Well, its been a while since I posted on here but I felt it was time to say something about this year's season in tennis as 2017 has had its share of ups and downs and has seen some of the elite players pull out with injuries. Not only but there are also some other issues to do with the quality of the grand slams this season and the current condition of a legendary rivalry.
So in this post I will ask the question: has 2017 been the worst tennis season ever?????
THE YEAR SO FAR - MURRAY, DJOKOVIC AND WAWRINKA OUT
Well, the year so far has been a pretty unforgiving one especially for three players, firstly the former World No.1, Andy Murray, who had reached the pinnacle of the sport around this time last year as he claimed the year end No.1 spot at the ATP World Tour Finals and remained at the top for almost 10 months.
So first up is Andy Murray, the former World No.1 who has endured a very turbulent year having seen him suffer a series of poor results in tournaments to players such as Borna Coric, Fabio Fognini and Sam Querrey, who are normally players you would expect Andy at the top of his game to defeat with relative ease. This however of course has been largely down to injury and illness as 2017 so far has seen Andy suffer a bout of shingles in February, an elbow injury in March/April, another bout of flu in May and of course a now lingering hip injury since his gruelling defeat to Stan Wawrinka at the French Open semi finals that has prematurely ended his tennis season since. Andy would then go on to lose his No.1 ranking to Rafa in August, which brought Andy's 41 week run at the top to an end.
And since then Andy has faced the prospect of either undergoing surgery to resolve his hip injury or undergo a lengthy period of rehab,which resulted in Andy chosing to the rehab route as after consulting various hip specialists it was believed that the surgery could prove more damaging in the long term. So, now Andy will try and recover in time for the start of the 2018 season next year as he targets to comeback in January at a tournament in Brisbane before heading to Melbourne for the first major of the year.
Novak Djokovic has also endured a pretty bad tennis season that has culminated with him withdrawing just before the US Open with a linger elbow injury. And due to mixed form, Novak has also suffered from surprising defeats most notably at the his most successful grand slam, the Australian Open, where he suffered a shock loss to Denis Istomin in five sets in the 2nd round, which was his earliest exit at a slam for almost 10 years.
Novak also even went as far as to dismiss his entire coaching team that included his long time coach, Marian Vajda and he went to hire former World No.1 and tennis superstar, Andre Agassi in a move that he would have hoped would revitalise his season and career. However not even Agassi was able to turn around some disappointing results for Novak as he suffered a stunning defeat to Dominic Thiem in straight sets, where Novak was handed a bagel set in the 3rd. And despite winning his first grass court warm-up title ever at Eastbourne, Novak then went on to lose to Tomas Berdych at Wimbledon in the quarter finals as he lost the first set then retired with his elbow injury, trailing in the 2nd. This was the same stage that Andy lost at Wimbledon also and since then neither player has played on the tour since.
Stan Wawrinka also has called it quits on his season, which has been pretty up and down also, although he did get off to a strong start at the Australian open where he reached the semi finals and pushed his Swiss compatriot and good friend, Roger Federer the distance in a five setter before he lost. Stan also then went on to enjoy a good run at the French Open as he beat Andy Murray in a thrilling five set match in the semis before he suffered a heavy loss to Rafa in the finals in straight sets. This was the first time that Stan had lost a grand slam final as he had previously a 3-0 record in major finals. Stan then went on to play Wimbledon where he fell at the first hurdle in the one slam that continues to elude his career as he was beaten by the rising star, Daniel Medvedev.
So by the time the US Open was to come around of which Stan was the defending champion, he announced that he would not play the tournament and also that he would end his season due to a lingering knee injury, which he would undergo surgery for.
So, this has seen three of the world's best players (all of whom are multiple grand slam champions) pull out, which really has played its part in hurting this year's season. And being of Andy Murray myself, it has to be said for me the tour just hasn't been the same without him this year as he has given so much to British tennis alone throughout his career. However these three guys withdrawal from the tennis season is just been the tip of the iceberg.
MAJOR(S) DISAPPOINTMENT
Another reason why this season has been a letdown has also come down to the deeply underwhelming grand slam tournaments that we have had in 2017 with the only real exception being the Australian Open final, which produced a thrilling finale between Roger and Rafa that saw these two legends go at it once again.
However, since then the three grand slam finals that proceeded this final have been a big letdown, which saw the French Open finale between Rafa and Stan Wawrinka (the former 2015 champ) square off in what could have been an epic encounter. However on the day, Stan seemed to be dealing with fatigue from his epic battle against Andy Murray in the semi finals and also an inspired Rafa, who played out his skin to demolish Stan in straight sets, who won just a mere six games.
The disappointment then continued in the Wimbledon final when again we were promised an intriguing battle between Roger Federer and Marin Cilic, who played one of the matches of the year last season as Roger came back from the brink of defeat from two sets down to defeat Cilic. However on the day it was not to be for Cilic, who seemed to be suffering from a foot injury that hampered his movement and anything less than 100% against an inspired Roger Federer playing near his very best is simply nowhere near good enough. The match itself reduced Cilic to tears at points as he was frustrated by his lack of ability to compete as he would have wanted and this saw Roger dismiss Cilic again in straight sets to claim his record 8th Wimbledon title.
And last of all is the US Open final, which to be fair was a fairly decent final between Rafa and Kevin Anderson, an unlikely finalist making his first appearance in a major. However the outcome would be inevitable as Anderson had only won a single set against Rafa in all of their previous meetings and this match proved to be no different a result than before as Rafa beat the big South African in straight sets. Despite this though, Anderson still put in a credible effort and did what he could as even though he was outplayed, he never fully wilted and give it his all. However it doesn't change the fact that the final itself was pretty underwhelming and far short of the mark of what it could have been.
So, that's another reason that 2017 has been a letdown although again to be fair, Roger and Rafa could only play who was infront of them and the results are what they are. Its just a shame that these finals couldn't have been that bit more competitive.
LEGENDARY RIVALRY GOING SOUR????
And the last reason why 2017 has been a letdown is of course Roger and Rafa themselves, not in term of their results and titles, which have been far from that but I mean of course their rivalry. After a terrific start to the season, which saw Roger and Rafa roll back the years in their epic Aussie Open final in which Roger came back from the brink of defeat in a decisive 5th set to win the title, their rivalry since has taken a real nose dive in terms of competitiveness. And since then, Roger has won all of their four meetings on hard courts in straight sets in which Rafa has failed to take more than four games off Rog in a whole set!
And this really has been in a way the biggest disappointment of 2017 as their once epic rivalry that saw them regularly pushed each to the limit has since disintegrated into a one horse race for Roger and a series of bruising results for Rafa. And its a real pity to see things go this way for these two legends (well actually I mean Rafa) because when they played their best back in their real heyday there was precious little between them in terms of the scores. Of course this could come down to Roger being the more comfortable on hard courts than Rafa and in quite a few of their previous meetings, Rafa had defeated Roger on clay courts that saw him up his head to head record.
However since that tremendous Aussie Open final this year, a great rivalry has since disappeared and I can only hope that it will come back, because if things carry on like this then Rafa will certainly lose his top spot to Roger by the end of the season.
CONCLUSION
So to conclude has 2017 been the worst tennis season ever???? Well, no not perhaps the worst ever but it certainly remains one of the most disappointing and I can only hope that 2018 will not only see the return of Andy, Novak and Stan but also the return to form of Roger and Rafa's rivalry.
Anyway so that's it for now and I will maybe do another post on here sometime soon.
So until then its bye for now.
Sunday 15 October 2017
Monday 11 September 2017
2017 US Open Ladies and Mens finals
Right well the 2017 US Open has now finally drawn to a close and in this post I will look at both the ladies and men's singles finals and see who emerged triumphant in New York.
So we'll start with the ladies first....
LADIES FINAL
Right, well the ladies final saw two young American players, who were first time finalists in a major, Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens and they battled it out for their maiden grand slam title.
Or....rather they didn't quite so much as it was a more one-sided match than anyone could have predicted as both ladies have an aggressive playing style, so surely it was bound to a battle of big hitting. However it was Stephens that made the strong start as she broke an ailing Madison Keys, who seemed to be struggling with her movement as her thigh was heavily bandaged and it in part let Stephens take control and claim the 1st set. And in the 2nd set, Keys continued to struggle on her serve as she was broken early on by Stephens again, who by the times was growing fast with confidence and kept her composure as she went on to break Keys again for a double break. And at 5-0 with Keys looking to get a single game on the board, Keys finally capitulated on serve once more and it handed the match to Stephens and the title with it as she claimed her first major title with an emphatic 6-3, 6-0 victory.
Well, it has to be said this was a pretty disappointing final as it promised much with Keys and Stephens both excellent players and it was a pity for Keys that she wasn't able to compete as well as she could as her quad injury contributed to her downfall although Keys also felt nerves played a bigger part in the loss.
However at the same time, we can't take anything away from Sloane Stephens as this was a very impressive win for her, especially given that she had just come back from foot surgery on a protected ranking. And when Stephens first arrived on the scene she was always tipped to win majors and become the next big thing in American tennis after Serena Williams and with this title she has now proven them right. Stephens also deserves a shout out for providing one of the most entertaining post final press conferences where she was asked if the title would inspire her to win more and she said "Are you kidding me??! Of course! Did you see that cheque they handed me?! (3.7 million dollars!) If that doesn't inspire you I don't know what will!".
As for Madison Keys, there is no doubt that this was a tough loss but she has shown that she also the potential to win a grand slam in the future. And it was also nice to see the two women share a moment together after the match on court as they laughed and smiled with each other, chatting, prior to the trophy presentation. So, it was not just a match, it was also a match between two good friends and the respect on both sides was good to see.
MEN'S FINAl
Right, now we get onto the men's final, which was between Rafael Nadal, the two time champion and surprise finalist, the giant serving South African, Kevin Anderson, who was in his first major final. So, this match it had to be said didn't promise to be a class given that Rafa owns Anderson in their head to head with a 4-0 lead going into this match and with Anderson only having a set to his name out all those encounters.
As for the match itself, well it did indeed prove to be a somewhat one-sided encounter as Rafa set about to dominate Anderson from the start. However the first was quite a lengthy one that saw Anderson battle to hold onto his serve to go 3-3 but at 4-3, Anderson was finally broken to let Rafa go 5-3 and he confidently served out the 1st set. In the 2nd set, Rafa really started to boss the match and he broke Anderson once again to take the lead and he soon served out the 2nd set to take the lead even further. And in the 3rd set, Rafa broke Anderson once again at the start although Anderson did keep things close to the single break and even took Rafa to deuce when he served for the match. However it was short lived as Rafa soon confidently served his way out of trouble and with that, he claimed his 3rd US Open title and 16th slam overall as he won the tournament with a very convincing 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 win.
Well, it has to be said this was definitely a better and more competitive match than the ladies final and indeed the previous two men's slam finals but it was still not a classic by any means as it was still a pretty one-sided affair with Rafa bossing Anderson right from the get go. However it was good to see Anderson give it his all as he was never going to be the favourite to win this match and he did the best he could given the circumstances and Rafa's red hot form.
As for Rafa, well this match and indeed the tournament really did show that he is back to his best and he has cemented his No.1 ranking with this win and he should remain in the top spot for a good while longer or at least until the year end ATP World Tour Finals event at the o2 where Roger and Rafa will most likely contend to end the year as No.1. And with Rafa now just 3 slams behind Roger, there is every chance that the Spaniard could catch up Roger and equal his record next year if he plays well enough.
As for Anderson, well no doubt he will be disappointed with the result but he did give it his all in the final and played as well as he could and to even be able to have reached his first major final was a very impressive result in itself. And despite the one-sided scoreline, Anderson never really faded in the match and he tried to stick with Rafa as best he could for which he deserves alot of credit.
Alot of people will of course be disappointed that the final didn't feature Roger and Rafa together but the fact also remains that Roger was not 100% going into this tournament, so there was always the chance that he might not have even reached the final if he were in the opposite side of the draw to Rafa. The tournament itself was also something of a disappointment simply because it was missing three of the top players in Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka, all of whom could have offered a stronger finale than what we got. But in the end the tournament was what it was and Rafa or whoever won it could only play who was infront of them and I mean no disrespect to Kevin Anderson and indeed Rafa for their efforts.
SIGN OFF
Anyway so that's it for 2017's grand slam season and overall it was a bit of a letdown in some ways and its a pity we didn't get better slam finals than we did after the epic Australian open final between Roger and Rafa, which promised so much. Its also been a shame that Andy, Novak and Stan were forced out for the remainder of the season and their presence on court has been missed. But in the end that's the way things go and both Roger and Rafa this year did prove that they are still very much at the fore front of men's tennis and they are't going anywhere just yet as shared the majors together in 2017, which is why they are two greatest players in the men's game.
Anyway, so that's it for now and I will be back again sometime later this season although not sure when on this blog. So all that remains for me to say is congrats to Rafa and Sloane Stephens for their wins and let's hope the remainder of the 2017 season finishes on a strong note.
So, till the next one its bye for now!
So we'll start with the ladies first....
LADIES FINAL
Right, well the ladies final saw two young American players, who were first time finalists in a major, Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens and they battled it out for their maiden grand slam title.
Or....rather they didn't quite so much as it was a more one-sided match than anyone could have predicted as both ladies have an aggressive playing style, so surely it was bound to a battle of big hitting. However it was Stephens that made the strong start as she broke an ailing Madison Keys, who seemed to be struggling with her movement as her thigh was heavily bandaged and it in part let Stephens take control and claim the 1st set. And in the 2nd set, Keys continued to struggle on her serve as she was broken early on by Stephens again, who by the times was growing fast with confidence and kept her composure as she went on to break Keys again for a double break. And at 5-0 with Keys looking to get a single game on the board, Keys finally capitulated on serve once more and it handed the match to Stephens and the title with it as she claimed her first major title with an emphatic 6-3, 6-0 victory.
Well, it has to be said this was a pretty disappointing final as it promised much with Keys and Stephens both excellent players and it was a pity for Keys that she wasn't able to compete as well as she could as her quad injury contributed to her downfall although Keys also felt nerves played a bigger part in the loss.
However at the same time, we can't take anything away from Sloane Stephens as this was a very impressive win for her, especially given that she had just come back from foot surgery on a protected ranking. And when Stephens first arrived on the scene she was always tipped to win majors and become the next big thing in American tennis after Serena Williams and with this title she has now proven them right. Stephens also deserves a shout out for providing one of the most entertaining post final press conferences where she was asked if the title would inspire her to win more and she said "Are you kidding me??! Of course! Did you see that cheque they handed me?! (3.7 million dollars!) If that doesn't inspire you I don't know what will!".
As for Madison Keys, there is no doubt that this was a tough loss but she has shown that she also the potential to win a grand slam in the future. And it was also nice to see the two women share a moment together after the match on court as they laughed and smiled with each other, chatting, prior to the trophy presentation. So, it was not just a match, it was also a match between two good friends and the respect on both sides was good to see.
MEN'S FINAl
Right, now we get onto the men's final, which was between Rafael Nadal, the two time champion and surprise finalist, the giant serving South African, Kevin Anderson, who was in his first major final. So, this match it had to be said didn't promise to be a class given that Rafa owns Anderson in their head to head with a 4-0 lead going into this match and with Anderson only having a set to his name out all those encounters.
As for the match itself, well it did indeed prove to be a somewhat one-sided encounter as Rafa set about to dominate Anderson from the start. However the first was quite a lengthy one that saw Anderson battle to hold onto his serve to go 3-3 but at 4-3, Anderson was finally broken to let Rafa go 5-3 and he confidently served out the 1st set. In the 2nd set, Rafa really started to boss the match and he broke Anderson once again to take the lead and he soon served out the 2nd set to take the lead even further. And in the 3rd set, Rafa broke Anderson once again at the start although Anderson did keep things close to the single break and even took Rafa to deuce when he served for the match. However it was short lived as Rafa soon confidently served his way out of trouble and with that, he claimed his 3rd US Open title and 16th slam overall as he won the tournament with a very convincing 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 win.
Well, it has to be said this was definitely a better and more competitive match than the ladies final and indeed the previous two men's slam finals but it was still not a classic by any means as it was still a pretty one-sided affair with Rafa bossing Anderson right from the get go. However it was good to see Anderson give it his all as he was never going to be the favourite to win this match and he did the best he could given the circumstances and Rafa's red hot form.
As for Rafa, well this match and indeed the tournament really did show that he is back to his best and he has cemented his No.1 ranking with this win and he should remain in the top spot for a good while longer or at least until the year end ATP World Tour Finals event at the o2 where Roger and Rafa will most likely contend to end the year as No.1. And with Rafa now just 3 slams behind Roger, there is every chance that the Spaniard could catch up Roger and equal his record next year if he plays well enough.
As for Anderson, well no doubt he will be disappointed with the result but he did give it his all in the final and played as well as he could and to even be able to have reached his first major final was a very impressive result in itself. And despite the one-sided scoreline, Anderson never really faded in the match and he tried to stick with Rafa as best he could for which he deserves alot of credit.
Alot of people will of course be disappointed that the final didn't feature Roger and Rafa together but the fact also remains that Roger was not 100% going into this tournament, so there was always the chance that he might not have even reached the final if he were in the opposite side of the draw to Rafa. The tournament itself was also something of a disappointment simply because it was missing three of the top players in Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka, all of whom could have offered a stronger finale than what we got. But in the end the tournament was what it was and Rafa or whoever won it could only play who was infront of them and I mean no disrespect to Kevin Anderson and indeed Rafa for their efforts.
SIGN OFF
Anyway so that's it for 2017's grand slam season and overall it was a bit of a letdown in some ways and its a pity we didn't get better slam finals than we did after the epic Australian open final between Roger and Rafa, which promised so much. Its also been a shame that Andy, Novak and Stan were forced out for the remainder of the season and their presence on court has been missed. But in the end that's the way things go and both Roger and Rafa this year did prove that they are still very much at the fore front of men's tennis and they are't going anywhere just yet as shared the majors together in 2017, which is why they are two greatest players in the men's game.
Anyway, so that's it for now and I will be back again sometime later this season although not sure when on this blog. So all that remains for me to say is congrats to Rafa and Sloane Stephens for their wins and let's hope the remainder of the 2017 season finishes on a strong note.
So, till the next one its bye for now!
Sunday 10 September 2017
2017 US Open Men's - everything so far up to the semi finals
Right, so now its time for my look at the men's tournament so far at this year's US Open, the final grand slam of the season. So without any further delay let's take a look and see how it has gone so far....
SEEDS WITHDRAWN
Right, to start off I thought I would make a mention of the top seeds that dropped out before the tournament began.
First off is Andy Murray, who withdrew due to a lingering hip injury as he even travelled to New York to try and be ready in time, however he announced just a day after the draw had been made that his hip was too sore to compete, so he decided to pull out. This left alot of people annoyed given that he withdrew after the draw was made, which meant Roger and Rafa would be seeded 1 and 3 instead of 1 and 2, meaning they would meet in the same half of the draw in the semis potentially. Andy has since then confirmed he will "most likely" miss out the rest of the season to recover from his hip injury, which pretty much means his 2017 tennis season is over and I would be very surprised if he were to play again this year.
As for the other seeds that withdrew, Novak Djokovic also announced prior to the tournament that he is out for the season due to an ongoing elbow injury that hampered his progress at Wimbledon as he was forced to retire in the quarter finals there and hasn't played a match since. Stan Wawrinka, the defending champion also confirmed his withdrawal for the rest of the season due to an ongoing knee injury. Kei Nishikori also similarly ended his season early prior to the US Open also due to injury as he had sustained a wrist injury that saw him pull out of Cincinnati and later he confirmed his season ending after that. And lastly, Milos Raonic pulled out of the US Open also with a wrist injury although he is yet to confirm if he will return to the tour or not later this season.
