa has decided to play in the Cincinnati masters this week even though he has indicated that his wrist is still not 100 percent but he is keen to play so he can try and bump up his points in the race to play the year end finals at the o2 in London. This might be a dangerous decision though on Rafa's part because he could risk further damage to his wrist but it is ultimately his decision and let's hope it isn't one that will affect his ability to play for the remainder of the season.
MEN'S GOLD MEDAL FINAL
Sooooo this brings me onto the men's final between Andy Murray and Juan Martin Del Potro in what promised to be a highly intriguing match. Although Andy went into the match as a heavy favourite given his current form and having been on a 17 match winning streak going into the final he looked to be surefire winner.
As for the match itself....well it delivered on its promise in spades as both men produced an incredible match that was more than worthy of an Olympic final.
And the match itself had its fair share of twists and turns as even in the 1st set despite taking an early lead, Andy kept dropping his serve to let Delpo back into the match. However as play went to 6-5 with Delpo serving to take the match into a breaker it was Andy that made his move and broke Delpo to grab the first set. In the 2nd set however, Andy came off the boil and starting to make more errors and dropped serve again and this time Delpo took advantage and went on to level the match at a set all. In the 3rd set however, Andy managed to regain the momentum as Del Potro started to tire from his efforts in the match and also his Rafa match, and Andy broke Delpo twice to grab the two sets to one lead. And in the 4th set both men produced some thrilling points and great tennis that saw momentum swing back and forth as Delpo twice went a break up only for Andy to break back twice. And at 6-5 with Delpo serving again for a tiebreak, Andy made his move and on his 2nd gold medal point he sealed the deal as Delpo netted a backhand that saw Andy win his second gold medal with a stunning 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 win.
Well... there is little doubt that this was not only the match of the tournament but one of the best matches of the year as for four hours and two minutes both men produced a sensational encounter for the 8,000 strong crowd. And both men gave their absolute all throughout even though there were many dips during the match from both players, the intensity was always there and the crowd, which produced the atmosphere of a football match also played their part in what was a memorable experience.
As for Andy this surely ranks as one of the crowning achievements of his career as he successfully defended his gold medal and he became the first singles player in the history of the Olympics to do so and win back to back golds. And despite at times some atrocious serving, Andy was able to dictate play and physically outlast Del Potro at the key moments in the match that in absence of Djokovic, showed him to be the best player on the planet right now. And it was the perfect way to cap off a memorable summer, which will see Andy head into the US Open with much confidence.
As for Del Potro well there is no doubt this will be a tough loss for him but he said after the match he was very proud to win the silver medal and he has every right to be as he truly re-established himself as a top player in this event. And this match proved once again what a great player Delpo really is and its a pity that he had been out of the game for so long as he could well have went on to win several more major titles of his own had he had kept healthy. But with this tournament, Del Potro has proven he is back to his best and from here things can only get better as he will go into the US Open also with a great deal of confidence that could see him make a good run there.
SO WHAT NOW FOR ANDY HEADING INTO THE US OPEN????
Well....what indeed as Andy right now is arguably the best player in the world in absence of Novak Djokovic, who is currently out of the game with a wrist injury but he is set to return for the US Open at the end of the month. But even if Novak does return for the US Open is there any gurarantee that he will be able to get back ontop and win a 3rd title at Flushing meadows??? Well this is the one question that remains to be answered as first of all we will need to wait and see if Novak will be fit enough to play the event but if he doesn't then Andy is the hot favourite to win. And right now the way I see things is that Andy right now is the hot favourite to win the US Open given his current form and that he is on an 18 match winning streak (the longest of his career).
However the only question mark for Andy right now is how much has he got left in the tank after the Olympics as he has to play the Cincinnati masters event this week before the US Open comes round. And Andy's winning streak could easily come to an end as he will no doubt be feeling the effects of fatigue after the Olympics tournament so its questionable that he will be able to go on to win in Cincinnati. However I wouldn't be concerned if Andy does go out as it would be purely down to fatigue more than anything else and no doubt if he does lose in Cincy then he will no doubt come back strong and regroup for the US Open.