SEEDS OUT EARLY ON IN 1st WEEK
Next up I will be looking at the top seeds that have been upset and gone out early on in the tournament.
First up was Alexander Zverev, who was tipped as one of the favourites for the title given that he had already won his second Masters title in Montreal last month he looked to be in great form coming into New York. However, Zverev came undone against the young Croatian, Borna Coric, who stunned the 4th seed in four tight sets as Coric dropped the opening set and went on to win the next three tiebreak sets to stun Zverev with a 3-6, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6 win.
Next was Grigor Dimitrov who also was a strong favourite going into New York as he had won his maiden Masters title in Cincinnati and already had reached the semi finals of the Australian open earlier in the year. However, Dimitrov this time around was stunned by the Russian teenager, Andrey Rublev, who dominated Dimitrov in a straight set win 7-5, 7-6, 6-3.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also succumbed to an early defeat as he faced new kid on the block, Denis Shapovalov from Canada, who has made a name for himself this summer so far having defeated Rafa on his home soil in Monteral (Denis that is not Rafa's soil!). Shapovalov showed his class and new found confidence as he beat Tsonga in straight sets 6-4, 6-4, 7-6.
Tomas Berdych also fell early on in the 2nd round as he was beaten by the flamboyant, Alexandr Dolgopolov in a four set match that saw the "Dog" re-established some form after he had been questioned for match fixing in a previous tournament in Winston Salem. But here the "Dog" beat Berdych with a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6, 6-2 result.
Nick Kyrgios continued his poor form in the slams this season as he crashed out in the 1st round to fellow Aussie player, John Millman in four sets in a match that saw him struggle with a leg injury and ultimately it was his downfall as he lost to Millman who won in 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, 6-1. This poor run of form in the slams this year has seen Kyrgios fail to even get past the 2nd round in any of the majors.
John Isner also suffered an early(ish) exit in the 3rd round as he was beaten by Mischa Zverev who previously already defeated the big American and this time he went down in straight sets to Zverev who came through with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 win.
And last but not least is one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, Marin Cilic, the former 2014 champion, who was tipped to make a great run this year as he took place of Andy in the bottom half of the draw as he could have faced either Roger or Rafa in the final potentially. However, Cilic came undone against possibly the smallest player on the men's tour, Diego Schwartman, who stunned Cilic in four sets to win from a set down in 4-6 7-5, 7-5, 6-4.
MATCH OF THE TOURNAMENT SO FAR
Oh and a special mention I thought I would give a shout out to this stunning match, which has to be the best match of the tournament so far (and indeed maybe the whole event!) which was between Dominic Thiem and Juan Martin del Potro as they clashed in the 4th round.
This match started off with Thiem dominating an ill Delpo, who had been struggling with the flu and had to take medication during the match, which saw him trail two sets to love quickly. However, despite fears of del Potro retiring, he managed to battle on and he clawed his way back into the match as he broke Dom twice in the 3rd set. In the 4th set however, fatigued took hold of Delpo again as he went down a break but at 5-3, Thiem was unable to serve out the match and Delpo broke back and play then went on into a thrilling tiebreak where Delpo turned the set around and levelled the match. In the 5th set the racuous crowd (mainly comprising of Argentines!) were thrilled by a high level of tennis from both players that saw a tense and close set go down to the wire and it was only concluded by a cruel double fault on Thiem's serve at 4-5 to hand Delpo a stunning comeback win with a scoreline of 1-6, 2-6, 6-1, 7-6, 6-4.
Well, I think this match will be hard to top in the tournament so far and it really was quite a spectacle for the crowd and it once again showed what a real warrior, Del Potro really is when his back is against the wall. And the match was yet another reminder as to just why he is one of the most popular and likeable players on the tour. As for Thiem it was a real pity that the match had to end this way for him having been in a winning position only to lose it and double fault to lose the match, however he still played his part in an incredible and memorable encounter.
QUARTER FINAL OPPONENTS GONE OUT
Next I look at the quarter final opponents who went out in the last eight, starting with Andrey Rublev, who was beaten by a dominant looking Rafael Nadal who beat the inexperienced Russian teenager, who was into his first slam quarter final, with a convincing win of 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
Sam Querrey next was also defeated at the hands of Kevin Anderson, the big South African in what was a real battle of the serves with both men reigning them down with three tiebreaks alone, all of which were pretty epic and intense. But in the end it was Anderson, who reigned better on serve as he won a very tight contest in 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 to reach his first slam semi final.
Diego Schwartzman also went out to the in form and very consistent Spaniard, Pablo Carreno-Busta, who proved too much for the dimunitive Argentine and he dispatched him in straight sets to reach his first slam semi final in straight sets with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 scoreline.
And last of all, we had the biggest upset so far of the tournament in the quarter finals as Roger Federer faced Juan Martin del Potro in a match that promised much and certainly delivered at times. Although the match was a bit up and down in quality, it was gripping nevertheless and big Delpo pulled out a stunning win over an admittedly ailing Federer, who was struggling with his back a little (as he had throughout the tournament) but in the end the big Argentine came through in four with a 7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory.
SEMI FINAL MATCHES
Well let's take a look at the men's semi final matches.
Kevin Anderson vs Pablo Carreno-Busta
First up is a semi final that featured two rather unlikely opponents, the big South African, Kevin Anderson and the in form Spaniard, Pablo Carreno-Busta, who had previously reached the French open quarter finals this year. Anderson however did have the advantage going into this match as he already had won their only previous two matches both in straight sets.
But it was Carreno-Busta that made the better start this time as he took his first set ever against Kevin Anderson in any of their meetings with Anderson looking a bit nervous at the start as he was broken to go down a set. In the 2nd set however, Anderson made a breakthrough on Busta's serve and he broke the Spaniard to go 3-1 but it was shortlived as Carreno-Busa broke back. But at 5-6, Anderson pounced once again and finally got the break and the set as he levelled the match with this being the first set that Carreno-Busta dropped all tournament. And from hereon in, Anderson bossed the match with his powerful serves and forehand and he went on to break in sets 3 and 4 to seal a place in his first grand slam final with an impressive 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 victory.
Well this was quite an achievement for Kevin Anderson, who had only ever been in one slam quarter final prior to this tournament, which was at the US Open two years ago where he beat Andy Murray enroute to reach the quarter finals that year. So, its great to see someone new also make their breakthrough to the final of a slam rather than the usual suspects. As for Carreno-Busta despite the loss, he still played a great tournament and shows much promise for the future in the majors.
Rafael Nadal vs Juan Martin del Potro
And the second semi final was between Rafa and Delpo, as the two men faced off each other in what promised to be quite an epic clash, which saw Delpo actually deny the US Open crowd a chance to see Roger and Rafa face off each for the first time in the tournament's history.
As for the match itself, well it didn't quite live up to expectations as despite a strong start from Delpo, who broke Rafa to win the first set, after that it was pretty much all Rafa as Delpo was struggling physically after his efforts in his matches with Thiem and Federer. And in the 2nd set, Rafa went on to hand a bagel set to Delpo before he then went on to dominate sets 3 and 4 and he conceded only five more games before he reached his fourth US Open final with a convincing 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 win.
Well, this match was a bit of a letdown in the end but in a way it was no surprise that Rafa would boss it given that Delpo was so fatigued after the gruelling path he had in order to get to this stage, especially as he faced the exit door against Dominic Thiem in the 4th round being two sets to love down. However it did also show once again that Rafa is really getting back to his best and right now he is looking very convincing as the World No.1.
THE MEN'S FINAL PREDICTION
Right so this sets up the final between Rafa and Kevin Anderson and well...to be entirely honest their head to head is very much in Rafa's favour as he leads 4-0 and has only dropped a single set against the South African, so already it looks to be in Rafa's favour. However at the same time, Anderson has done incredibly well to get this far and he has shown great resilience in all his matches, rather than get down on himself when he was in a losing position, he fought his way back into every match to give himself a chance to be in this position.
But as to how the match itself will go...well I have to really side with Rafa on this one as their head to head speaks volumes, not only that, Rafa has far more experienced in playing slam finals than Anderson, as its a case of 23-1 in his favour! And if Anderson is to have any chance then he is going to have to hit outright winners from the start and ensure everything goes in. However as we have seen with the big hitters so far this year against Rafa, they always tend to go for too much on their shots and make errors that end up costing them, so I can potentially see Anderson do the same here.
So for my actual prediction I think Rafa will most likely win this one in straight sets, as I really can't see Anderson compete with Rafa to a high enough level to actually beat him in his current form. It is possible however that Anderson could nab a set here if he plays well enough but I really can't see him go beyond that. So, for me I think at the end of the match we will see Rafa clinch his 3rd US Open title and bring himself just three slams short of equalling Roger's record of 19.
SIGN OFF
Right, so that's it so far and I will be back soon with the results of both the ladies and men's singles finals from the US Open.
Until then its bye for now!
SEEDS WITHDRAWN
Right, to start off I thought I would make a mention of the top seeds that dropped out before the tournament began.
First off is Andy Murray, who withdrew due to a lingering hip injury as he even travelled to New York to try and be ready in time, however he announced just a day after the draw had been made that his hip was too sore to compete, so he decided to pull out. This left alot of people annoyed given that he withdrew after the draw was made, which meant Roger and Rafa would be seeded 1 and 3 instead of 1 and 2, meaning they would meet in the same half of the draw in the semis potentially. Andy has since then confirmed he will "most likely" miss out the rest of the season to recover from his hip injury, which pretty much means his 2017 tennis season is over and I would be very surprised if he were to play again this year.
As for the other seeds that withdrew, Novak Djokovic also announced prior to the tournament that he is out for the season due to an ongoing elbow injury that hampered his progress at Wimbledon as he was forced to retire in the quarter finals there and hasn't played a match since. Stan Wawrinka, the defending champion also confirmed his withdrawal for the rest of the season due to an ongoing knee injury. Kei Nishikori also similarly ended his season early prior to the US Open also due to injury as he had sustained a wrist injury that saw him pull out of Cincinnati and later he confirmed his season ending after that. And lastly, Milos Raonic pulled out of the US Open also with a wrist injury although he is yet to confirm if he will return to the tour or not later this season.
SEEDS OUT EARLY ON IN 1st WEEK
Next up I will be looking at the top seeds that have been upset and gone out early on in the tournament.
First up was Alexander Zverev, who was tipped as one of the favourites for the title given that he had already won his second Masters title in Montreal last month he looked to be in great form coming into New York. However, Zverev came undone against the young Croatian, Borna Coric, who stunned the 4th seed in four tight sets as Coric dropped the opening set and went on to win the next three tiebreak sets to stun Zverev with a 3-6, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6 win.
Next was Grigor Dimitrov who also was a strong favourite going into New York as he had won his maiden Masters title in Cincinnati and already had reached the semi finals of the Australian open earlier in the year. However, Dimitrov this time around was stunned by the Russian teenager, Andrey Rublev, who dominated Dimitrov in a straight set win 7-5, 7-6, 6-3.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also succumbed to an early defeat as he faced new kid on the block, Denis Shapovalov from Canada, who has made a name for himself this summer so far having defeated Rafa on his home soil in Monteral (Denis that is not Rafa's soil!). Shapovalov showed his class and new found confidence as he beat Tsonga in straight sets 6-4, 6-4, 7-6.
Tomas Berdych also fell early on in the 2nd round as he was beaten by the flamboyant, Alexandr Dolgopolov in a four set match that saw the "Dog" re-established some form after he had been questioned for match fixing in a previous tournament in Winston Salem. But here the "Dog" beat Berdych with a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6, 6-2 result.
Nick Kyrgios continued his poor form in the slams this season as he crashed out in the 1st round to fellow Aussie player, John Millman in four sets in a match that saw him struggle with a leg injury and ultimately it was his downfall as he lost to Millman who won in 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, 6-1. This poor run of form in the slams this year has seen Kyrgios fail to even get past the 2nd round in any of the majors.
John Isner also suffered an early(ish) exit in the 3rd round as he was beaten by Mischa Zverev who previously already defeated the big American and this time he went down in straight sets to Zverev who came through with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 win.
And last but not least is one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, Marin Cilic, the former 2014 champion, who was tipped to make a great run this year as he took place of Andy in the bottom half of the draw as he could have faced either Roger or Rafa in the final potentially. However, Cilic came undone against possibly the smallest player on the men's tour, Diego Schwartman, who stunned Cilic in four sets to win from a set down in 4-6 7-5, 7-5, 6-4.
MATCH OF THE TOURNAMENT SO FAR
Oh and a special mention I thought I would give a shout out to this stunning match, which has to be the best match of the tournament so far (and indeed maybe the whole event!) which was between Dominic Thiem and Juan Martin del Potro as they clashed in the 4th round.
This match started off with Thiem dominating an ill Delpo, who had been struggling with the flu and had to take medication during the match, which saw him trail two sets to love quickly. However, despite fears of del Potro retiring, he managed to battle on and he clawed his way back into the match as he broke Dom twice in the 3rd set. In the 4th set however, fatigued took hold of Delpo again as he went down a break but at 5-3, Thiem was unable to serve out the match and Delpo broke back and play then went on into a thrilling tiebreak where Delpo turned the set around and levelled the match. In the 5th set the racuous crowd (mainly comprising of Argentines!) were thrilled by a high level of tennis from both players that saw a tense and close set go down to the wire and it was only concluded by a cruel double fault on Thiem's serve at 4-5 to hand Delpo a stunning comeback win with a scoreline of 1-6, 2-6, 6-1, 7-6, 6-4.
Well, I think this match will be hard to top in the tournament so far and it really was quite a spectacle for the crowd and it once again showed what a real warrior, Del Potro really is when his back is against the wall. And the match was yet another reminder as to just why he is one of the most popular and likeable players on the tour. As for Thiem it was a real pity that the match had to end this way for him having been in a winning position only to lose it and double fault to lose the match, however he still played his part in an incredible and memorable encounter.
QUARTER FINAL OPPONENTS GONE OUT
Next I look at the quarter final opponents who went out in the last eight, starting with Andrey Rublev, who was beaten by a dominant looking Rafael Nadal who beat the inexperienced Russian teenager, who was into his first slam quarter final, with a convincing win of 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
Sam Querrey next was also defeated at the hands of Kevin Anderson, the big South African in what was a real battle of the serves with both men reigning them down with three tiebreaks alone, all of which were pretty epic and intense. But in the end it was Anderson, who reigned better on serve as he won a very tight contest in 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 to reach his first slam semi final.
Diego Schwartzman also went out to the in form and very consistent Spaniard, Pablo Carreno-Busta, who proved too much for the dimunitive Argentine and he dispatched him in straight sets to reach his first slam semi final in straight sets with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 scoreline.
And last of all, we had the biggest upset so far of the tournament in the quarter finals as Roger Federer faced Juan Martin del Potro in a match that promised much and certainly delivered at times. Although the match was a bit up and down in quality, it was gripping nevertheless and big Delpo pulled out a stunning win over an admittedly ailing Federer, who was struggling with his back a little (as he had throughout the tournament) but in the end the big Argentine came through in four with a 7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory.
SEMI FINAL MATCHES
Well let's take a look at the men's semi final matches.
Kevin Anderson vs Pablo Carreno-Busta
First up is a semi final that featured two rather unlikely opponents, the big South African, Kevin Anderson and the in form Spaniard, Pablo Carreno-Busta, who had previously reached the French open quarter finals this year. Anderson however did have the advantage going into this match as he already had won their only previous two matches both in straight sets.
But it was Carreno-Busta that made the better start this time as he took his first set ever against Kevin Anderson in any of their meetings with Anderson looking a bit nervous at the start as he was broken to go down a set. In the 2nd set however, Anderson made a breakthrough on Busta's serve and he broke the Spaniard to go 3-1 but it was shortlived as Carreno-Busa broke back. But at 5-6, Anderson pounced once again and finally got the break and the set as he levelled the match with this being the first set that Carreno-Busta dropped all tournament. And from hereon in, Anderson bossed the match with his powerful serves and forehand and he went on to break in sets 3 and 4 to seal a place in his first grand slam final with an impressive 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 victory.
Well this was quite an achievement for Kevin Anderson, who had only ever been in one slam quarter final prior to this tournament, which was at the US Open two years ago where he beat Andy Murray enroute to reach the quarter finals that year. So, its great to see someone new also make their breakthrough to the final of a slam rather than the usual suspects. As for Carreno-Busta despite the loss, he still played a great tournament and shows much promise for the future in the majors.
Rafael Nadal vs Juan Martin del Potro
And the second semi final was between Rafa and Delpo, as the two men faced off each other in what promised to be quite an epic clash, which saw Delpo actually deny the US Open crowd a chance to see Roger and Rafa face off each for the first time in the tournament's history.
As for the match itself, well it didn't quite live up to expectations as despite a strong start from Delpo, who broke Rafa to win the first set, after that it was pretty much all Rafa as Delpo was struggling physically after his efforts in his matches with Thiem and Federer. And in the 2nd set, Rafa went on to hand a bagel set to Delpo before he then went on to dominate sets 3 and 4 and he conceded only five more games before he reached his fourth US Open final with a convincing 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 win.
Well, this match was a bit of a letdown in the end but in a way it was no surprise that Rafa would boss it given that Delpo was so fatigued after the gruelling path he had in order to get to this stage, especially as he faced the exit door against Dominic Thiem in the 4th round being two sets to love down. However it did also show once again that Rafa is really getting back to his best and right now he is looking very convincing as the World No.1.
THE MEN'S FINAL PREDICTION
Right so this sets up the final between Rafa and Kevin Anderson and well...to be entirely honest their head to head is very much in Rafa's favour as he leads 4-0 and has only dropped a single set against the South African, so already it looks to be in Rafa's favour. However at the same time, Anderson has done incredibly well to get this far and he has shown great resilience in all his matches, rather than get down on himself when he was in a losing position, he fought his way back into every match to give himself a chance to be in this position.
But as to how the match itself will go...well I have to really side with Rafa on this one as their head to head speaks volumes, not only that, Rafa has far more experienced in playing slam finals than Anderson, as its a case of 23-1 in his favour! And if Anderson is to have any chance then he is going to have to hit outright winners from the start and ensure everything goes in. However as we have seen with the big hitters so far this year against Rafa, they always tend to go for too much on their shots and make errors that end up costing them, so I can potentially see Anderson do the same here.
So for my actual prediction I think Rafa will most likely win this one in straight sets, as I really can't see Anderson compete with Rafa to a high enough level to actually beat him in his current form. It is possible however that Anderson could nab a set here if he plays well enough but I really can't see him go beyond that. So, for me I think at the end of the match we will see Rafa clinch his 3rd US Open title and bring himself just three slams short of equalling Roger's record of 19.
SIGN OFF
Right, so that's it so far and I will be back soon with the results of both the ladies and men's singles finals from the US Open.
Until then its bye for now!
Saturday 9 September 2017
2017 US Open Ladies - Semi Finals, Final preview and quickly everything so far....
Right, so I'm way late in covering anything on the final major of the tennis season that is the US Open and in this post I will look at the ladies semi finals matches and also a look ahead to the final and who might emerge the winner.
But first let's take a quick look at how the seeds tumbled so far...
SEEDS OUT
Well, its been a real upset of a tournament once more with alot of the top seeds falling short early on and to kick off, Angelique Kerber was the first heavy casualty, the defending champion, who this year has struggled badly in her form. Kerber took on Naomi Osaka of Japan in the 1st round and she found herself on the losing end to the 19 year old Osaka and was dumped out in straight sets in a shock loss and nabbing only four games before her defeat came in 6-3, 6-1.
Simona Halep also suffered an early exit as she was handed the ultimate nightmare first round opponent in Maria Sharapova, who was playing her first grand slam match since her doping ban had ended. Simona would have been in contention for the No.1 spot at the start of the tournament, however Maria swiftly took her out of contention as she went on to defeat Halep in three sets and announce herself back to the tour.
Johanna Konta, the British No.1 and 7th seed, who has been tipped as a potential future slam winner, also fell at the first hurdle as she took on the Serbian player, Aleksandra Krunic, who stunned Konta in three sets.
Caroline Wozniacki also suffered an early loss in the 2nd round as she played the known giant killer, Ekaterina Makarova, who battled the former World No.1 and went on to defeat the Dane in three sets to reach the 3rd round and end Wozniacki's chances of winning her maiden slam for another year.
Svetlana Kuznetsova also went out early in the tournament as she took on Kurumi Nara of Japan and the two of the battled it out in a three setter that saw the Japanese player emerge the winner with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory.
Agnieszka Radwanska was another casualty who suffered an early exit in the 3rd round as was up against one of the American hopes, Coco Vandeweghe and the two of them were locked in a tense battle that went the distance but in the end, Coco was the stronger player who came through in 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.
Jelena Ostapenko, this year's surprise French open champion, also went out in the 3rd round as she faced off Daria Kasatkina of Russia and Ostapenko, who seen to be struggling physically during the match, was beaten in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 to end her major season.
Elena Svitolina, one of the favourites for the title this year, also suffered defeat at the tournament in the 4th round as she faced off against Madison Keys, one of the (many!) American hopes. Svitolina, however put up a strong fight before she finally lost out to Keys in three sets, who won 7-6, 1-6, 6-4.
And last of all and one of the biggest surprise exits was Garbine Muguruza, the reigning Wimbledon champion, who faced Petra Kvitova in the 4th round, who had made her return to the tour only a few months ago after being the victim of a knife attack early this year. Muguruza was actually considered the heavy favourite to win the title in New York, however Petra went on to stun the Spaniard with her powerful attacking game that saw Murguruza dispatch in straight sets 7-6, 6-3. Despite this loss however, Muguruza will claim the World No.1 ranking as of next week.
QUARTER FINAL OPPONENTS OUT AND SEMI FINALS
Right well I've skipped to the semi finals, which saw four defeats on the way there to the last four, which I will quickly mention them. First up, Karolina Pliskova took on Coco Vandeweghe and the current World No.1, Pliskova, suffered an upset defeat as Coco beat her 7-6, 6-3. Kaia Kanepi, who was unseeded in this event, also went out to the 15h seed, Madison Keys who dispatched Kanepi in straight sets 6-3, 6-3. Petra Kvitova next up lost out to Venus Williams, the former two time champion in a thrilling three set battle that saw Petra force Venus into a deciding tiebreak, which Venus won to claim her spot in the semis with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 victory. And last of all Anastasija Sevastova of Lativa, took on Sloane Stephens and lost to the American in another tough three set match, which also went to a deciding tiebreak, despite Sevastova being a break up in the 3rd set, Stephens broke back and went on to claim the match in the breaker with another 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 result.
As for the semi finals, well let's take a look at them.
Venus Williams vs Sloane Stephens
This was an all American semi final match (and also an all African-American match!) which saw Venus Williams take on Sloane Stephens, who was on the comeback after having foot surgery and was under a protected ranking going into the US Open. However the match itself was a rather topsy turvey one, which saw both players split the first two sets with a breadstick and a bagel dished out by Sloane and Venus respectively. However the 3rd set was a different affair altogether as both ladies battled it out in a tight decider that finally saw Stephens cause the upset and deny Venus a chance of reaching her 3rd slam final of the season as the younger Stephens won the match with a 6-1, 0-6, 7-5 scoreline.
Madison Keys vs Coco Vandeweghe
And the second semi final saw yet another all American semi between Madison Keys and Coco Vandeweghe. However this match was a much quicker one that saw the 15th seeded, Keys dominated Coco from the beginning as she bossed her and took the first set with a triple break. And the 2nd set was more of the same as Keys broke Coco twice and she confidently served out the match to reach her first grand slam final with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory.
THE FINAL PREDICTION
Right well, so that sets up the ladies final between Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys and this is an intriuging match up as they have only played once before and that two years ago and the match was won by Stephens. However quite a bit has changed since then and Madison has gone into this tournament with more matchplay under her belt given that Stephens has been on the comeback after her foot surgery. However (again) this doesn't mean that Keys is necessarily the favourite in this instance as Stephens already has that one win over her.
So how will this one go??? Well I've not really seen either player in action a great deal before but from what I've seen I would have to go with Keys on this one as I just think with her having more matches under her belt this year, it will give her more of an advantage in this match over Stephens. However at the same time, Stephens does have the benefit of that one victory over Keys, so this could also be a deciding factor.
But in the end I have to side with Keys as I just think she might have the edge in this one although I can't confidently say why but that's just my gut feeling, but again I might be completely wrong. So, I will go with Keys winning this one in a close three set match.
SIGN OFF
Right, so that's it for now and I will be back real soon with my look at the men's tournament so far.
Till then its bye for now!
But first let's take a quick look at how the seeds tumbled so far...
SEEDS OUT
Well, its been a real upset of a tournament once more with alot of the top seeds falling short early on and to kick off, Angelique Kerber was the first heavy casualty, the defending champion, who this year has struggled badly in her form. Kerber took on Naomi Osaka of Japan in the 1st round and she found herself on the losing end to the 19 year old Osaka and was dumped out in straight sets in a shock loss and nabbing only four games before her defeat came in 6-3, 6-1.
Simona Halep also suffered an early exit as she was handed the ultimate nightmare first round opponent in Maria Sharapova, who was playing her first grand slam match since her doping ban had ended. Simona would have been in contention for the No.1 spot at the start of the tournament, however Maria swiftly took her out of contention as she went on to defeat Halep in three sets and announce herself back to the tour.
Johanna Konta, the British No.1 and 7th seed, who has been tipped as a potential future slam winner, also fell at the first hurdle as she took on the Serbian player, Aleksandra Krunic, who stunned Konta in three sets.
Caroline Wozniacki also suffered an early loss in the 2nd round as she played the known giant killer, Ekaterina Makarova, who battled the former World No.1 and went on to defeat the Dane in three sets to reach the 3rd round and end Wozniacki's chances of winning her maiden slam for another year.
Svetlana Kuznetsova also went out early in the tournament as she took on Kurumi Nara of Japan and the two of the battled it out in a three setter that saw the Japanese player emerge the winner with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory.
Agnieszka Radwanska was another casualty who suffered an early exit in the 3rd round as was up against one of the American hopes, Coco Vandeweghe and the two of them were locked in a tense battle that went the distance but in the end, Coco was the stronger player who came through in 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.
Jelena Ostapenko, this year's surprise French open champion, also went out in the 3rd round as she faced off Daria Kasatkina of Russia and Ostapenko, who seen to be struggling physically during the match, was beaten in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 to end her major season.
Elena Svitolina, one of the favourites for the title this year, also suffered defeat at the tournament in the 4th round as she faced off against Madison Keys, one of the (many!) American hopes. Svitolina, however put up a strong fight before she finally lost out to Keys in three sets, who won 7-6, 1-6, 6-4.
And last of all and one of the biggest surprise exits was Garbine Muguruza, the reigning Wimbledon champion, who faced Petra Kvitova in the 4th round, who had made her return to the tour only a few months ago after being the victim of a knife attack early this year. Muguruza was actually considered the heavy favourite to win the title in New York, however Petra went on to stun the Spaniard with her powerful attacking game that saw Murguruza dispatch in straight sets 7-6, 6-3. Despite this loss however, Muguruza will claim the World No.1 ranking as of next week.
QUARTER FINAL OPPONENTS OUT AND SEMI FINALS
Right well I've skipped to the semi finals, which saw four defeats on the way there to the last four, which I will quickly mention them. First up, Karolina Pliskova took on Coco Vandeweghe and the current World No.1, Pliskova, suffered an upset defeat as Coco beat her 7-6, 6-3. Kaia Kanepi, who was unseeded in this event, also went out to the 15h seed, Madison Keys who dispatched Kanepi in straight sets 6-3, 6-3. Petra Kvitova next up lost out to Venus Williams, the former two time champion in a thrilling three set battle that saw Petra force Venus into a deciding tiebreak, which Venus won to claim her spot in the semis with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 victory. And last of all Anastasija Sevastova of Lativa, took on Sloane Stephens and lost to the American in another tough three set match, which also went to a deciding tiebreak, despite Sevastova being a break up in the 3rd set, Stephens broke back and went on to claim the match in the breaker with another 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 result.
As for the semi finals, well let's take a look at them.
Venus Williams vs Sloane Stephens
This was an all American semi final match (and also an all African-American match!) which saw Venus Williams take on Sloane Stephens, who was on the comeback after having foot surgery and was under a protected ranking going into the US Open. However the match itself was a rather topsy turvey one, which saw both players split the first two sets with a breadstick and a bagel dished out by Sloane and Venus respectively. However the 3rd set was a different affair altogether as both ladies battled it out in a tight decider that finally saw Stephens cause the upset and deny Venus a chance of reaching her 3rd slam final of the season as the younger Stephens won the match with a 6-1, 0-6, 7-5 scoreline.
Madison Keys vs Coco Vandeweghe
And the second semi final saw yet another all American semi between Madison Keys and Coco Vandeweghe. However this match was a much quicker one that saw the 15th seeded, Keys dominated Coco from the beginning as she bossed her and took the first set with a triple break. And the 2nd set was more of the same as Keys broke Coco twice and she confidently served out the match to reach her first grand slam final with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory.
THE FINAL PREDICTION
Right well, so that sets up the ladies final between Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys and this is an intriuging match up as they have only played once before and that two years ago and the match was won by Stephens. However quite a bit has changed since then and Madison has gone into this tournament with more matchplay under her belt given that Stephens has been on the comeback after her foot surgery. However (again) this doesn't mean that Keys is necessarily the favourite in this instance as Stephens already has that one win over her.
So how will this one go??? Well I've not really seen either player in action a great deal before but from what I've seen I would have to go with Keys on this one as I just think with her having more matches under her belt this year, it will give her more of an advantage in this match over Stephens. However at the same time, Stephens does have the benefit of that one victory over Keys, so this could also be a deciding factor.
But in the end I have to side with Keys as I just think she might have the edge in this one although I can't confidently say why but that's just my gut feeling, but again I might be completely wrong. So, I will go with Keys winning this one in a close three set match.
SIGN OFF
Right, so that's it for now and I will be back real soon with my look at the men's tournament so far.
Till then its bye for now!
Friday 25 August 2017
2017 US Open preview - men's contender picks
Right, its that time to do a list of my pick of the contenders for the final grand slam of the season, the US Open, which kicks in less than a week's time next Monday. And with some of the big names already confirmed as being out for the season, namely Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori, it has shaken things up this year quite a bit.
Anyway so let's take a look....
1. Roger Federer
At the top of the list is Roger Federer, who has been the undisputed No.1 player in the world this year so far having won two of the three grand slams so far this season, winning the US Open would put him up to 20 major titles, which is unbelievable when you even say it! And Roger's form this year has just gotten better and better as he has went on and already has six titles in the bag and remains just a smidgen away from overtaking Andy Murray as the World No.2 and if he were to win the title then Roger would reclaim the No.1 spot from Rafa, who has just overtaken Andy this week in the rankings.
The only problem I see for Roger however is his fitness as he had suffered a shock defeat to Alexander Zverev in the final of Montreal only a week ago that forced Rog to then pull out of the Cincinnati masters event with a back injury. This suggests that Roger may not be 100% going into the last major of the year and he will need to be if he is to have any chance of going the distance in New York on a gruelling hard court surface.
However if this year has tought us anything, its that Roger Federer continues to defy age and ranking as he was able to win his 18th grand slam at the Australian open (not 18 Aussie open titles of course!) just ranked 17 in the world, so surely he can go on to win the US Open. And if Roger's serve, forehand and backhand are all firing then he is sure to be the very one that will go on to claim this title. So, the way I see it is that he will either be the champ or on the outside chance he should, fitness permitting, reach the final.
Prediction: champion or finalist.
2. Rafael Nadal
At No.2 is the new World No.1, Rafael Nadal, who this week has overtaken Andy Murray and ended the Brit's 41 week stint as the world's top ranked player. Rafa already has had a very impressive season, particularly on clay having lost only one match and won his record 10th French open title. Rafa also made the final of the Australian open having lost to Roger Federer in a tight five set epic clash, so it shows that he has been very consistent so far in the slams this year, despite a 4th round loss at Wimbledon in another epic contest against Gilles Muller.
The only problems for Rafa so far however have been that he has been prone to upsets this season at the hard court tournaments as he was stunned by Denis Shapovalov in Montreal two weeks ago and Cincinnati, he was beaten by Nick Kyrgios. This instills enough doubt for me to say that there is a chance that Rafa could still struggle at Flushing Meadows if he comes up against an inspired young opponent such as a Zverev, Thiem or indeed Kyrgios.
However at the same time, when it comes to the slams, that's when Rafa tends to bring his A game and I think it would be silly to write off his chances at doing very well in New York, where has already been a two time champion. So, I think its not too crazy an idea to suggest that Rafa could win his 3rd title at Flushing Meadows, although if I were to put Roger in the final with Rafa, I would have to take Rafa as the finalist and for that alone I will say Rafa will most likely reach the final but might not necessarily emerge the champ.
Prediction: finalist
3. Alexander Zverev
At no.3 is the man that I would have to call the 3rd best player in the world this season and that is Alexander "Sasha" Zverev, who has had a stellar 2017 so far, having won four titles alredy and two them being Masters events in Rome and Montreal. Yep, the German wunerkind (wonder boy in German) has proven that he really is a star of the future having played brilliantly this season and risen to the top 10, he has improved out of the sight. So, surely he is certain to made that grand slam breakthrough pretty soon.
However, the problems I foresee with Zverev right now is his inexperience when it comes to the majors as he has not gotten past the 4th round of a slam but this will definitely change and I can certainly see him go deeper in New York. But right now, against the elite guys in Rafa and Roger over the best of five sets, I would still pick the older guys over Zverev right now even its possible that Zverev could upset both of them.
So, for me I think Zverev will go on a good run in New York and possibly reach the last four but in the end his inexperience at this level will see him come up a bit short.
Prediction: semi finals.
4. Grigor Dimitrov
Next is Grigor Dimitrov, who so far has had a pretty good 2017 also, even though he had suffered a little dip, he is firmly back on good form having just won his first Masters title in Cincinnati last week. This win alone shows that Grigor is starting to fulfill his potential as a future potential grand slam winner and just maybe his breakthrough could come if not this year and then most likely the next.
The only problem again with Dimitrov is even though he has a few years of experience behind him now on the tour, aged 26, he is still inexperienced at the latter stages of the slams, having reached only two major semi finals, however he did put in excellent performances at both in Melbourne (this year) and Wimbledon (in 2014). And Dimitrov will again have to most likely face one of the elite guys in order to reach the final not to mention even possibly face one of them IN the final.
Regardless of this though, I think Grigor can most likely enjoy a good solid run this year in New York and he will probably put in a strong performance that will see him go deeper than he has before at Flushing Meadows. So, for me I think Dimitrov should also possibly make the last four again like he did in Melbourne earlier this year before he bows out.
Prediction: semi finals.
5. Andy Murray
At No.5 is the former World No.1, Andy Murray, who has just lost the top spot this week to Rafa, who ended his impressive run of 41 weeks in the top spot. Although it has to be said that Andy's run at the top in terms of his performance has been less than impressive and this unfortunately has mainly been due to injuries and illness that lead to a series of surprise defeats to players that Andy otherwise would most likely have beaten himself.
Andy has also not played a competitive match since his defeat at the Wimbledon quarter final stages as he lost to the American big server, Sam Querrey in five sets as Andy's hip injury resurfaced during the match. This since has seen Andy undergo a period of rehab for his hip but last week there was the good news that he would be returning to the tour as he flew out to New York to starts his preparations for the US Open. So, this would suggest that Andy's hip injury has now largely abated and hopefully he will be fit enough to play the last major of the season.
However, the main problem with Andy going into this tournament is simply the lack of matchplay, as he will be going up against players, who have had a number of matches already under their belts, so Andy will need to hope for a kind draw to try and break him into the event. And if he does come up against a young, hungry opponent on good form early on in say the 1st or 2nd round, it could be curtains for Andy alot sooner rather than later.
Also his hip still remains an unknown quantity as we really don't know at this stage just how Andy's hip is although it must be better or else he wouldn't have chosen to compete in a gruelling best of five sets tournament on a hard court surface. But Andy's first match will be one that gives us an indication at just where he will be at and that could be his last if things were to go wrong for him and if the hip injury resurfaces but hopefully not.
But...one thing we do know about Andy Murray is that he is one of the great fighters in the game and one of the greatest returners also, so if his hip is better than he will definitely be motivated to play well at the last major of the season. Plus, Andy is also a former champ at the event having won his maiden slam at the US Open in 2012, who knows??? There could be a chance of a stunning win ahead of the former No.1.
However, I placed Andy Murray this far down the list for a reason and I don't think he will emerge the champion this year but I do think its still possible he could put in a decent run and he has not failed to reach the 2nd week of a major since 2010 at this very event, losing to Stan Wawrinka in the 3rd round. So, for that reason I think Andy will do his very best to maintain that consistency and I think he could potentially, if he puts in a good performance, reach the last eight or four before he could go out. However he could also easily go out in the 1st week also, so this is a tough one to judge with any kind of accuracy, so we will need to wait and see what is in store the British No.1.
Prediction: 3rd round, 4th round, quarter finals or semi finals.
6. Dominic Thiem
Next is Dominic Thiem, who so far has a bit of an up and down 2017, having played a brilliant clay court season, having been the only player to have beaten Rafa on the red dirt and having reached his 2nd consecutive semi final at the French open. However, Dom has also endured a very mixed season on other surfaces having lost on different events to other players, such as Robin Haase in Halle on the gras courts and most recently David Ferrer at Cincinnati on hard court, at the quarter final stage.
But, Thiem has enjoyed fairly consistent results in the slams so far this year, having reached the 4th round at the Australian open and Wimbledon and as previously mentioned, the semi finals at Roland Garros. So, I think its safe to say that Thiem could still put in a good performance this year and maybe reach the last eight for the first time at the US Open before potentially losing out.
Prediction: quarter finals.
7. Nick Kyrgios
Up next is Nick Kyrgios, who has had a pretty up and down year so far, particularly in the slams where he lost out early on in each major, not making it past the 2nd round in either Melbourne or Paris and he was forced to retire at Wimbledon in the 1st round.
However Nick has enjoyed better fortunes outside the slams having reached his first Masters final in Cincinnati last week where he beat Rafa and David Ferrer enroute to the final where he was finally beaten by Grigor Dimitrov. Kyrgios also is probably the only active player to have a winning head to head over Novak Djokovic as early this season he defeated the former World No.2, twice in a row both in straight sets and this shows that when Nick is on song, he really is on song.
The problem for Nick however is taking that form and bottling it for the big events and so far this season he has failed to do that, but that doesn't mean to say that Nick can't manage this in the last slam of the season. So, Nick remains an unknown quantity here for New York and he could go out early of he could enjoy a deep run but whatever happens I don't see him as the eventual champ in New York but maybe he might make the last 16 or 8 before he bows (or maybe crashes) out.
Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.
8. Sam Querrey
Next is Sam Querrey, who put in a strong showing over the summer at Wimbledon and even earlier this year he enjoyed a great run in Mexico where he beat Rafa in the final to win his 2nd career ATP 500 event. Sam then later went on to enjoy further success in Mexico as he beat the Aussie, Thanasi Kokkinakis to claim his 2nd title of the season. Sam is also one of the best servers on the tour and he was able to serve Andy Murray off the court at Wimbledon and reached his maiden slam semi final in the process.