SUM UP
Right so to sum up its been a terrific tournament for men's tennis at the Olympics and it ends again with a terrific result for Great Britain as Andy Murray claimed the gold medal for the 2nd time and in the final we got a terrific and highly memorable match. And for me personally this was a far better and more competitive match than Andy's Wimbledon triumph last month and it will surely remain as a match that will last long in the memory and with it Andy made his own piece of history by winning back to back singles gold medals.
So next up is the US Open and I will do a preview on that for the men's event and give my pick of the top contenders for the title (and I think I know who I will put right at the top!) within the next week or so once Cincinnati has finished.
Right so until the next one its bye for now!
Rio 2016 Olympics tennis review - the ladies event
Well I thought I would do a post covering the Rio 2016 Olympics tennis event, so I will split this into two parts and I will deal with the ladies event first of all. So let's see what happened for the ladies in Rio....
LADIES EVENT
Right to kick off in the ladies event there were of course some withdrawals from the tournament before it began that included Simona Halep, who withdrew due to concerns over the Zika virus in Rio. However that didn't stop alot of the top seeds from playing at the event itself and there were plenty there to compete for the medals.
So start off with the seeds that went out there were some early casualties in the big names that included Agnieszka Radwanska who was beaten by Zheng Saisai of China in straight sets. Venus Williams also went out in the first round to Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium who beat the American in a hard fought three set battle which saw Flipkens eclipse Venus in a tiebreak. Roberta Vinci also suffered an early first round exit as she lost out to Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia in straight sets. And Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland was beaten early on in the 1st round also as she was taken out by the Chinese player, Zhang Shuai in a tense close three set match.
And lastly of the big upsets or should I say the biggest of all was Serena Williams who in the 3rd round took on, Elena Svitolinam the 15th seed. And the Ukranian player, who had taken out the British player, Heather Watson in the 2nd round, went to claim the win of her career by stunning Serena in straight sets as she claimed a remarkable 6-4, 6-3 victory to see the No.1 seed suffer another surprising defeat.
SEMI FINALS
As for the players that reached the semi finals we had Monica Puig who faced off against Petra Kvitova in a match that had Petra as the favourite given the difference in their rankings. However it was Puig that proved to be the stronger player as after they levelled the match at a set all, Puig stunned the 11th seed, Kvitova and claimed a three set 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 victory to reach the biggest final of her career, the gold medal match. This was quite a feat from Monica Puig who had guaranteed not only her first Olympic medal but also the first Olympic medal for her nation, Puerto Rico.
As for the semis next match there was Angelique Kerber, who was the highest remaining seed (who had beaten the British No.1, Jo Konta in the quarter finals) who took on Madison Keys for a place in the gold medal final. However, Kerber showed her experience was greater as she won the first with a break before facing a spirited fight from Keys in the 2nd set but in the end, Kerber was too solid for Keys as she broke her opponent again to reach the final with a 6-3, 7-5 win.
BRONZE MEDAL PLAY-OFF
So as with the Olympic tennis format this left the two semi final losers with a chance to compete for the Olympic bronze medal and the play off was between Petra Kvitova and Madison Keys as the two of them fought it out for the 3rd prize. And the match itself was a very competitve one which saw both players split the first two sets that pushed the match into a decider. However in the decider it was Petra that showed the better form as she grabbed a double break to seal her victory over the younger American and with it the bronze medeal with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 win.
This was Petra's first Olympic medal and you could see how emotional it was for her when she won it as she went down on her knees and head in hands so she deserves much credit for battling for the win. As for Keys I was a bit disappointed for her that she lost especially given that she was the higher ranked player but her inexperience probably was the telling factor here in the end and sadly she finished in 4th place and empty handed but regardless of that she too has had a great games and no doubt a great experience.
GOLD MEDAL FINAL
And finally there was the gold medal final between Angelique Kerber and Monica Puig and right off Kerber was the hot favourite for this match as she had never lost to Puig in their previous matches and also given her experience in the big matches. But the match proved to be another stunning upset as it was Puig that showed her mettle again as she fought her way past Kerber in a three set battle that saw the Puerto Rican secure her first ever gold medal and also her country's first Olympic medal after a three set 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 victory.