Sam, however despite his strengths as a player, also has his weaknesses and his big height of 6ft 6 against the best movers can leave him at a bit of a disadvantage and he can also tend to be a tad inconsistent in the big events. Sam also has a bad head to head over Roger and Rafa, so if he were to face either of them then its very possible over the best of five sets he will come out the losing end.
So, for me I think Sam has a decent chance of a good run and just maybe this year he could make his quarter final breakthrough in New York (his best record being the 4th round so far in 2010) but if not then maybe the last 16.
Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals
9. John Isner
Next up we have the towering American, John Isner, one of the best servers on the tour but also has some weapons other than his serve such as a powerful (but erratic) forehand and for his height of 6ft 10 inches, he moves fairly well. John has been fairly consistent at being the US No.1 player in the last few years and he also enjoyed a good run to the quarter finals at the US Open six years ago where he took on Andy Murray and lost in four close sets. So, John has the weapons to do some damage out at Flushing Meadows.
The main problem for Isner however is his height, which really does highlight his lack of mobility against the elite players, who have top notch athleticism and they can really run rings around him when its come to it. Isner most likely will against these guys have to rely on his serve, which will get him out of a few tight corners but ultimately the best guys will most likely prevail against him.
So, for me, I think John might possibly make a good run this season but don't be surprised if he only get's to the 3rd round or 4th round if possible but you never know, the big guy might have a surprise up his sleeve yet, so just maybe he could also reach the final eight.
Prediction: 3rd, 4th round or quarter finals.
10. Tomas Berdych
And last but not least is Tomas Berdych, who has actually enjoyed a decent season so far as he reached the semi finals at Wimbledon and played a solid match against Roger Federer and in fact handed him his toughest test of the tournament although still lost in straight sets. Berdych usually has been a consistent performer in the slams in recent years and you usually find him around for latter stages of the majors, which makes a good player to be reckoned with for making decent runs.
The problem however with Berdych is that he has always lacked the edge when it comes to taking on the top players, particularly the big four where he lost to more times than not in recent years and he often get's tight in the big matches when playing crunch time points. So, for this reason alone its tough to see Berdych ever win a grand slam anytime before he retires.
However, Berdych can still make a decent run of things in New York and its a tournament where he has reached the semis before back in 2012 and he has reached the 4th round minimum ever since then, which suggests he could do similar this year. So for me, Berdych has a chance of a decent run but I would say the last 16 or 8 would be his lot before he is bound to lose out.
Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.
OTHER POSSIBLE CONTENDERS
Other contenders off the list include Marin Cilic, who made a great run to the final at Wimbledon this year before losing to Roger Federer in straight sets but Cilic has been suffering from an adductor injury that might see withdraw or suffer an early loss at the event so time will tell how the Croatian does.
Jo-Wilfred Tsonga could also do well at the tournament if he get's a decent draw and can get his game firing on all cylinders but he will stage have a tough ask to try and get himself into the position where he will reach the semis or even a final.
Gael Monfils next is another player, who could do very well in New York as he got to the semi finals last year before he lost to Novak Djokovic in four sets. Monfils however can tend to get tight in the big points against the very best players, which would most likely see him fail to get to the final. However Monfils could still do well here and put in a decent run although its difficult to see right just where he will get to.
Jack Sock is another home contender to do fairly well in New York as he previously reached the 4th round last year and he has enjoyed some reasonable results in the slams having reached the 3rd round at Melbourne and Wimbledon and 4th round in the French Open and as mentioned in New York. Sock will have a tough time though getting past the top guys though but he could still put in a good effort.
Juan Martin del Potro of course is another contender and former 2009 champion, who can never been counted out but his season so far has been very inconsistent, so it would be tough for me to suggest he will go beyond the 3rd or 4th round at Flushing Meadows but we will see how the big guy holds up.
David Ferrer has shown a few signs of resurgance in the last month or so as he claimed his first title in nearly two years in Sweden and reached the semis at the Cincinnati Masters last week that suggests that Ferrer could also do well in New York. However Ferrer will be up against the rising young guns, who are really now starting to become a major threat (no pun intended!).
And last of all is David Goffin, who has had an up and down season but he so far has reached two finals earler this year in Sofia and Rotterdam and he reached the quarter finals at the Australian open for the first time. Goffin, however also suffered an injury scare after he took a nasty tumble at Wimbledon that premuaturely ended his tournament there but he has since recovered, so maybe his season might continue in the right direction.
SIGN OFF
Right, so that's it for now and it remains for me to just say bye for now and see how the US Open goes and I will be back on here with a few posts once the tournament is well under way.
Until then adios!
Anyway so let's take a look....
1. Roger Federer
At the top of the list is Roger Federer, who has been the undisputed No.1 player in the world this year so far having won two of the three grand slams so far this season, winning the US Open would put him up to 20 major titles, which is unbelievable when you even say it! And Roger's form this year has just gotten better and better as he has went on and already has six titles in the bag and remains just a smidgen away from overtaking Andy Murray as the World No.2 and if he were to win the title then Roger would reclaim the No.1 spot from Rafa, who has just overtaken Andy this week in the rankings.
The only problem I see for Roger however is his fitness as he had suffered a shock defeat to Alexander Zverev in the final of Montreal only a week ago that forced Rog to then pull out of the Cincinnati masters event with a back injury. This suggests that Roger may not be 100% going into the last major of the year and he will need to be if he is to have any chance of going the distance in New York on a gruelling hard court surface.
However if this year has tought us anything, its that Roger Federer continues to defy age and ranking as he was able to win his 18th grand slam at the Australian open (not 18 Aussie open titles of course!) just ranked 17 in the world, so surely he can go on to win the US Open. And if Roger's serve, forehand and backhand are all firing then he is sure to be the very one that will go on to claim this title. So, the way I see it is that he will either be the champ or on the outside chance he should, fitness permitting, reach the final.
Prediction: champion or finalist.
2. Rafael Nadal
At No.2 is the new World No.1, Rafael Nadal, who this week has overtaken Andy Murray and ended the Brit's 41 week stint as the world's top ranked player. Rafa already has had a very impressive season, particularly on clay having lost only one match and won his record 10th French open title. Rafa also made the final of the Australian open having lost to Roger Federer in a tight five set epic clash, so it shows that he has been very consistent so far in the slams this year, despite a 4th round loss at Wimbledon in another epic contest against Gilles Muller.
The only problems for Rafa so far however have been that he has been prone to upsets this season at the hard court tournaments as he was stunned by Denis Shapovalov in Montreal two weeks ago and Cincinnati, he was beaten by Nick Kyrgios. This instills enough doubt for me to say that there is a chance that Rafa could still struggle at Flushing Meadows if he comes up against an inspired young opponent such as a Zverev, Thiem or indeed Kyrgios.
However at the same time, when it comes to the slams, that's when Rafa tends to bring his A game and I think it would be silly to write off his chances at doing very well in New York, where has already been a two time champion. So, I think its not too crazy an idea to suggest that Rafa could win his 3rd title at Flushing Meadows, although if I were to put Roger in the final with Rafa, I would have to take Rafa as the finalist and for that alone I will say Rafa will most likely reach the final but might not necessarily emerge the champ.
Prediction: finalist
3. Alexander Zverev
At no.3 is the man that I would have to call the 3rd best player in the world this season and that is Alexander "Sasha" Zverev, who has had a stellar 2017 so far, having won four titles alredy and two them being Masters events in Rome and Montreal. Yep, the German wunerkind (wonder boy in German) has proven that he really is a star of the future having played brilliantly this season and risen to the top 10, he has improved out of the sight. So, surely he is certain to made that grand slam breakthrough pretty soon.
However, the problems I foresee with Zverev right now is his inexperience when it comes to the majors as he has not gotten past the 4th round of a slam but this will definitely change and I can certainly see him go deeper in New York. But right now, against the elite guys in Rafa and Roger over the best of five sets, I would still pick the older guys over Zverev right now even its possible that Zverev could upset both of them.
So, for me I think Zverev will go on a good run in New York and possibly reach the last four but in the end his inexperience at this level will see him come up a bit short.
Prediction: semi finals.
4. Grigor Dimitrov
Next is Grigor Dimitrov, who so far has had a pretty good 2017 also, even though he had suffered a little dip, he is firmly back on good form having just won his first Masters title in Cincinnati last week. This win alone shows that Grigor is starting to fulfill his potential as a future potential grand slam winner and just maybe his breakthrough could come if not this year and then most likely the next.
The only problem again with Dimitrov is even though he has a few years of experience behind him now on the tour, aged 26, he is still inexperienced at the latter stages of the slams, having reached only two major semi finals, however he did put in excellent performances at both in Melbourne (this year) and Wimbledon (in 2014). And Dimitrov will again have to most likely face one of the elite guys in order to reach the final not to mention even possibly face one of them IN the final.
Regardless of this though, I think Grigor can most likely enjoy a good solid run this year in New York and he will probably put in a strong performance that will see him go deeper than he has before at Flushing Meadows. So, for me I think Dimitrov should also possibly make the last four again like he did in Melbourne earlier this year before he bows out.
Prediction: semi finals.
5. Andy Murray
At No.5 is the former World No.1, Andy Murray, who has just lost the top spot this week to Rafa, who ended his impressive run of 41 weeks in the top spot. Although it has to be said that Andy's run at the top in terms of his performance has been less than impressive and this unfortunately has mainly been due to injuries and illness that lead to a series of surprise defeats to players that Andy otherwise would most likely have beaten himself.
Andy has also not played a competitive match since his defeat at the Wimbledon quarter final stages as he lost to the American big server, Sam Querrey in five sets as Andy's hip injury resurfaced during the match. This since has seen Andy undergo a period of rehab for his hip but last week there was the good news that he would be returning to the tour as he flew out to New York to starts his preparations for the US Open. So, this would suggest that Andy's hip injury has now largely abated and hopefully he will be fit enough to play the last major of the season.
However, the main problem with Andy going into this tournament is simply the lack of matchplay, as he will be going up against players, who have had a number of matches already under their belts, so Andy will need to hope for a kind draw to try and break him into the event. And if he does come up against a young, hungry opponent on good form early on in say the 1st or 2nd round, it could be curtains for Andy alot sooner rather than later.
Also his hip still remains an unknown quantity as we really don't know at this stage just how Andy's hip is although it must be better or else he wouldn't have chosen to compete in a gruelling best of five sets tournament on a hard court surface. But Andy's first match will be one that gives us an indication at just where he will be at and that could be his last if things were to go wrong for him and if the hip injury resurfaces but hopefully not.
But...one thing we do know about Andy Murray is that he is one of the great fighters in the game and one of the greatest returners also, so if his hip is better than he will definitely be motivated to play well at the last major of the season. Plus, Andy is also a former champ at the event having won his maiden slam at the US Open in 2012, who knows??? There could be a chance of a stunning win ahead of the former No.1.
However, I placed Andy Murray this far down the list for a reason and I don't think he will emerge the champion this year but I do think its still possible he could put in a decent run and he has not failed to reach the 2nd week of a major since 2010 at this very event, losing to Stan Wawrinka in the 3rd round. So, for that reason I think Andy will do his very best to maintain that consistency and I think he could potentially, if he puts in a good performance, reach the last eight or four before he could go out. However he could also easily go out in the 1st week also, so this is a tough one to judge with any kind of accuracy, so we will need to wait and see what is in store the British No.1.
Prediction: 3rd round, 4th round, quarter finals or semi finals.
6. Dominic Thiem
Next is Dominic Thiem, who so far has a bit of an up and down 2017, having played a brilliant clay court season, having been the only player to have beaten Rafa on the red dirt and having reached his 2nd consecutive semi final at the French open. However, Dom has also endured a very mixed season on other surfaces having lost on different events to other players, such as Robin Haase in Halle on the gras courts and most recently David Ferrer at Cincinnati on hard court, at the quarter final stage.
But, Thiem has enjoyed fairly consistent results in the slams so far this year, having reached the 4th round at the Australian open and Wimbledon and as previously mentioned, the semi finals at Roland Garros. So, I think its safe to say that Thiem could still put in a good performance this year and maybe reach the last eight for the first time at the US Open before potentially losing out.
Prediction: quarter finals.
7. Nick Kyrgios
Up next is Nick Kyrgios, who has had a pretty up and down year so far, particularly in the slams where he lost out early on in each major, not making it past the 2nd round in either Melbourne or Paris and he was forced to retire at Wimbledon in the 1st round.
However Nick has enjoyed better fortunes outside the slams having reached his first Masters final in Cincinnati last week where he beat Rafa and David Ferrer enroute to the final where he was finally beaten by Grigor Dimitrov. Kyrgios also is probably the only active player to have a winning head to head over Novak Djokovic as early this season he defeated the former World No.2, twice in a row both in straight sets and this shows that when Nick is on song, he really is on song.
The problem for Nick however is taking that form and bottling it for the big events and so far this season he has failed to do that, but that doesn't mean to say that Nick can't manage this in the last slam of the season. So, Nick remains an unknown quantity here for New York and he could go out early of he could enjoy a deep run but whatever happens I don't see him as the eventual champ in New York but maybe he might make the last 16 or 8 before he bows (or maybe crashes) out.
Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.
8. Sam Querrey
Next is Sam Querrey, who put in a strong showing over the summer at Wimbledon and even earlier this year he enjoyed a great run in Mexico where he beat Rafa in the final to win his 2nd career ATP 500 event. Sam then later went on to enjoy further success in Mexico as he beat the Aussie, Thanasi Kokkinakis to claim his 2nd title of the season. Sam is also one of the best servers on the tour and he was able to serve Andy Murray off the court at Wimbledon and reached his maiden slam semi final in the process.
Sam, however despite his strengths as a player, also has his weaknesses and his big height of 6ft 6 against the best movers can leave him at a bit of a disadvantage and he can also tend to be a tad inconsistent in the big events. Sam also has a bad head to head over Roger and Rafa, so if he were to face either of them then its very possible over the best of five sets he will come out the losing end.
So, for me I think Sam has a decent chance of a good run and just maybe this year he could make his quarter final breakthrough in New York (his best record being the 4th round so far in 2010) but if not then maybe the last 16.
Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals
9. John Isner
Next up we have the towering American, John Isner, one of the best servers on the tour but also has some weapons other than his serve such as a powerful (but erratic) forehand and for his height of 6ft 10 inches, he moves fairly well. John has been fairly consistent at being the US No.1 player in the last few years and he also enjoyed a good run to the quarter finals at the US Open six years ago where he took on Andy Murray and lost in four close sets. So, John has the weapons to do some damage out at Flushing Meadows.
The main problem for Isner however is his height, which really does highlight his lack of mobility against the elite players, who have top notch athleticism and they can really run rings around him when its come to it. Isner most likely will against these guys have to rely on his serve, which will get him out of a few tight corners but ultimately the best guys will most likely prevail against him.
So, for me, I think John might possibly make a good run this season but don't be surprised if he only get's to the 3rd round or 4th round if possible but you never know, the big guy might have a surprise up his sleeve yet, so just maybe he could also reach the final eight.
Prediction: 3rd, 4th round or quarter finals.
10. Tomas Berdych
And last but not least is Tomas Berdych, who has actually enjoyed a decent season so far as he reached the semi finals at Wimbledon and played a solid match against Roger Federer and in fact handed him his toughest test of the tournament although still lost in straight sets. Berdych usually has been a consistent performer in the slams in recent years and you usually find him around for latter stages of the majors, which makes a good player to be reckoned with for making decent runs.
The problem however with Berdych is that he has always lacked the edge when it comes to taking on the top players, particularly the big four where he lost to more times than not in recent years and he often get's tight in the big matches when playing crunch time points. So, for this reason alone its tough to see Berdych ever win a grand slam anytime before he retires.
However, Berdych can still make a decent run of things in New York and its a tournament where he has reached the semis before back in 2012 and he has reached the 4th round minimum ever since then, which suggests he could do similar this year. So for me, Berdych has a chance of a decent run but I would say the last 16 or 8 would be his lot before he is bound to lose out.
Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.
OTHER POSSIBLE CONTENDERS
Other contenders off the list include Marin Cilic, who made a great run to the final at Wimbledon this year before losing to Roger Federer in straight sets but Cilic has been suffering from an adductor injury that might see withdraw or suffer an early loss at the event so time will tell how the Croatian does.
Jo-Wilfred Tsonga could also do well at the tournament if he get's a decent draw and can get his game firing on all cylinders but he will stage have a tough ask to try and get himself into the position where he will reach the semis or even a final.
Gael Monfils next is another player, who could do very well in New York as he got to the semi finals last year before he lost to Novak Djokovic in four sets. Monfils however can tend to get tight in the big points against the very best players, which would most likely see him fail to get to the final. However Monfils could still do well here and put in a decent run although its difficult to see right just where he will get to.
Jack Sock is another home contender to do fairly well in New York as he previously reached the 4th round last year and he has enjoyed some reasonable results in the slams having reached the 3rd round at Melbourne and Wimbledon and 4th round in the French Open and as mentioned in New York. Sock will have a tough time though getting past the top guys though but he could still put in a good effort.
Juan Martin del Potro of course is another contender and former 2009 champion, who can never been counted out but his season so far has been very inconsistent, so it would be tough for me to suggest he will go beyond the 3rd or 4th round at Flushing Meadows but we will see how the big guy holds up.
David Ferrer has shown a few signs of resurgance in the last month or so as he claimed his first title in nearly two years in Sweden and reached the semis at the Cincinnati Masters last week that suggests that Ferrer could also do well in New York. However Ferrer will be up against the rising young guns, who are really now starting to become a major threat (no pun intended!).
And last of all is David Goffin, who has had an up and down season but he so far has reached two finals earler this year in Sofia and Rotterdam and he reached the quarter finals at the Australian open for the first time. Goffin, however also suffered an injury scare after he took a nasty tumble at Wimbledon that premuaturely ended his tournament there but he has since recovered, so maybe his season might continue in the right direction.
SIGN OFF
Right, so that's it for now and it remains for me to just say bye for now and see how the US Open goes and I will be back on here with a few posts once the tournament is well under way.
Until then adios!
Monday 17 July 2017
2017 Wimbledon Men's and Ladies Finals
Right, OK, I figured I might as well do this post in a oner and cover both the mens and ladies finals of the Wimbledon championships. So, without any further ados let's take a look and see who emerged the champs on either side of the gender net...
LADIES FINAL
Well, the ladies final was of course between the five time champion, Venus Williams and the 2015 finalist, Garbine Muguruza, who had previously lost to "little sis" or rather Serena Williams. So, Venus actually went into this match as the favourite given the form she had shown going into the final, she looked poised to win her 6th Wimbledon title and end her major drought.
However...the match itself went a bit differently than planned as both players locked horns in a tight opening set, it saw in fact Venus get two set points against Muguruza at 5-4 in the match, however Garbine saved them both. And Garbine then went on herself to break Venus and with it she took the opening set and was half way there to claiming her first Wimbledon title. And in the 2nd set, something happened with Venus as she appeared to collapse under pressure or expectation (or so it seemed) as she made a series of errors that cost her the match and the title, which saw Muguruza win her first Wimbledon title with a convincing 7-5, 6-0 victory.
Well, its a pity the way this match turned out after a gripping first set, Venus inexplicably fell away from the contest and it became one-way traffic pretty quickly as Garbine ruthlessly sped to the finish line. Perhaps its could have been a mix of nerves or even fatigue from Venus that caused her collapse in the 2nd set but whatever it was, it was a pity she never managed to get herself back in the match as she kept going for too much on her shots.
As for Garbine Muguruza, well this was terrific win that will see her climb back into the top 5 in the world and now that she has two major titles to her name with the French open also from last year, Muguruza will surely see her win more in the future. So, Garbine deserves all the credit for having played a great tournament and it was great to see her fun side come out after the trophy presentation as she balanced the champion's dish on her head for a laugh as she walked off court! So, not only is Garbine a great player, she is also a great character for the game and her bright and bubbly personality is a breath of fresh air. So, congrats to Garbine, you deserve it.
MEN'S FINAL
Now we get onto the men's final, which was a much anticipated match between Roger Federer, the seven time champion and debut finalist, Marin Cilic who were playing a re-match of their epic five set match in last year's quarter final. So, this match promised to deliver much based on their previous one and given Cilic's form so far in the tournament he was sure to be the man to give Roger his sternest test.
However.....again.....the match itself it was a bit of a damp squib in the end as despite a promising start from Cilic, he just couldn't keep up with Roger, who piled on the pressure in the 1st set as he broke the Croat and then went on to win the set. In the 2nd set it was more of the same as Cilic quickly went down a break and at the sit down between games, 3-0 down, Cilic's poor form in the match started to takes it toll on him emotionally as he was shown to be in tears. As the match progressed, Cilic soon found himself a double break down in the 2nd set that was enough for Roger to grab the set and the match by the scruff of the neck. And in the 3rd set it was apparent that Cilic that was struggling with an injury as he had a medical timeout we saw he had a blister on his foot that was hampering his movement so far. And despite Cilic's best efforts he went down another fatal break that spelled the end for the big Croat as Roger went on to serve the match with ease and claimed his 8th Wimbledon title with an emphatic 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 win.
Well, as far as finals go, this one sure was a bit of a letdown as Cilic needed to be no less than 100% to beat Federer in this match and after the 1st set and a break it was pretty evident there was no way back for Cilic. Its a pity for Cilic of course as he battled to be in the final and to be fit for the match but as it wore on, he needed the trainer on court to treat his blistered foot and trying to beat the greatest player of all time on his favourite court in the best of form of his life, was too much to ask.
However despite the disappointment of the match being not as competitive as we'd hoped you still can't take away from Roger Federer's incredible achievements this year and indeed here at Wimbledon where he clinched his record 8th title to surpass Pete Sampras's seven titles record. And what is even more remarkable for Roger is that he did it without even dropping a set, which is the first time he had done this at Wimbledon. And this win puts Roger way ahead of any of the other greats in the game just now and he really is the GOAT (Greatest of all time) with 19 majors to his name, its a record that I don't think will be beaten by Rafa or Novak Djokovic.
And looking ahead to the US Open you would have to say that Roger would be the favourite to win the title there also and if he does then he will take his tally to 20 slams, which would be unbelievable if he can do that. It would also see Roger claim three out of the four slams in the one season, which is something he himself hasn't done for 10 years and not only that but he will surely be the favourite to reclaim the World No.1 ranking from Andy Murray, who holds onto it for the time being despite his quarter final defeat at Wimbledon.
As for Marin Cilic, well it was a bitterly disappointing end to a great tournament for him and he came away empty handed from SW19 as he did at Queens but the signs ahead for Cilic look very promising, especially as we head into the North American hard court swing leading into the US Open. And at the US Open, this is where Cilic has already won his first and only grand slam so far and given the form he has shown in 2017, there is no reason not to pick him as one of the favourites to win the title there also. So, if we see Cilic lift a 2nd US Open title by the end of the two weeks at Flushing meadows, I would not be surprised.
WHAT ABOUT ANDY????
And before I finish up, I thought would say a bit about Andy Murray and his chances of playing for the rest of the season, which right now looks to be in serious doubt as Andy attended a hip specialist clinic in Switzerland to assess the damage to his hip. And based on the results, Andy will then plan out his rehab and schedule for possibly coming back to play.
And right now I can't say with any accuracy just when Andy might be expected to come back to play on the tour but I would certainly say it would be very doubtful that we would see him before the US Open and I would dare even say that even his appearing in New York would be in doubt also. Andy had attended Wimbledon yesterday to support his brother, Jamie who played in the mixed doubles with Martina Hingis as they went on to win the title there. However on leaving the club, Andy was seen to have been limping quite a bit, which to me suggests that he is going to need quite a bit of rehab or indeed even surgery.
So far in the press there has been speculation from hip specialists, who say depending on the extent on Andy's hip injury, he may have to undergo surgery, which could put him out for the rest of the season. Alterantively, Andy could also undergo a series of phyisotherapy and a course of injections to treat his hip, which might see him return to the tour sooner, which I'm sure given the choice, Andy would prefer to take.
However right now we can't say anything without much doubt and will have to wait and see what Andy's results will be and based on that he will have to plan out with his team just when he can make his comeback. But let's just hope for Andy's sake and the sake of his fans that his return will be sooner rather than later but at the same time he shouldn't come back until he is 100% fit, so if he needs to take out the rest of the year then that's definitely for the best.
Anyway in the meantime let's just wish Andy well and hope that his hip will recover in due course.
SIGN OFF
Right, so that's it for now and we finally say goodbye to the 2017 Wimbledon championships and with that I shall say congrats to Roger Federer and Garbine Muguruza on their singles titles. So, it might be a while before I do another tennis post as I will surely put up one prior to the US Open kicking off or indeed with an update on Andy's hip injury but until then I'll be back on my review blog.
Anyway, so for now I'll say goodnight and see you's later!
LADIES FINAL
Well, the ladies final was of course between the five time champion, Venus Williams and the 2015 finalist, Garbine Muguruza, who had previously lost to "little sis" or rather Serena Williams. So, Venus actually went into this match as the favourite given the form she had shown going into the final, she looked poised to win her 6th Wimbledon title and end her major drought.
However...the match itself went a bit differently than planned as both players locked horns in a tight opening set, it saw in fact Venus get two set points against Muguruza at 5-4 in the match, however Garbine saved them both. And Garbine then went on herself to break Venus and with it she took the opening set and was half way there to claiming her first Wimbledon title. And in the 2nd set, something happened with Venus as she appeared to collapse under pressure or expectation (or so it seemed) as she made a series of errors that cost her the match and the title, which saw Muguruza win her first Wimbledon title with a convincing 7-5, 6-0 victory.
Well, its a pity the way this match turned out after a gripping first set, Venus inexplicably fell away from the contest and it became one-way traffic pretty quickly as Garbine ruthlessly sped to the finish line. Perhaps its could have been a mix of nerves or even fatigue from Venus that caused her collapse in the 2nd set but whatever it was, it was a pity she never managed to get herself back in the match as she kept going for too much on her shots.
As for Garbine Muguruza, well this was terrific win that will see her climb back into the top 5 in the world and now that she has two major titles to her name with the French open also from last year, Muguruza will surely see her win more in the future. So, Garbine deserves all the credit for having played a great tournament and it was great to see her fun side come out after the trophy presentation as she balanced the champion's dish on her head for a laugh as she walked off court! So, not only is Garbine a great player, she is also a great character for the game and her bright and bubbly personality is a breath of fresh air. So, congrats to Garbine, you deserve it.
MEN'S FINAL
Now we get onto the men's final, which was a much anticipated match between Roger Federer, the seven time champion and debut finalist, Marin Cilic who were playing a re-match of their epic five set match in last year's quarter final. So, this match promised to deliver much based on their previous one and given Cilic's form so far in the tournament he was sure to be the man to give Roger his sternest test.
However.....again.....the match itself it was a bit of a damp squib in the end as despite a promising start from Cilic, he just couldn't keep up with Roger, who piled on the pressure in the 1st set as he broke the Croat and then went on to win the set. In the 2nd set it was more of the same as Cilic quickly went down a break and at the sit down between games, 3-0 down, Cilic's poor form in the match started to takes it toll on him emotionally as he was shown to be in tears. As the match progressed, Cilic soon found himself a double break down in the 2nd set that was enough for Roger to grab the set and the match by the scruff of the neck. And in the 3rd set it was apparent that Cilic that was struggling with an injury as he had a medical timeout we saw he had a blister on his foot that was hampering his movement so far. And despite Cilic's best efforts he went down another fatal break that spelled the end for the big Croat as Roger went on to serve the match with ease and claimed his 8th Wimbledon title with an emphatic 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 win.
Well, as far as finals go, this one sure was a bit of a letdown as Cilic needed to be no less than 100% to beat Federer in this match and after the 1st set and a break it was pretty evident there was no way back for Cilic. Its a pity for Cilic of course as he battled to be in the final and to be fit for the match but as it wore on, he needed the trainer on court to treat his blistered foot and trying to beat the greatest player of all time on his favourite court in the best of form of his life, was too much to ask.
However despite the disappointment of the match being not as competitive as we'd hoped you still can't take away from Roger Federer's incredible achievements this year and indeed here at Wimbledon where he clinched his record 8th title to surpass Pete Sampras's seven titles record. And what is even more remarkable for Roger is that he did it without even dropping a set, which is the first time he had done this at Wimbledon. And this win puts Roger way ahead of any of the other greats in the game just now and he really is the GOAT (Greatest of all time) with 19 majors to his name, its a record that I don't think will be beaten by Rafa or Novak Djokovic.
And looking ahead to the US Open you would have to say that Roger would be the favourite to win the title there also and if he does then he will take his tally to 20 slams, which would be unbelievable if he can do that. It would also see Roger claim three out of the four slams in the one season, which is something he himself hasn't done for 10 years and not only that but he will surely be the favourite to reclaim the World No.1 ranking from Andy Murray, who holds onto it for the time being despite his quarter final defeat at Wimbledon.
As for Marin Cilic, well it was a bitterly disappointing end to a great tournament for him and he came away empty handed from SW19 as he did at Queens but the signs ahead for Cilic look very promising, especially as we head into the North American hard court swing leading into the US Open. And at the US Open, this is where Cilic has already won his first and only grand slam so far and given the form he has shown in 2017, there is no reason not to pick him as one of the favourites to win the title there also. So, if we see Cilic lift a 2nd US Open title by the end of the two weeks at Flushing meadows, I would not be surprised.
WHAT ABOUT ANDY????
And before I finish up, I thought would say a bit about Andy Murray and his chances of playing for the rest of the season, which right now looks to be in serious doubt as Andy attended a hip specialist clinic in Switzerland to assess the damage to his hip. And based on the results, Andy will then plan out his rehab and schedule for possibly coming back to play.
And right now I can't say with any accuracy just when Andy might be expected to come back to play on the tour but I would certainly say it would be very doubtful that we would see him before the US Open and I would dare even say that even his appearing in New York would be in doubt also. Andy had attended Wimbledon yesterday to support his brother, Jamie who played in the mixed doubles with Martina Hingis as they went on to win the title there. However on leaving the club, Andy was seen to have been limping quite a bit, which to me suggests that he is going to need quite a bit of rehab or indeed even surgery.
So far in the press there has been speculation from hip specialists, who say depending on the extent on Andy's hip injury, he may have to undergo surgery, which could put him out for the rest of the season. Alterantively, Andy could also undergo a series of phyisotherapy and a course of injections to treat his hip, which might see him return to the tour sooner, which I'm sure given the choice, Andy would prefer to take.
However right now we can't say anything without much doubt and will have to wait and see what Andy's results will be and based on that he will have to plan out with his team just when he can make his comeback. But let's just hope for Andy's sake and the sake of his fans that his return will be sooner rather than later but at the same time he shouldn't come back until he is 100% fit, so if he needs to take out the rest of the year then that's definitely for the best.
Anyway in the meantime let's just wish Andy well and hope that his hip will recover in due course.
SIGN OFF
Right, so that's it for now and we finally say goodbye to the 2017 Wimbledon championships and with that I shall say congrats to Roger Federer and Garbine Muguruza on their singles titles. So, it might be a while before I do another tennis post as I will surely put up one prior to the US Open kicking off or indeed with an update on Andy's hip injury but until then I'll be back on my review blog.
Anyway, so for now I'll say goodnight and see you's later!
Saturday 15 July 2017
2017 Wimbledon Men's Event Part 2 - Semi finals
Right, well the Wimbledon championships for this year are now drawing to a close, so this post will look at the men's semi final matches that took place yesterday. So let's see how they went on who made it through to the final....
MENS FINALS
Marin Cilic vs Sam Querrey
First up was this match between Marin Cilic, the 7th seed and the surprise finalist, Sam Querrey, who knocked out Andy Murray, the defending champion in the quarter finals. So, this match promised to be quite an interesting encounter even though Cilic had the commanding lead in their head to head 4-0 going into this match.
And the match itself didn't disappoint as both men played a high quality match from the first point that saw the 1st set with both men locked into battle that went to a tiebreak, which was disrupted by someone in the audience taking ill. This distraction happened while Cilic was about to serve and it ultimately cost him the set as he was clearly distracted by the event that let Querrey go on to win the tiebreak and the 1st set.
In the 2nd set however, Cilic fought back as he broke the big serving American at 3-3 to go ahead and serve out the set to level the match at a set all. In the 3rd set it was now starting to become evident that Querrey was beginning to tire as Cilic broke him to take the lead for the first time in the match. However the break was short lived as Querrey showed his class and broke back and play again went to a tiebreak, which this time Cilic won to grab the two sets to one lead.
And in the 4th set, things took another twist as Querrey managed to break Cilic to move ahead in the set and a 5th set looked to be on the cards. However, Cilic once again managed to break the American back and he then went on to break Querrey yet again at 6-5 to seal the match and his place in his first Wimbledon final with an impressive 6-7, 6-4, 7-,6 7-5 win.
This was definitely one of the best, high quality matches on the men's side of the tournament and it was great to see both men bring it to centre court with neither man showing a great deal of nerves. Querrey also showed great form in the match, despite his loss, he said afterwards he wasn't that nervous playing in the biggest match of his career but ultimately Cilic was just better than him. And for Cilic its hard to argue with this as he clearly was the stronger player as the match wore on, despite a couple of dips, it was inevitable that the big Croatian would emerge the winner and deservedly so.
Roger Federer vs Tomas Berdych
So, next up was this match between the 7 time champion, Roger Federer and the 2010 finalist, Tomas Berdych, who defeated Roger in their previous Wimbledon encounter back in 2010 enroute to the final. However given Roger's red hot form this season, having already won the Australian open, he looked to be the favourite in a match that could easily have been one-way traffic.
However the match itself was quite a close, tight encounter with both men playing very well and Berdych did his best to bring it to Federer throughout the match. The 1st set however saw Federer quickly go up a break, which looked inevitably like he was going to run away with the set. Berdych, however managed to break Roger back and pushed play into a tiebreak, which Roger went on to dominate and finally grabbed the 1st set. The 2nd set was more of the same as Fed and Berdych were locked in another tight battle that went to a tiebreak but again it was Roger that came out on top to grab the two set lead.
And in the 3rd set, Roger continue to keep up the pressure on Berdych, however the big Czeck did managed to grab two break points on Roger's serve at 3-2 but they were quickly snuffed out by two aces. And from here it was Rog that put the final squeeze on Berdych's service game and he broke the big Czeck for the second time in the match and that was all he needed as he went on to serve out the match to seal his place in his 11th Wimbledon final with a 7-6, 7-6, 6-4 win.
Well, this match was actually a much closer, hard fought affair then I had initially anticipated myself and I think Tomas Berdych himself deserves alot of credit for how he played and I think he couldn't have done anymore than he did because at the end of the day, Roger was just too good for him. So, this means that Roger will now play for his 8th Wimbledon title, which would break the record that he and Pete Sampras holds for the most Wimbledon titles and given his current form you could certainly see him do it.
MEN'S FINAL
So, looking ahead to the men's final it is now set between Roger Federer and Marin Cilic and this promises to be a very interesting match as both men played a thrilling five setter last year in which Cilic lead two sets to love against Roger before the seven time champ fought back and won.
So, it all begs the question: who will win this time????
Well, looking at both men's tournament's so far, they have both been in very impressive form with Cilic not dropping a set going into the quarter finals but he then had to battle his way past an in form Gilles Muller in five sets and Sam Querrey in four sets to get to the final. Roger Federer on the other hand has gone into the final without even dropping a single set, despite being pushed to a tiebreak on five occassions in the whole tournament so far, he has won them all. So, clearly Roger has the edge here in terms of having spent less time on court and having dropped no sets so far.
As for the final itself, well this will come down to serve, aggressive play and mental belief and in that department, Roger Federer is short on none of these and he has not only won all his matches in straight sets here but also in Halle where he won his record 9th title there. Cilic also however has exhibited a great deal of belief and he himself is a terrific server, who had drastically improved his serve under the time he was coached by Goran Ivanisevic and it is now a dangerous weapon. Cilic also has won the US Open three years ago where he actually beat Roger enroute to the final in their semi final match there.
However as for who I actually see winning......well I have to really go with Roger on this one, as he has simply been unstoppable throughout this tournament so far and been in magnificent form from the first point he has played up until now. And I think it would take something extra, extra special from Cilic to derail the 7 time champion and deny him his chance to win a record 8th Wimbledon title. However, Cilic has already shown that he can beat Roger on the big stage at the US Open, so I don't mean to entirely dismiss his chances but it is hard to look past Roger winning in all honesty.
So, as for my actual prediction I will go with Roger winning this one in four sets and I do think Cilic has more than enough in his game to nab a set off him here, so I can see Rog finally drop his first set in this match. However given Roger's superb form I wouldn't be surprised if he did go on to win the title in straight sets, which would be the first time ever that he would have won a Wimbledon title without dropping a set. But hopefully for Cilic he won't go away from this final without a single set to his name and I think we could still be in for a close match here and let's hope it is.
SIGN OFF
Right, so that's it for now and I will be back soon with my look at the results of the ladies final and we will see who won the dual between Venus Williams and Garbine Muguruza.
So, till then its bye for now!
MENS FINALS
Marin Cilic vs Sam Querrey
First up was this match between Marin Cilic, the 7th seed and the surprise finalist, Sam Querrey, who knocked out Andy Murray, the defending champion in the quarter finals. So, this match promised to be quite an interesting encounter even though Cilic had the commanding lead in their head to head 4-0 going into this match.
And the match itself didn't disappoint as both men played a high quality match from the first point that saw the 1st set with both men locked into battle that went to a tiebreak, which was disrupted by someone in the audience taking ill. This distraction happened while Cilic was about to serve and it ultimately cost him the set as he was clearly distracted by the event that let Querrey go on to win the tiebreak and the 1st set.
In the 2nd set however, Cilic fought back as he broke the big serving American at 3-3 to go ahead and serve out the set to level the match at a set all. In the 3rd set it was now starting to become evident that Querrey was beginning to tire as Cilic broke him to take the lead for the first time in the match. However the break was short lived as Querrey showed his class and broke back and play again went to a tiebreak, which this time Cilic won to grab the two sets to one lead.
And in the 4th set, things took another twist as Querrey managed to break Cilic to move ahead in the set and a 5th set looked to be on the cards. However, Cilic once again managed to break the American back and he then went on to break Querrey yet again at 6-5 to seal the match and his place in his first Wimbledon final with an impressive 6-7, 6-4, 7-,6 7-5 win.
This was definitely one of the best, high quality matches on the men's side of the tournament and it was great to see both men bring it to centre court with neither man showing a great deal of nerves. Querrey also showed great form in the match, despite his loss, he said afterwards he wasn't that nervous playing in the biggest match of his career but ultimately Cilic was just better than him. And for Cilic its hard to argue with this as he clearly was the stronger player as the match wore on, despite a couple of dips, it was inevitable that the big Croatian would emerge the winner and deservedly so.
Roger Federer vs Tomas Berdych
So, next up was this match between the 7 time champion, Roger Federer and the 2010 finalist, Tomas Berdych, who defeated Roger in their previous Wimbledon encounter back in 2010 enroute to the final. However given Roger's red hot form this season, having already won the Australian open, he looked to be the favourite in a match that could easily have been one-way traffic.
However the match itself was quite a close, tight encounter with both men playing very well and Berdych did his best to bring it to Federer throughout the match. The 1st set however saw Federer quickly go up a break, which looked inevitably like he was going to run away with the set. Berdych, however managed to break Roger back and pushed play into a tiebreak, which Roger went on to dominate and finally grabbed the 1st set. The 2nd set was more of the same as Fed and Berdych were locked in another tight battle that went to a tiebreak but again it was Roger that came out on top to grab the two set lead.