So this was quite a victory for Monica Puig who thoroughly deserved her win and it was great to see her claim her country's maiden Olympic medal and this surely should give her a big boost to her confidence and her career for the future.
SUM UP
So that's it for the ladies and it was quite a memorable one that saw many upsets and unfortunately for Great Britain with the defeats of Jo Konta and Heather Watson there were medals for the ladies team GB. But with that let's turn our attentions to the men's event....
So I will be back soon with that post.
See you in a bit....
LADIES EVENT
Right to kick off in the ladies event there were of course some withdrawals from the tournament before it began that included Simona Halep, who withdrew due to concerns over the Zika virus in Rio. However that didn't stop alot of the top seeds from playing at the event itself and there were plenty there to compete for the medals.
So start off with the seeds that went out there were some early casualties in the big names that included Agnieszka Radwanska who was beaten by Zheng Saisai of China in straight sets. Venus Williams also went out in the first round to Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium who beat the American in a hard fought three set battle which saw Flipkens eclipse Venus in a tiebreak. Roberta Vinci also suffered an early first round exit as she lost out to Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia in straight sets. And Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland was beaten early on in the 1st round also as she was taken out by the Chinese player, Zhang Shuai in a tense close three set match.
And lastly of the big upsets or should I say the biggest of all was Serena Williams who in the 3rd round took on, Elena Svitolinam the 15th seed. And the Ukranian player, who had taken out the British player, Heather Watson in the 2nd round, went to claim the win of her career by stunning Serena in straight sets as she claimed a remarkable 6-4, 6-3 victory to see the No.1 seed suffer another surprising defeat.
SEMI FINALS
As for the players that reached the semi finals we had Monica Puig who faced off against Petra Kvitova in a match that had Petra as the favourite given the difference in their rankings. However it was Puig that proved to be the stronger player as after they levelled the match at a set all, Puig stunned the 11th seed, Kvitova and claimed a three set 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 victory to reach the biggest final of her career, the gold medal match. This was quite a feat from Monica Puig who had guaranteed not only her first Olympic medal but also the first Olympic medal for her nation, Puerto Rico.
As for the semis next match there was Angelique Kerber, who was the highest remaining seed (who had beaten the British No.1, Jo Konta in the quarter finals) who took on Madison Keys for a place in the gold medal final. However, Kerber showed her experience was greater as she won the first with a break before facing a spirited fight from Keys in the 2nd set but in the end, Kerber was too solid for Keys as she broke her opponent again to reach the final with a 6-3, 7-5 win.
BRONZE MEDAL PLAY-OFF
So as with the Olympic tennis format this left the two semi final losers with a chance to compete for the Olympic bronze medal and the play off was between Petra Kvitova and Madison Keys as the two of them fought it out for the 3rd prize. And the match itself was a very competitve one which saw both players split the first two sets that pushed the match into a decider. However in the decider it was Petra that showed the better form as she grabbed a double break to seal her victory over the younger American and with it the bronze medeal with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 win.
This was Petra's first Olympic medal and you could see how emotional it was for her when she won it as she went down on her knees and head in hands so she deserves much credit for battling for the win. As for Keys I was a bit disappointed for her that she lost especially given that she was the higher ranked player but her inexperience probably was the telling factor here in the end and sadly she finished in 4th place and empty handed but regardless of that she too has had a great games and no doubt a great experience.
GOLD MEDAL FINAL
And finally there was the gold medal final between Angelique Kerber and Monica Puig and right off Kerber was the hot favourite for this match as she had never lost to Puig in their previous matches and also given her experience in the big matches. But the match proved to be another stunning upset as it was Puig that showed her mettle again as she fought her way past Kerber in a three set battle that saw the Puerto Rican secure her first ever gold medal and also her country's first Olympic medal after a three set 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 victory.
So this was quite a victory for Monica Puig who thoroughly deserved her win and it was great to see her claim her country's maiden Olympic medal and this surely should give her a big boost to her confidence and her career for the future.
SUM UP
So that's it for the ladies and it was quite a memorable one that saw many upsets and unfortunately for Great Britain with the defeats of Jo Konta and Heather Watson there were medals for the ladies team GB. But with that let's turn our attentions to the men's event....
So I will be back soon with that post.
See you in a bit....
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