And in the 3rd set, Roger continue to keep up the pressure on Berdych, however the big Czeck did managed to grab two break points on Roger's serve at 3-2 but they were quickly snuffed out by two aces. And from here it was Rog that put the final squeeze on Berdych's service game and he broke the big Czeck for the second time in the match and that was all he needed as he went on to serve out the match to seal his place in his 11th Wimbledon final with a 7-6, 7-6, 6-4 win.
Well, this match was actually a much closer, hard fought affair then I had initially anticipated myself and I think Tomas Berdych himself deserves alot of credit for how he played and I think he couldn't have done anymore than he did because at the end of the day, Roger was just too good for him. So, this means that Roger will now play for his 8th Wimbledon title, which would break the record that he and Pete Sampras holds for the most Wimbledon titles and given his current form you could certainly see him do it.
MEN'S FINAL
So, looking ahead to the men's final it is now set between Roger Federer and Marin Cilic and this promises to be a very interesting match as both men played a thrilling five setter last year in which Cilic lead two sets to love against Roger before the seven time champ fought back and won.
So, it all begs the question: who will win this time????
Well, looking at both men's tournament's so far, they have both been in very impressive form with Cilic not dropping a set going into the quarter finals but he then had to battle his way past an in form Gilles Muller in five sets and Sam Querrey in four sets to get to the final. Roger Federer on the other hand has gone into the final without even dropping a single set, despite being pushed to a tiebreak on five occassions in the whole tournament so far, he has won them all. So, clearly Roger has the edge here in terms of having spent less time on court and having dropped no sets so far.
As for the final itself, well this will come down to serve, aggressive play and mental belief and in that department, Roger Federer is short on none of these and he has not only won all his matches in straight sets here but also in Halle where he won his record 9th title there. Cilic also however has exhibited a great deal of belief and he himself is a terrific server, who had drastically improved his serve under the time he was coached by Goran Ivanisevic and it is now a dangerous weapon. Cilic also has won the US Open three years ago where he actually beat Roger enroute to the final in their semi final match there.
However as for who I actually see winning......well I have to really go with Roger on this one, as he has simply been unstoppable throughout this tournament so far and been in magnificent form from the first point he has played up until now. And I think it would take something extra, extra special from Cilic to derail the 7 time champion and deny him his chance to win a record 8th Wimbledon title. However, Cilic has already shown that he can beat Roger on the big stage at the US Open, so I don't mean to entirely dismiss his chances but it is hard to look past Roger winning in all honesty.
So, as for my actual prediction I will go with Roger winning this one in four sets and I do think Cilic has more than enough in his game to nab a set off him here, so I can see Rog finally drop his first set in this match. However given Roger's superb form I wouldn't be surprised if he did go on to win the title in straight sets, which would be the first time ever that he would have won a Wimbledon title without dropping a set. But hopefully for Cilic he won't go away from this final without a single set to his name and I think we could still be in for a close match here and let's hope it is.
SIGN OFF
Right, so that's it for now and I will be back soon with my look at the results of the ladies final and we will see who won the dual between Venus Williams and Garbine Muguruza.
So, till then its bye for now!
Friday 14 July 2017
2017 Wimbledon Men's Event Part 1 - so far up to the semis.....
Now its time to look at the men's event at this year's Wimbledon championships in which the top players of the world compete for that much coveted golden trophy. So let's how things have gone so far...
1st WEEK NOTABLE SEEDS THAT WENT OUT
Well, the first week saw some big upsets on the men's side of the net with the biggest casualty coming on the 1st day, which was Stan Wawrinka, who was up against the talented grass court player, Daniil Medvedev who has enjoyed a grass season on the grass so far whereas Stan hasn't, who went out in the 1st round at Queens. And it was no different here for Stan as Medvedev showed his grass court pedigree and used to defeat Stan in four sets to reach the 2nd round at Wimbledon.
Another big upset was Nick Kyrgios, who was up against Pierre Hughes-Herbert and Nick found himself two sets to love down before he finally decided to throw in the towel due to injury. This marked Nick's worst loss of the season so far after going out early in Australia and Paris in the first two slams in the 2nd round.
Feliciano Lopez, the 19th seed, despite having a great grass season so far and winning the Queens club title for the first time just a week prior to Wimbledon, also suffered an early loss at the hands of Adrian Mannirino of France as he retired in the 4th set with injury.
Juan Martin Del Potro also suffered an early exit in the 2nd round as he was defeated by Ernest Gublis in straight sets, which saw the big Argentine fail to reach beyond the first week at Wimbledon again for the second year running.
Kei Nishikori was another top 10 seed casualty who suffered an early exit in the 3rd round at the hands of the 18th seed, Robert Bautista Agut, the Spaniard who is pretty consistent on all surfaces and has so far reached the 4th round of every major. Nishikori however has always struggled to play well on grass having never gotten past the last 16 at the event.
And lastly Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who has been a two time semi-finalist at SW19 also suffered a defeat from the American big server, Sam Querrey as the two of them needed two days to complete their five set epic match. On the 2nd day of returning to the court, at 6-5 up to Querrey it took only five minutes for the American to break Tsonga's serve and seal his place in the last 16.
2ND WEEK SO FAR AND MORE UPSETS
So moving onto the 2nd week we saw big seismic upsets that left the crowds at SW19 in shock starting with Rafael Nadal, the former two time champion, who took on the talented grass court specialist, Gilles Muller in the 4th round.
And the two men played what has so far been undisputedly the match of the tournament that was a real epic that went the distance. The match began however with Muller surprisingly outplaying Rafa and nabbing a two set lead to put the 4th seed in real danger of going out. Rafa however managed to dig deep and win the 3rd and 4th sets to level the match and make him the favourite to win the decider. However, Muller showed his class with his quality serve and kept his calm as both men played a thrilling deciding set that went real deep as both men refused to budge on serve until at 14-13 it was Muller that made the breakthrough and broke Rafa at last to win the match. This saw Rafa go out yet again at Wimbledon before the quarter finals for the 2nd time in the last six years as Muller reach his first Wimbledon quarter final with a stunning 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 15-13 victory.
This really was a big upset given that Rafa looked to be played very well on the grass courts again as he reached the last 16 in such impressive form having not dropped a set. However, Muller deserves all the credit here for pulling off such a big win and it blew the draw wide open for the other players to progress further.
The next big upset came with the defending champion, Andy Murray who took on the big serving American, Sam Querrey, who had already come through two testing five setters to get to this stage against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Kevin Anderson respectively. Andy had come into the event with a question mark around his fitness as he was suffering from a hip injury that hampered his preparations but he still managed to put in a good effort to get this far to the quarter final stage.
And at the start of the match it looked likely that Andy would be able to win it as he took the first set and he went up a break in the 2nd set. However, Querrey broke back and then went on to break Andy's own serve to level the match. The 3rd set was a tight affair however that saw both men trade breaks of serve as Andy failed to serve out the set at 5-4 and play went to a tiebreak, which Andy won to take the two sets to one lead. However just as victory looked to be in sight for Andy, his fitness suddenly detirioated and started to hobble badly on one leg as his hip injury resurfaced, which let Querrey back into the match as he ruthlessly broke the defending champion three times in the 4th set to level the match. And in the 5th set, Andy's movement grew even worse as he could barely move around the court, hobbling and limping badly, this let Querrey grab the triple break to go 5-1 up and then serve out the match with an ace to reach his first major semi final with a huge upset victory winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1, 6-1.
Well, this was yet another big upset with Andy looking in pretty good form at the start of the match only for his hip injury to rear its ugly head (or hip!) again, Querrey's big serving and good movement were too much for Andy as the match wore on. And by the end of the match it was difficult to watch the defending champion hobble around the court and in the last couple of games he was really whincing in pain, so it was inevitable after the 3rd set that he wouldn't have won.
So, this leaves a big question mark as to what Andy will do next as it looks most likely that he will need to take an extended break to sort out his hip, which could either involve a long period of rest and rehab or maybe even surgery, which experts have said could put him out for six months, meaning his season this year would be as good as over. Personally I would rather see Andy take the necessary time out needed to get himself back to 100 percent fitness and if that means taking the rest of the season off to recover, then so be it as his fitness and health should definitely come first before playing any tournament regardless of it being a slam or not.
And the last big upset comes in the form of Novak Djokovic, who was looking to be in pretty good form coming into the tournament as he won his first grass court warm-up title at Eastbourne just the week prior to Wimbledon and he managed to reach the quarter finals here where he played Tomas Berdych.
However unfortunately for Novak, during his win over Adrian Mannarino in the 4th round he was suffering with a shoulder injury, which later developed into his elbow as he went into his match with Tomas Berdych. So, in the match both men played a tight first set that went to a tiebreak and Berdych took the initiative as Novak appeared to be struggling with his elbow and the big Czeck took the opening set. And in the 2nd set, after going a break down, Novak finally decided to throw in the towel as his elbow injury forced him to retire trailing 2-0 in the 2nd set that saw Berdych reach his 2nd consecutive Wimbledon semi final with a 7-6, 2-0 ret result.
Well this result was definitely a surprise as Novak looked to be in good form coming into Wimbledon even though there were a few concerns about his shoulder injury in his 4th round match he appeared to be OK in the first set against Berdych. However it was soon apparent that Novak's elbow was a problem and in the end it was too much for Novak to continue.
So, this now leaves another question mark over Novak's fitness, who has considered taking an extended break himself to try and get his form back and recover well, which means potentially we might not see either Andy or Novak in action in the latter half or indeed the rest of the season. Time will tell soon enough for both men but right now rest and recuperation sounds like the best course of action.
WHO'S LEFT
Well as for who is left there is of course the men's favourite, Roger Federer, who so far has been in sublime form in the tournament and is yet to drop a set as he has breezed his way into the semi finals. Roger so far has taken out players such as Mischa Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov and in his quarter final match, Milos Raonic, all in straight sets, which has shown that he remains imperious in his form and well on course to lift that recording breaking 8th Wimbledon title.
Marin Cilic, who was already considered a real favourite for the title also has made a great run into the semis so far as he reached the last eight without dropping a set. However that all changed when he met Gilles Muller, who handed Cilic his first real test of the tournament and the Luxembourger pushed Cilic to the limit as their match went to a 5th set. But in the end, Cilic showed his class as he went to break Muller twice (or three times maybe!) in the decider and seal his place in his first Wimbledon semi final with a hard fought 3-6, 7-6, 6-5, 5-7, 6-1 victory.
And of course we have Tomas Berdych and Sam Querrey who toppled Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic respectively. However both men will have their work cut out as Berdych will take on Roger next, which is one I honestly have to say is a match I do not think he will win and it will be most likely that Rog will come through that match without dropping a set. Querrey however might be able to make life tougher for Cilic as they had previously played the second longest match at Wimbledon as both men played a five setter previously that went Cilic's way 17-15 in the 5th. Cilic however has never lost to Querrey in his career and I think this late in the tournament that he will be the real favourite to come through that match in an easier fashion in maybe four sets.
SIGN OFF
Right, so that's it for now and I will be back with the result of the men's semi finals once the matches have been played out.
So, till the next one its bye for now.
1st WEEK NOTABLE SEEDS THAT WENT OUT
Well, the first week saw some big upsets on the men's side of the net with the biggest casualty coming on the 1st day, which was Stan Wawrinka, who was up against the talented grass court player, Daniil Medvedev who has enjoyed a grass season on the grass so far whereas Stan hasn't, who went out in the 1st round at Queens. And it was no different here for Stan as Medvedev showed his grass court pedigree and used to defeat Stan in four sets to reach the 2nd round at Wimbledon.
Another big upset was Nick Kyrgios, who was up against Pierre Hughes-Herbert and Nick found himself two sets to love down before he finally decided to throw in the towel due to injury. This marked Nick's worst loss of the season so far after going out early in Australia and Paris in the first two slams in the 2nd round.
Feliciano Lopez, the 19th seed, despite having a great grass season so far and winning the Queens club title for the first time just a week prior to Wimbledon, also suffered an early loss at the hands of Adrian Mannirino of France as he retired in the 4th set with injury.
Juan Martin Del Potro also suffered an early exit in the 2nd round as he was defeated by Ernest Gublis in straight sets, which saw the big Argentine fail to reach beyond the first week at Wimbledon again for the second year running.
Kei Nishikori was another top 10 seed casualty who suffered an early exit in the 3rd round at the hands of the 18th seed, Robert Bautista Agut, the Spaniard who is pretty consistent on all surfaces and has so far reached the 4th round of every major. Nishikori however has always struggled to play well on grass having never gotten past the last 16 at the event.
And lastly Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who has been a two time semi-finalist at SW19 also suffered a defeat from the American big server, Sam Querrey as the two of them needed two days to complete their five set epic match. On the 2nd day of returning to the court, at 6-5 up to Querrey it took only five minutes for the American to break Tsonga's serve and seal his place in the last 16.
2ND WEEK SO FAR AND MORE UPSETS
So moving onto the 2nd week we saw big seismic upsets that left the crowds at SW19 in shock starting with Rafael Nadal, the former two time champion, who took on the talented grass court specialist, Gilles Muller in the 4th round.
And the two men played what has so far been undisputedly the match of the tournament that was a real epic that went the distance. The match began however with Muller surprisingly outplaying Rafa and nabbing a two set lead to put the 4th seed in real danger of going out. Rafa however managed to dig deep and win the 3rd and 4th sets to level the match and make him the favourite to win the decider. However, Muller showed his class with his quality serve and kept his calm as both men played a thrilling deciding set that went real deep as both men refused to budge on serve until at 14-13 it was Muller that made the breakthrough and broke Rafa at last to win the match. This saw Rafa go out yet again at Wimbledon before the quarter finals for the 2nd time in the last six years as Muller reach his first Wimbledon quarter final with a stunning 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 15-13 victory.
This really was a big upset given that Rafa looked to be played very well on the grass courts again as he reached the last 16 in such impressive form having not dropped a set. However, Muller deserves all the credit here for pulling off such a big win and it blew the draw wide open for the other players to progress further.
The next big upset came with the defending champion, Andy Murray who took on the big serving American, Sam Querrey, who had already come through two testing five setters to get to this stage against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Kevin Anderson respectively. Andy had come into the event with a question mark around his fitness as he was suffering from a hip injury that hampered his preparations but he still managed to put in a good effort to get this far to the quarter final stage.
And at the start of the match it looked likely that Andy would be able to win it as he took the first set and he went up a break in the 2nd set. However, Querrey broke back and then went on to break Andy's own serve to level the match. The 3rd set was a tight affair however that saw both men trade breaks of serve as Andy failed to serve out the set at 5-4 and play went to a tiebreak, which Andy won to take the two sets to one lead. However just as victory looked to be in sight for Andy, his fitness suddenly detirioated and started to hobble badly on one leg as his hip injury resurfaced, which let Querrey back into the match as he ruthlessly broke the defending champion three times in the 4th set to level the match. And in the 5th set, Andy's movement grew even worse as he could barely move around the court, hobbling and limping badly, this let Querrey grab the triple break to go 5-1 up and then serve out the match with an ace to reach his first major semi final with a huge upset victory winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1, 6-1.
Well, this was yet another big upset with Andy looking in pretty good form at the start of the match only for his hip injury to rear its ugly head (or hip!) again, Querrey's big serving and good movement were too much for Andy as the match wore on. And by the end of the match it was difficult to watch the defending champion hobble around the court and in the last couple of games he was really whincing in pain, so it was inevitable after the 3rd set that he wouldn't have won.
So, this leaves a big question mark as to what Andy will do next as it looks most likely that he will need to take an extended break to sort out his hip, which could either involve a long period of rest and rehab or maybe even surgery, which experts have said could put him out for six months, meaning his season this year would be as good as over. Personally I would rather see Andy take the necessary time out needed to get himself back to 100 percent fitness and if that means taking the rest of the season off to recover, then so be it as his fitness and health should definitely come first before playing any tournament regardless of it being a slam or not.
And the last big upset comes in the form of Novak Djokovic, who was looking to be in pretty good form coming into the tournament as he won his first grass court warm-up title at Eastbourne just the week prior to Wimbledon and he managed to reach the quarter finals here where he played Tomas Berdych.
However unfortunately for Novak, during his win over Adrian Mannarino in the 4th round he was suffering with a shoulder injury, which later developed into his elbow as he went into his match with Tomas Berdych. So, in the match both men played a tight first set that went to a tiebreak and Berdych took the initiative as Novak appeared to be struggling with his elbow and the big Czeck took the opening set. And in the 2nd set, after going a break down, Novak finally decided to throw in the towel as his elbow injury forced him to retire trailing 2-0 in the 2nd set that saw Berdych reach his 2nd consecutive Wimbledon semi final with a 7-6, 2-0 ret result.
Well this result was definitely a surprise as Novak looked to be in good form coming into Wimbledon even though there were a few concerns about his shoulder injury in his 4th round match he appeared to be OK in the first set against Berdych. However it was soon apparent that Novak's elbow was a problem and in the end it was too much for Novak to continue.
So, this now leaves another question mark over Novak's fitness, who has considered taking an extended break himself to try and get his form back and recover well, which means potentially we might not see either Andy or Novak in action in the latter half or indeed the rest of the season. Time will tell soon enough for both men but right now rest and recuperation sounds like the best course of action.
WHO'S LEFT
Well as for who is left there is of course the men's favourite, Roger Federer, who so far has been in sublime form in the tournament and is yet to drop a set as he has breezed his way into the semi finals. Roger so far has taken out players such as Mischa Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov and in his quarter final match, Milos Raonic, all in straight sets, which has shown that he remains imperious in his form and well on course to lift that recording breaking 8th Wimbledon title.
Marin Cilic, who was already considered a real favourite for the title also has made a great run into the semis so far as he reached the last eight without dropping a set. However that all changed when he met Gilles Muller, who handed Cilic his first real test of the tournament and the Luxembourger pushed Cilic to the limit as their match went to a 5th set. But in the end, Cilic showed his class as he went to break Muller twice (or three times maybe!) in the decider and seal his place in his first Wimbledon semi final with a hard fought 3-6, 7-6, 6-5, 5-7, 6-1 victory.
And of course we have Tomas Berdych and Sam Querrey who toppled Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic respectively. However both men will have their work cut out as Berdych will take on Roger next, which is one I honestly have to say is a match I do not think he will win and it will be most likely that Rog will come through that match without dropping a set. Querrey however might be able to make life tougher for Cilic as they had previously played the second longest match at Wimbledon as both men played a five setter previously that went Cilic's way 17-15 in the 5th. Cilic however has never lost to Querrey in his career and I think this late in the tournament that he will be the real favourite to come through that match in an easier fashion in maybe four sets.
SIGN OFF
Right, so that's it for now and I will be back with the result of the men's semi finals once the matches have been played out.
So, till the next one its bye for now.
Thursday 13 July 2017
2017 Wimbledon ladies event Part 1 - so far and the semi finals
Right, OK so I am really late with my coverage of this year's Wimbledon championships coverage on this blog, so apologies for that, so this post will need to be a pretty quick update on the latest events in the tournament so far.
So, as usual with tradition, I will start with the ladies tournament....
WEEK 1 NOTABLE UPSETS AND ALL THINGS BRITISH....
Right, so in week 1 we had a number of upsets with the biggest one being the World No.3, Karolina Pliskova, who was deemed the favourite to win the title as she had just won a warm up grass court title in Eastbourn the week before. However, Pliskova didn't live up to the billing as she suffered a three set shock loss to the unseeded Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia, who had come into the event with a protected ranking. Rybarikova herself would then go on to enjoy a deep run into the tournament as she went on to reach the semi finals but more on that in a bit.
Petra Kvitova, who has just recently returned from her knife attack injury at the end of last year, despite being one of the favourites to lift the title, also went out early in the second round as she was beaten by the American player, Madison Brengle in three sets. This was also a surprise given that Kvitova had won a warm up tournament in Birmingham that set her up as a favourite going into SW19.
On the British front of things however there were mixed fortunes as Laura Robson, suffered a first round loss, as she has been out of form with various injuries through her troubled career so far and she went out to the Brazilian player, Beatriz Haddad Maia in straight sets.
On a slightly more positive note though however for the British ladies players, Heather Watson did make a good run of things in the first week as she reached the 3rd round where she took on Victoria Azarenka, who herself has returned recently to the sport after she had her baby last year. However despite a valiant battle from Heather, Azarenka was just a bit too solid for her and Heather's unforced errors took their toll in the 3rd and decisive set, which saw Azarenka reach the 4th round. Azarenka would however later fall in the 4th round to Simona Halep.
However on the brighter note, the British No.1, Jo Konta, made it through the first week with flying colours although she did have to battle pretty hard in her 2nd round match where she took on Donna Vekic in a epic contest on centre court. The match was one of the best of the ladies tournament and it was a real battle that could have went either way but ultimately it went Konta's as she closed out a very memorable win with a 7-6, 4-6, 10-8 scoreline.
WEEK 2 SEEDS GONE OUT AND PROGRESS TO THE SEMIS
Now we get onto the 2nd week, which saw a few more big upsets in the top seeds that included Angelique Kerber, the World No.1, who has been struggling for form this year but she had a pretty decent grass court season going into Wimbledon. And in the 4th round she took on the former French Open champion, Garbine Muguruza as the two of them were locked in a tough battle that eventually went the way of Muguruza who came from a set down to beat Kerber and won in 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Then we had Agnieszka Radwanska who went out also in the 4th round at the hands of the former French and US Open champion and 7th seed, Svetlana Kuznetsova, who overpowered Radwanska and put out 9th seed in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2. Kuznetsova herself would then go on to be defeated in the quarter finals by Garbine Muguruza.
Caroline Wozniacki also suffered a 4th round defeat at the hands of the 24th seed, Coco Vandeweghe from the US, who is currently being coached by the former men's champion, Pat Cash. And Coco proved to have too much for Wozniacki, who has always struggled against the big hitters in the game and this match was no exception as Coco won it in straight sets, 7-6, 6-4. Coco herself however would then go on to face Magdalena Rybarikova, who stunned the 24th seed in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
Simona Halep, who went into this tournament with a shot being No.1 by the end of it was up against Jo Konta in their quarter final match and if Halep won that match she would ensure that she would become the new World No.1. However, Konta had other ideas as she fought back from a set down to work her way into the match and into Halep's mind as the 2nd seed froze in the final set and was broken and Konta ended her dream and put Halep out with a 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 win. This win meant that Karolina Pliskova, despite her early loss, will become the new World No.1 as of next Monday when the rankings come out.
And lastly Jelena Ostapenko, this year's surprise French open ladies singles champion, took on the mighty Venus Williams for a place in the semi finals in their quarter final match. However despite the younster's ability to defy experience over youth at the French open, this time she was not able to defy Venus, who simply outclassed Ostapenko from the get-go and she swiftly went on to defeat the plucky Ostapenko in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5.
SEMI FINALS
Right now for a quick look at the ladies semi finals matches, which took place today.
Garbine Muguruza vs Magdalena Rybarikova
So up first was this match featuring the 2015 finalist, Garbine Muguruza and the surprise player of the ladies tournament, Magdalena Rybarikova. This match was an intriguing one as the two players had an even head to head 2-2 going into this match with Magda (just refer to her as Magda to save on typing!) winning that won two years on grass in Birmingham.
However the match itself was a total mis-match for Magda this time around as Muguruza was ruthless in her efficiency on the court as she dominated Magda right from the start as she bossed her in the rallies and passed her at every opportunity. This then saw Garbine take an emphatic victory as she demolished her Slovakian opponent in straight sets to reach her 2nd Wimbledon final with a 6-1, 6-1 win.
This match promised to be interesting but given how much Muguruza has improved since as a player from their last meeting, in a way its no surprise that Muguruza would emerge as the winner for this one. So, this really sees Garbine in with a strong chance to go one step further this time round and claim her first Wimbledon title on Saturday. However that will all depend on the winner of the next match.....
Venus Williams vs Jo Konta
And the next match was between the 5 time champion, Venus Williams and the British No.1, Jo Konta, who had made a very impressive run to the last four at SW19 for the first time in her career and the first time in 39 years since a British woman had done so (Virgina Wade being the last). Jo also lead Venus in their head to head going into this match 3-2, so this promised to be a very close match.
However despite a strong start from both ladies, particularly with Konta, who at 4-4 manage to garner two break points against Venus, that was about as far as she could get against the 5 time champion who saved them both and went on to hold and break Konta to nab the first set. And in the 2nd set, Konta's nerves clearly got the better of her as she made a number of forehand errors that saw her go down a double break. And at 5-2 with Konta serving to make it 5-3, Venus managed to break once more to end Konta's hopes of reaching her maiden slam final and Venus reached her 9th Wimbledon final with an impressive 6-4, 6-2 victory.
Well unfortunately for the Brits, this defeat for Konta marked the end of the line for British interest in the singles for the ladies and she would have to go on waiting for another year. However regardless of her defeat today, Konta deserves tremendous credit for her performance over the last two weeks and it really did show that she has got it in her to win a major one way.
As for Venus, will this match proves that you cannot write her off and in the absence of her sister, Serena (who is currently out of the game as she is pregnant) this will help Venus emerge from her sister's shadow and give her a chance to win another Wimbledon title. It would also be the perfect end to an upsetting fortnight for Venus, who had faced some difficult questions coming into the tournament due to her involvement in a car accident that saw the driver of the other car, later die from his injuries as a result.
THE FINAL
Right, so let's take a look ahead to the ladies final then....
So, the ladies final is now set between Venus Williams and Garbine Muguruza, both ladies are grand slam champions, so they are no stranger as to how to win one, so going into this final, you get the feeling this could be a pretty even match. Venus however actually has the lead in their head to head 3-1 although Muguruza did win their most recent match this year in Rome on clay, so this might give some slight advantage to Murguruza but this is their first meeting on grass.
So it all begs the question: who will win????? Well....even though, Muguruza won their last meeting, I really have to go with Venus here as she has really shown her class in this tournament so far and her experience in slam finals is what might get her over the finishing line here. Muguruza however will be no pushover that is for sure and this should still be a pretty competitive match, so I could easily see it go the distance.
As for my actual prediction.....well I will go with Venus winning this one in three sets and by doing so it will end her grand slam title drought with her little sis out the way, this will surely be her best ever time to win just maybe that one last more major before Serena takes over again.
SIGN OFF
Right, so that's it for now and I will be back soon with my look at the mens' tournament so far at SW19.
See you soon....
So, as usual with tradition, I will start with the ladies tournament....
WEEK 1 NOTABLE UPSETS AND ALL THINGS BRITISH....
Right, so in week 1 we had a number of upsets with the biggest one being the World No.3, Karolina Pliskova, who was deemed the favourite to win the title as she had just won a warm up grass court title in Eastbourn the week before. However, Pliskova didn't live up to the billing as she suffered a three set shock loss to the unseeded Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia, who had come into the event with a protected ranking. Rybarikova herself would then go on to enjoy a deep run into the tournament as she went on to reach the semi finals but more on that in a bit.
Petra Kvitova, who has just recently returned from her knife attack injury at the end of last year, despite being one of the favourites to lift the title, also went out early in the second round as she was beaten by the American player, Madison Brengle in three sets. This was also a surprise given that Kvitova had won a warm up tournament in Birmingham that set her up as a favourite going into SW19.
On the British front of things however there were mixed fortunes as Laura Robson, suffered a first round loss, as she has been out of form with various injuries through her troubled career so far and she went out to the Brazilian player, Beatriz Haddad Maia in straight sets.
On a slightly more positive note though however for the British ladies players, Heather Watson did make a good run of things in the first week as she reached the 3rd round where she took on Victoria Azarenka, who herself has returned recently to the sport after she had her baby last year. However despite a valiant battle from Heather, Azarenka was just a bit too solid for her and Heather's unforced errors took their toll in the 3rd and decisive set, which saw Azarenka reach the 4th round. Azarenka would however later fall in the 4th round to Simona Halep.
However on the brighter note, the British No.1, Jo Konta, made it through the first week with flying colours although she did have to battle pretty hard in her 2nd round match where she took on Donna Vekic in a epic contest on centre court. The match was one of the best of the ladies tournament and it was a real battle that could have went either way but ultimately it went Konta's as she closed out a very memorable win with a 7-6, 4-6, 10-8 scoreline.
WEEK 2 SEEDS GONE OUT AND PROGRESS TO THE SEMIS
Now we get onto the 2nd week, which saw a few more big upsets in the top seeds that included Angelique Kerber, the World No.1, who has been struggling for form this year but she had a pretty decent grass court season going into Wimbledon. And in the 4th round she took on the former French Open champion, Garbine Muguruza as the two of them were locked in a tough battle that eventually went the way of Muguruza who came from a set down to beat Kerber and won in 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Then we had Agnieszka Radwanska who went out also in the 4th round at the hands of the former French and US Open champion and 7th seed, Svetlana Kuznetsova, who overpowered Radwanska and put out 9th seed in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2. Kuznetsova herself would then go on to be defeated in the quarter finals by Garbine Muguruza.
Caroline Wozniacki also suffered a 4th round defeat at the hands of the 24th seed, Coco Vandeweghe from the US, who is currently being coached by the former men's champion, Pat Cash. And Coco proved to have too much for Wozniacki, who has always struggled against the big hitters in the game and this match was no exception as Coco won it in straight sets, 7-6, 6-4. Coco herself however would then go on to face Magdalena Rybarikova, who stunned the 24th seed in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
Simona Halep, who went into this tournament with a shot being No.1 by the end of it was up against Jo Konta in their quarter final match and if Halep won that match she would ensure that she would become the new World No.1. However, Konta had other ideas as she fought back from a set down to work her way into the match and into Halep's mind as the 2nd seed froze in the final set and was broken and Konta ended her dream and put Halep out with a 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 win. This win meant that Karolina Pliskova, despite her early loss, will become the new World No.1 as of next Monday when the rankings come out.
And lastly Jelena Ostapenko, this year's surprise French open ladies singles champion, took on the mighty Venus Williams for a place in the semi finals in their quarter final match. However despite the younster's ability to defy experience over youth at the French open, this time she was not able to defy Venus, who simply outclassed Ostapenko from the get-go and she swiftly went on to defeat the plucky Ostapenko in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5.
SEMI FINALS
Right now for a quick look at the ladies semi finals matches, which took place today.
Garbine Muguruza vs Magdalena Rybarikova
So up first was this match featuring the 2015 finalist, Garbine Muguruza and the surprise player of the ladies tournament, Magdalena Rybarikova. This match was an intriguing one as the two players had an even head to head 2-2 going into this match with Magda (just refer to her as Magda to save on typing!) winning that won two years on grass in Birmingham.
However the match itself was a total mis-match for Magda this time around as Muguruza was ruthless in her efficiency on the court as she dominated Magda right from the start as she bossed her in the rallies and passed her at every opportunity. This then saw Garbine take an emphatic victory as she demolished her Slovakian opponent in straight sets to reach her 2nd Wimbledon final with a 6-1, 6-1 win.
This match promised to be interesting but given how much Muguruza has improved since as a player from their last meeting, in a way its no surprise that Muguruza would emerge as the winner for this one. So, this really sees Garbine in with a strong chance to go one step further this time round and claim her first Wimbledon title on Saturday. However that will all depend on the winner of the next match.....
Venus Williams vs Jo Konta
And the next match was between the 5 time champion, Venus Williams and the British No.1, Jo Konta, who had made a very impressive run to the last four at SW19 for the first time in her career and the first time in 39 years since a British woman had done so (Virgina Wade being the last). Jo also lead Venus in their head to head going into this match 3-2, so this promised to be a very close match.
However despite a strong start from both ladies, particularly with Konta, who at 4-4 manage to garner two break points against Venus, that was about as far as she could get against the 5 time champion who saved them both and went on to hold and break Konta to nab the first set. And in the 2nd set, Konta's nerves clearly got the better of her as she made a number of forehand errors that saw her go down a double break. And at 5-2 with Konta serving to make it 5-3, Venus managed to break once more to end Konta's hopes of reaching her maiden slam final and Venus reached her 9th Wimbledon final with an impressive 6-4, 6-2 victory.
Well unfortunately for the Brits, this defeat for Konta marked the end of the line for British interest in the singles for the ladies and she would have to go on waiting for another year. However regardless of her defeat today, Konta deserves tremendous credit for her performance over the last two weeks and it really did show that she has got it in her to win a major one way.
As for Venus, will this match proves that you cannot write her off and in the absence of her sister, Serena (who is currently out of the game as she is pregnant) this will help Venus emerge from her sister's shadow and give her a chance to win another Wimbledon title. It would also be the perfect end to an upsetting fortnight for Venus, who had faced some difficult questions coming into the tournament due to her involvement in a car accident that saw the driver of the other car, later die from his injuries as a result.
THE FINAL
Right, so let's take a look ahead to the ladies final then....
So, the ladies final is now set between Venus Williams and Garbine Muguruza, both ladies are grand slam champions, so they are no stranger as to how to win one, so going into this final, you get the feeling this could be a pretty even match. Venus however actually has the lead in their head to head 3-1 although Muguruza did win their most recent match this year in Rome on clay, so this might give some slight advantage to Murguruza but this is their first meeting on grass.
So it all begs the question: who will win????? Well....even though, Muguruza won their last meeting, I really have to go with Venus here as she has really shown her class in this tournament so far and her experience in slam finals is what might get her over the finishing line here. Muguruza however will be no pushover that is for sure and this should still be a pretty competitive match, so I could easily see it go the distance.
As for my actual prediction.....well I will go with Venus winning this one in three sets and by doing so it will end her grand slam title drought with her little sis out the way, this will surely be her best ever time to win just maybe that one last more major before Serena takes over again.
SIGN OFF
Right, so that's it for now and I will be back soon with my look at the mens' tournament so far at SW19.
See you soon....
Thursday 29 June 2017
2017 Wimbledon preview - men's title contenders
Right, so as Wimbledon is just a week away I figured it was time to take a look at my pick at the contenders for the men's title and also those players who might make a good run at SW19. So without much further messing about, let's take a look....
1. Roger Federer
Right, so at the very top of the list this year at Wimbledon is Roger Federer, who has had a stellar 2017 so far having won four titles that include the Australian open , which was his record 18th major. Roger has also just won the Gerry Weber open grass court title in Halle, where he plays every year and despite one loss so far on the grass to Tommy Haas this season, Roger has looked unstoppable since. So, I think its safe to say that Rog should be able to transfer his Halle success with ease onto the grass courts at Wimbledon where he will look for his record 8th title.
The only thing might stop Roger however could be his fitness levels, because if he finds himself drawn into longer matches earlier on or leading up to the final, this could hamper his chances. This happened to Rog last year as he was pushed all the way in two back to back five setters against Marin Cilic and Milos Raonic before he lost out to Raonic having succumbed to the strain of his knee injury. So, Roger will need to ensure he takes care of the early rounds with great efficiency and serve to the best of his ability but let's face it, we expect that from Rog anyway!
So, for me given Roger's form and his ability to even defeat Rafa in the finals they've played so far this year, I still can't see anyone contend with him this year. So, for that reason alone I would have to go with Roger to win the title this year and that's why he get's the top spot on this list as this year's champion. Prediction: champion.
2. Rafael Nadal
At No.2 is Rafa (who is also currently the World No.2!) and Rafa has a fair bit at stake going into Wimbledon as he has a chance to overtake Andy Murray and grab the top spot once again, which should Rafa win the title and Andy goes out early on that will be a reality. Rafa has also shown that this year he is back to great form as he has had a near impeccable clay court season, winning his 10th French open title. Not only that though, Rafa also made it to the finals of the Australian open and in Miami where he lost out to Roger Federer. So, this shows that in Roger's absence, he has literally been the 2nd best player in the world (with Rog arguably being the world's best this year so far but its fairly close!).
The only problems for Rafa however is to do with his lack of good form on grass over the last five years or so as he has failed to reach the final of Wimbledon for six years now. Rafa also has spoken publicly about his struggles on grass courts due to the low bounce of the ball on the surface, it requires him to bend down lower to reach the ball, which puts more pressure on his knees, which has lead to his misfortunes at SW19.
So, it remains to be seen if Rafa can string together a good run at SW19 this year, however if he can somehow get himself into the 2nd week then he will be dangerous and there is a fair chance that will be able to reach the final. However, if its Rog in that final with Rafa this year, I have to give the firm advantage to Roger as the signs so far from the Swiss star have been very strong. So for me, I think Rafa might possibly reach the last four or even the final but I don't quite see him as the outright champion.
Prediction: semi finals or final.
3. Marin Cilic
In 3rd place is Marin Cilic, who so far has had a very solid 2017 and he reached the quarter finals at the French open and then went on to reach the final this week at Queens club before losing out to Feliciano Lopez in a thrilling final. However, despite that loss Marin has still been remarkably solid in the grand slams in recent times and he is also a US Open champion, so already knows a thing or two about winning them, so there is a fair chance he can do very well this year at the All England Club.
However the only problem with Cilic is that he does show the occassional signs of mental frailty and he has been known to blink in the clutch moments in matches that has cost him dearly in the past, especially in his epic five set defeat to Roger Federer last year where Cilic lead by two sets to love. So, Cilic needs to stay mentally tough in those moments if he is to have a chance of wining his first Wimbleon title.
But this year, I can still see Cilic make a deep run at SW19 and if he is given a favourable draw, I think there is also a chance that he could very deep and just possibly make the last four. I don't quite see him as the eventual champion but his form is more than good enough to see him do very well this year. Prediction: semi finals.
4. Andy Murray
At No.4 is the defending champion, Andy Murray, who had a stellar 2016 last season where the sports was just down to two guys, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic and as Novak faltered in the 2nd half of the season, Andy took over and won his 2nd Wimbledon title and went on to claim the top spot from Nole later in the year.
However, Andy's reign at No.1 has been somewhat wretched and must rank as one of the most underwhelming and unconvincing reigns in the sport, as Andy has struggled with injury, illness and a lack of confidence in his game that has already seen him lose as many matches as he did throughout all of last year! (i.e. 9). Andy however did look to regain some form after a very good French open campaign, having reached the semi finals there, he was a tiebreak away from reaching the final before he was denied by Stan "the man" Wawrinka. But this good form again was halted after he succumbed to a shock loss at the hands of the World No.90, Jordan Thomson, who beat Andy at the Aegon championships at Queens club in straight sets. This really setback Andy's progress after his promising French open campaign and has now left him having to play a couple of exhibition matches in order to get some matchplay in on the grass before Wimbledon kicks off.
So, on the basis of this, Andy will have his work cut out in trying to successfully defend his title as he is surrounded by young, hungry, upcoming players who are all confident that they have a shot at beating him. Not only that, Andy has to contend with a resurgent Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, who have been the two best players in the world this year in terms of their quality of tennis.
However....despite all this I still have placed Andy here at No.4 on the list because Wimbledon is a very special place for him and despite any losses he has suffered in the smaller tournaments, he will fight tooth and nail and give his all before he loses at the All England Club. And beating Andy in the best of five sets is simply a different matter altogether than beating him in the best of three where Andy is far more vulnerable but in the best of five, it gives him that bit more time to work things out.
So, I might be wrong but I think Andy will still do pretty well this year at Wimbledon and I can still see him make a decent run into the 2nd week. However, I have to be honest and say that I don't think he will win the title this year but I still do think that the chances of him going out early, while are always possible, I think at Wimbledon he will do all he can to avoid that fate. So, I think Andy will possibly reach the last eight or four before he might be shown the door, which if he does would be a decent showing. But who knows? Just maybe Andy might prove us all wrong yet.
Update: however as I type this (29.06.17) we've already heard the troubling news that Andy is suffering from a hip injury this week, so this could spell trouble for him next week and raises the possibility that he migh withdraw. However, Andy did indicate that even though he pulled out of his exhibition on Tuesday there with Lucas Pouille, he expected to play his 2nd match at the Hurlingham club on Friday and it was purely as a precautionary measure.
Further update: in fact it has been revealed today (29.06.17) that Andy has pulled out of his 2nd and final exhibition match at the Hurlingham club again due to his hip injury. So, this does not bode well at all for the current World No.1 and Andy will need to hope that his injury will abate in time for next Monday when he is due to kick off the defence of his Wimbledon title at the All England Club. Right now though its starting to look very unlikely that he will be able to play the tournament, which would almost certainly mean he will lose his No.1 ranking.
However for now we will just have to wait and see what's going to happen with Andy, who continues to be plagued with setbacks in what has turned out to be one of the most difficult and frustrating seasons of his career so far. But if history has tought us anything about Andy its he is one stubborn beggar and he will do all he can to ensure that he does play next week and have a stab at defending his title. So prediction wise I was going to say maybe quarter finals or the semis but for now it all hangs in the balance as we await Andy's decision to play. So for that I have to go with my prediction as below:
Prediction: ????????????????????????????
5. Feliciano Lopez
At No.5 is this guy, Feliciano Lopez, who is a rare animal: a Spanish player, who is also a strong grass court player and so far this season, Lopez has amassed a very impressive grass court record having lost just one match in two tournaments and Lopez went on to triumph at the Queens club having beaten Marin Cilic in the final. So, Lopez is very comfortable playing on grass and there is no doubt that his achievement of winning the Queens final is very impressive and is the perfect preparation for Wimbledon.
However...the problem for me with Lopez is that if you put him up against one of the elite guys such as Federer, Murray or even Rafa then he is still sure to be come up second best against them and Lopez's progress will really depend on how kind the draw is to him. Lopez can also show some signs of flakiness when it comes to the big points, although this is something he has dealt with very well throughout his week at Queens where he had to save match points against both Tomas Berdych and Marin Cilic before he went on to win.
So, for me I think that Lopez will very possibly put in a strong showing this year at Wimbledon and I think he does have a very decent chance at reaching the last eight or at a push even the last four before he might be sent packing. And after the season he has had so far, Lopez certainly deserves a fair shake at SW19.
Prediction: quarter finals or semi finals (at a real push).
6. Novak Djokovic
At No.6 is Novak Djokovic, who remains something of a question mark this year after the amazing first half he had in 2016, winning the French open and holding all four majors at once, he had achieved his life's dream. Then....he went to pieces as a player and suffered a series of puzzling losses and poor form that has since seen him lose every one of the four majors he had held up until the French last year. Novak hired, former tennis great, Andre Agassi as his new coach as the two of them work together over the French open but Novak fell spectacularly to Dominic Thiem in the quarter finals in straight sets losing his title defence with a bagel 3rd set.
This has now left Novak really at sea with his form and for us only to ponder where his form really is at, as he is about to go back into another Wimbledon. Although one positive this week is that Novak will for the first time in seven years, play a warm-up grass event at Eastbourne and this should hopefully help give him some much needed grass matchplay before Wimblers begins.
Soooo....as to how Novak will do this year...its really hard to say, however I would still imagine that I think he will do a bit better this year than he did last and I can see him reach the 2nd week this time round. However I have to say I'm still not fully convinced that Novak's form is anywhere near good enough to see him reach the final never mind actually win it!
So for me I think Novak will possibly reach the last eight where he could very be upset although you never know but for me, I just think Novak is too much of an unknown quantity right now to be confident about him doing that well this year, so even though I say last eight, the round of 32 or 16 is also just as likely.
Prediction: 3rd round, 4th round or quarter finals.
7. Milos Raonic
Next is Milos Raonic, who had a very impressive run to the final last year at Wimbledon and also Queens where has lost out to Andy Murray both times. However Milos has struggled with injuries this year and it has seen him pull out of various events and even though he returned to play at Queens last week, he was defeated in his 1st round match by the Aussie, Thanasi Kokkinakis. This has left Raonic short on match practice just like Andy Murray and in fact both of them may meet up again at the Hurlingham club this week for an exhibition event in a last chance to play some matches before Wimbledon begins.
And its Raonic's lack of matchplay on grass that remains his biggest issue here and it leaves open the possibility that Raonic could go on to be upset here early once again. However I also think that Raonic should he be fit and well enough, he could still go on to put in a decent showing as his game is perfectly suited to grass and over five sets, he too will have a better chance to work things out.
So, I think this year Raonic, while he hasn't a realistic shot at winning the title, he can still make a decent run here and I think maybe the last 16 or 8 is reasonable estimate of his chances at SW19 in 2017.
Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.
8. Tomas Berdych
At No.8 is Tomas Berdych, who has already enjoyed a solid start to his grass court season at Queens last week, as he reached the quarter finals and even had a match point against the eventual champion, Feliciano Lopez. Berdych was of course also a Wimbledon finalist back in 2010, so he knows his way around a grass court and if he get's a good draw then who knows how far he might get??
However the problem for Berdych is that he has always been mentally flaky in the big matches and he still lacks the edge when it comes to trying to beat the elite players in the big moments. So for me I can never really see Berdych as the Wimbledon champion but if he does get a decent draw then he could still go pretty far and if he catches one or two of the big four off guard then he might just give himself a shot at going far. So I'm think maybe the last eight is a safe bet for ol Berdy this time round but an eventual Wimbledon champ...nah.
Prediction: quarter finals.
9. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
At No.9 is Jo Tsonga, who in the past has been a top grass court player and last year alone he was the only man to take a set or more off Andy Murray before Muzza went on to win his 2nd Wimbledon title. So, Jo's pedigree on the grass courts has been well established and we all know how good he is on that surface, so there is no doubt that Jo is dangerous here.
However, Jo can also be pretty erratic and inconsistent in his game at times, which can leak alot of errors given the high risk strategy he plays with, his game is mostly all-out attack even though he has some nice touch and flair that is often seen with French players. So, if Jo comes up against the the elite guys and top returners, this is where Jo will most likely start to make alot of errors and this is where he is bound to come up short.
Regardless of this though, Jo could still also make a decent run at SW19 this year and I think its a reasonable assumption that the big guy will make the last 16 or 8 before he is done.
Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.
10. Gilles Muller
And last of all is Gilles Muller, who is pretty far down the list but maybe he shouldn't be cos he really has shown that he is an exceptionally strong grass court player this season and he made a great run to his first grass court title in the Netherlands two weeks ago and to the semis at Queens club at the weekend just there.
Gilles progress however will depend purely on how kind his draw is and there will be plenty of dangerous floaters in the men's draw as it is. So, while Gilles is an excellent grass court player he is still not impervious to being defeated by players ranked similarly or indeed below him.
However I still think that Muller can make a decent run of things this year at SW19 and just maybe we might see him be in the last 16 or 8 before his time in Wimblers is up.
Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals
Right, so that's it for now and I will be back soon once the Wimbledon coverage get's under way.
Till then bye for now!
1. Roger Federer
Right, so at the very top of the list this year at Wimbledon is Roger Federer, who has had a stellar 2017 so far having won four titles that include the Australian open , which was his record 18th major. Roger has also just won the Gerry Weber open grass court title in Halle, where he plays every year and despite one loss so far on the grass to Tommy Haas this season, Roger has looked unstoppable since. So, I think its safe to say that Rog should be able to transfer his Halle success with ease onto the grass courts at Wimbledon where he will look for his record 8th title.
The only thing might stop Roger however could be his fitness levels, because if he finds himself drawn into longer matches earlier on or leading up to the final, this could hamper his chances. This happened to Rog last year as he was pushed all the way in two back to back five setters against Marin Cilic and Milos Raonic before he lost out to Raonic having succumbed to the strain of his knee injury. So, Roger will need to ensure he takes care of the early rounds with great efficiency and serve to the best of his ability but let's face it, we expect that from Rog anyway!
So, for me given Roger's form and his ability to even defeat Rafa in the finals they've played so far this year, I still can't see anyone contend with him this year. So, for that reason alone I would have to go with Roger to win the title this year and that's why he get's the top spot on this list as this year's champion. Prediction: champion.
2. Rafael Nadal
At No.2 is Rafa (who is also currently the World No.2!) and Rafa has a fair bit at stake going into Wimbledon as he has a chance to overtake Andy Murray and grab the top spot once again, which should Rafa win the title and Andy goes out early on that will be a reality. Rafa has also shown that this year he is back to great form as he has had a near impeccable clay court season, winning his 10th French open title. Not only that though, Rafa also made it to the finals of the Australian open and in Miami where he lost out to Roger Federer. So, this shows that in Roger's absence, he has literally been the 2nd best player in the world (with Rog arguably being the world's best this year so far but its fairly close!).
The only problems for Rafa however is to do with his lack of good form on grass over the last five years or so as he has failed to reach the final of Wimbledon for six years now. Rafa also has spoken publicly about his struggles on grass courts due to the low bounce of the ball on the surface, it requires him to bend down lower to reach the ball, which puts more pressure on his knees, which has lead to his misfortunes at SW19.
So, it remains to be seen if Rafa can string together a good run at SW19 this year, however if he can somehow get himself into the 2nd week then he will be dangerous and there is a fair chance that will be able to reach the final. However, if its Rog in that final with Rafa this year, I have to give the firm advantage to Roger as the signs so far from the Swiss star have been very strong. So for me, I think Rafa might possibly reach the last four or even the final but I don't quite see him as the outright champion.
Prediction: semi finals or final.
3. Marin Cilic
In 3rd place is Marin Cilic, who so far has had a very solid 2017 and he reached the quarter finals at the French open and then went on to reach the final this week at Queens club before losing out to Feliciano Lopez in a thrilling final. However, despite that loss Marin has still been remarkably solid in the grand slams in recent times and he is also a US Open champion, so already knows a thing or two about winning them, so there is a fair chance he can do very well this year at the All England Club.
However the only problem with Cilic is that he does show the occassional signs of mental frailty and he has been known to blink in the clutch moments in matches that has cost him dearly in the past, especially in his epic five set defeat to Roger Federer last year where Cilic lead by two sets to love. So, Cilic needs to stay mentally tough in those moments if he is to have a chance of wining his first Wimbleon title.
But this year, I can still see Cilic make a deep run at SW19 and if he is given a favourable draw, I think there is also a chance that he could very deep and just possibly make the last four. I don't quite see him as the eventual champion but his form is more than good enough to see him do very well this year. Prediction: semi finals.
4. Andy Murray
At No.4 is the defending champion, Andy Murray, who had a stellar 2016 last season where the sports was just down to two guys, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic and as Novak faltered in the 2nd half of the season, Andy took over and won his 2nd Wimbledon title and went on to claim the top spot from Nole later in the year.
However, Andy's reign at No.1 has been somewhat wretched and must rank as one of the most underwhelming and unconvincing reigns in the sport, as Andy has struggled with injury, illness and a lack of confidence in his game that has already seen him lose as many matches as he did throughout all of last year! (i.e. 9). Andy however did look to regain some form after a very good French open campaign, having reached the semi finals there, he was a tiebreak away from reaching the final before he was denied by Stan "the man" Wawrinka. But this good form again was halted after he succumbed to a shock loss at the hands of the World No.90, Jordan Thomson, who beat Andy at the Aegon championships at Queens club in straight sets. This really setback Andy's progress after his promising French open campaign and has now left him having to play a couple of exhibition matches in order to get some matchplay in on the grass before Wimbledon kicks off.
So, on the basis of this, Andy will have his work cut out in trying to successfully defend his title as he is surrounded by young, hungry, upcoming players who are all confident that they have a shot at beating him. Not only that, Andy has to contend with a resurgent Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, who have been the two best players in the world this year in terms of their quality of tennis.
However....despite all this I still have placed Andy here at No.4 on the list because Wimbledon is a very special place for him and despite any losses he has suffered in the smaller tournaments, he will fight tooth and nail and give his all before he loses at the All England Club. And beating Andy in the best of five sets is simply a different matter altogether than beating him in the best of three where Andy is far more vulnerable but in the best of five, it gives him that bit more time to work things out.
So, I might be wrong but I think Andy will still do pretty well this year at Wimbledon and I can still see him make a decent run into the 2nd week. However, I have to be honest and say that I don't think he will win the title this year but I still do think that the chances of him going out early, while are always possible, I think at Wimbledon he will do all he can to avoid that fate. So, I think Andy will possibly reach the last eight or four before he might be shown the door, which if he does would be a decent showing. But who knows? Just maybe Andy might prove us all wrong yet.
Update: however as I type this (29.06.17) we've already heard the troubling news that Andy is suffering from a hip injury this week, so this could spell trouble for him next week and raises the possibility that he migh withdraw. However, Andy did indicate that even though he pulled out of his exhibition on Tuesday there with Lucas Pouille, he expected to play his 2nd match at the Hurlingham club on Friday and it was purely as a precautionary measure.
Further update: in fact it has been revealed today (29.06.17) that Andy has pulled out of his 2nd and final exhibition match at the Hurlingham club again due to his hip injury. So, this does not bode well at all for the current World No.1 and Andy will need to hope that his injury will abate in time for next Monday when he is due to kick off the defence of his Wimbledon title at the All England Club. Right now though its starting to look very unlikely that he will be able to play the tournament, which would almost certainly mean he will lose his No.1 ranking.
However for now we will just have to wait and see what's going to happen with Andy, who continues to be plagued with setbacks in what has turned out to be one of the most difficult and frustrating seasons of his career so far. But if history has tought us anything about Andy its he is one stubborn beggar and he will do all he can to ensure that he does play next week and have a stab at defending his title. So prediction wise I was going to say maybe quarter finals or the semis but for now it all hangs in the balance as we await Andy's decision to play. So for that I have to go with my prediction as below:
Prediction: ????????????????????????????
5. Feliciano Lopez
At No.5 is this guy, Feliciano Lopez, who is a rare animal: a Spanish player, who is also a strong grass court player and so far this season, Lopez has amassed a very impressive grass court record having lost just one match in two tournaments and Lopez went on to triumph at the Queens club having beaten Marin Cilic in the final. So, Lopez is very comfortable playing on grass and there is no doubt that his achievement of winning the Queens final is very impressive and is the perfect preparation for Wimbledon.
However...the problem for me with Lopez is that if you put him up against one of the elite guys such as Federer, Murray or even Rafa then he is still sure to be come up second best against them and Lopez's progress will really depend on how kind the draw is to him. Lopez can also show some signs of flakiness when it comes to the big points, although this is something he has dealt with very well throughout his week at Queens where he had to save match points against both Tomas Berdych and Marin Cilic before he went on to win.
So, for me I think that Lopez will very possibly put in a strong showing this year at Wimbledon and I think he does have a very decent chance at reaching the last eight or at a push even the last four before he might be sent packing. And after the season he has had so far, Lopez certainly deserves a fair shake at SW19.
Prediction: quarter finals or semi finals (at a real push).
6. Novak Djokovic
At No.6 is Novak Djokovic, who remains something of a question mark this year after the amazing first half he had in 2016, winning the French open and holding all four majors at once, he had achieved his life's dream. Then....he went to pieces as a player and suffered a series of puzzling losses and poor form that has since seen him lose every one of the four majors he had held up until the French last year. Novak hired, former tennis great, Andre Agassi as his new coach as the two of them work together over the French open but Novak fell spectacularly to Dominic Thiem in the quarter finals in straight sets losing his title defence with a bagel 3rd set.
This has now left Novak really at sea with his form and for us only to ponder where his form really is at, as he is about to go back into another Wimbledon. Although one positive this week is that Novak will for the first time in seven years, play a warm-up grass event at Eastbourne and this should hopefully help give him some much needed grass matchplay before Wimblers begins.
Soooo....as to how Novak will do this year...its really hard to say, however I would still imagine that I think he will do a bit better this year than he did last and I can see him reach the 2nd week this time round. However I have to say I'm still not fully convinced that Novak's form is anywhere near good enough to see him reach the final never mind actually win it!
So for me I think Novak will possibly reach the last eight where he could very be upset although you never know but for me, I just think Novak is too much of an unknown quantity right now to be confident about him doing that well this year, so even though I say last eight, the round of 32 or 16 is also just as likely.
Prediction: 3rd round, 4th round or quarter finals.
7. Milos Raonic
Next is Milos Raonic, who had a very impressive run to the final last year at Wimbledon and also Queens where has lost out to Andy Murray both times. However Milos has struggled with injuries this year and it has seen him pull out of various events and even though he returned to play at Queens last week, he was defeated in his 1st round match by the Aussie, Thanasi Kokkinakis. This has left Raonic short on match practice just like Andy Murray and in fact both of them may meet up again at the Hurlingham club this week for an exhibition event in a last chance to play some matches before Wimbledon begins.
And its Raonic's lack of matchplay on grass that remains his biggest issue here and it leaves open the possibility that Raonic could go on to be upset here early once again. However I also think that Raonic should he be fit and well enough, he could still go on to put in a decent showing as his game is perfectly suited to grass and over five sets, he too will have a better chance to work things out.
So, I think this year Raonic, while he hasn't a realistic shot at winning the title, he can still make a decent run here and I think maybe the last 16 or 8 is reasonable estimate of his chances at SW19 in 2017.
Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.
8. Tomas Berdych
At No.8 is Tomas Berdych, who has already enjoyed a solid start to his grass court season at Queens last week, as he reached the quarter finals and even had a match point against the eventual champion, Feliciano Lopez. Berdych was of course also a Wimbledon finalist back in 2010, so he knows his way around a grass court and if he get's a good draw then who knows how far he might get??
However the problem for Berdych is that he has always been mentally flaky in the big matches and he still lacks the edge when it comes to trying to beat the elite players in the big moments. So for me I can never really see Berdych as the Wimbledon champion but if he does get a decent draw then he could still go pretty far and if he catches one or two of the big four off guard then he might just give himself a shot at going far. So I'm think maybe the last eight is a safe bet for ol Berdy this time round but an eventual Wimbledon champ...nah.
Prediction: quarter finals.
9. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
At No.9 is Jo Tsonga, who in the past has been a top grass court player and last year alone he was the only man to take a set or more off Andy Murray before Muzza went on to win his 2nd Wimbledon title. So, Jo's pedigree on the grass courts has been well established and we all know how good he is on that surface, so there is no doubt that Jo is dangerous here.
However, Jo can also be pretty erratic and inconsistent in his game at times, which can leak alot of errors given the high risk strategy he plays with, his game is mostly all-out attack even though he has some nice touch and flair that is often seen with French players. So, if Jo comes up against the the elite guys and top returners, this is where Jo will most likely start to make alot of errors and this is where he is bound to come up short.
Regardless of this though, Jo could still also make a decent run at SW19 this year and I think its a reasonable assumption that the big guy will make the last 16 or 8 before he is done.
Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.
10. Gilles Muller
And last of all is Gilles Muller, who is pretty far down the list but maybe he shouldn't be cos he really has shown that he is an exceptionally strong grass court player this season and he made a great run to his first grass court title in the Netherlands two weeks ago and to the semis at Queens club at the weekend just there.
Gilles progress however will depend purely on how kind his draw is and there will be plenty of dangerous floaters in the men's draw as it is. So, while Gilles is an excellent grass court player he is still not impervious to being defeated by players ranked similarly or indeed below him.
However I still think that Muller can make a decent run of things this year at SW19 and just maybe we might see him be in the last 16 or 8 before his time in Wimblers is up.
Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals
Right, so that's it for now and I will be back soon once the Wimbledon coverage get's under way.
Till then bye for now!
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