Right, now its time for the men's semi finals and final preview at the 2016 US Open, so let's see who came out on top this time.....
SEMI FINALS
Novak Djokovic vs Gael Monfils
First up was the semi between Novak Djokovic, the World No.1 and Gael Monfils, the 10th seed in what promised to be a very intriguing match. Monfils had been in great form going into this match as he reached the semis without dropping a set, whereas Novak had something of a very easy ride going into this match thanks to a withdrawal and two retirements in his draw that saw him spend only 6 and a half hours on court going into this match.
And the match itself proved to be one of the most bizarre encounters you could ever see on a tennis court as both players had to play in punishing heat as the New York humidity hit its peak and it saw both men struggle on the court. And Monfils, despite his prior great form, started off horribly as he found himself a double break down in no time but not before he managed to break back once courtesy of a double fault from Novak on his own service. However despite that blip the No.1 managed to go on and serve out the first set. In the 2nd set things didn't get any better for Monfils as he seemed to be suffering in the heat and he then went down another double break to Novak who was starting to look better physically.
However the tide took an unexpected turn in the 3rd set when Monfils suddenly after going a break down and getting boos from the crowd for what seemed to be an apparent lack of trying, managed to break back and then went on to break Novak's serve and this unexpectedly saw him grab the 3rd set to keep himself alive. But in the 4th set, the heat and humidity really started to play its part as Monfils started to cramp up and he found himself yet again in big trouble as he was unable to hold serve and found himself broken yet again twice on serve as Novak hit a return winner to seal a place in his 21st grand slam final with a bizarre 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 win.
Well this really was one of the strangest matches you could ever see on a tennis court, which had some weird swings in momenum from both men. And Monfils himself at times really looked badly out of sorts in the match and understandably he did look nervous at the start as he failed to get on the board until the end of the first set. However Monfils did at times look almost disinterested in the match and he also tried the "slow ball" technique in order to distract Novak, which for a short time worked. But despite that Monfils does deserve a bit of credit for fighting back in the 3rd set and making a bit of a match of it before he eventually succumbed to the world no.1, who for the most part never looked in trouble.
However as for Novak himself, he did appear to be in a bit of a physical crisis during the match aswell as he served up a highly uncharacteristic number of double faults (seven for the match) that saw him dig himself into a hole but ultimately it was one he was able to get out of. And at one point during the match we also saw Novak get both of his shoulders massaged, which suggests his shoulder(s) problem could become an issue in the final but I guess time will tell on that one.
Stan Wawrinka vs Kei Nishikori
So next up was Stan "the man" Wawrinka who took on Kei Nishikori for a place in the final and both men came into this match in mixed form, with Stan overcoming Juan Martin del Potro and Kei stunning Andy Murray in an epic five set match. Stan historically held the edge in their head to head as he lead 3-2 but Kei did win the most recent of their clashes, which was in Canada.
As for the match itself, well it was Kei that made the stronger start as he came out the blocks very sharp and quickly broke Stan to grab the first set. And in the 2nd set, Kei carried on his fine form as he broke Stan early on to what looked like a two sets to love advantage being on the cards. However Stan was able to break back Kei and he soon went on to level the match with a set apiece. And from here, Stan took full charge of the match and stunned Kei as he got stronger with every game and sealed his place in his first US Open final with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 victory.
Well this in a way was not a surprising result given Stan's experience in the slams at the latter stages being greater than Kei's although I did expect Kei to actually win this match. But in the end it was Stan that showed his ability to grow into a match after a slow start and take control, which is something he is very good at.
FINAL PREDICTION
Sooooo.....this now sets up the men's final between Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka and it promises to be a cracker of a final given that both these men are no stranger to play epic matches in the majors.
So how will it go???? Well....to take a look at both men they have had contrasting draws and results coming into this final. Novak has certainly had the easier draw and ride into the final, having only played three full matches and had the benefit of a withdrawl at the hands of Jiri Vesily in the 2nd round, and two retirals from Mikhail Youzhny and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the 3rd round and quarter finals respectively. This might appear to give Novak a some what unfair advantage over Stan simply because the less amount of time he has spent on court so far as he has probably only been on court for a max of 9 hours whereas Stan will no doubt have been on alot more.
And Stan has so far had quite a tough time in getting to the final despite making a strong start in his first two matches, he then had to battle past Dan Evans in five sets, Ilya Marchenko in four sets, Juan Martin del Potro in four sets and also Kei Nishikori in four sets. However San has shown that he is truly battle hardy and when he is on he can really be on when he needs to be and he sure did bring it this fortnight in order to reach the final.
So as for my prediction...........well I know all the pundits will look at Novak as the favourite to win this because a) he is the world No.1 and b) he has spent way less time on court that Stan....but I have to go the other way and think Stan will take this one.
And the reason why I think Stan will win the title is because for starters he has had much more matchplay than Novak has had so far in this tournament and that will have made him match tight going into the final. Stan is also going into the final feeling fit and healthy whereas Novak is going in carrying a shoulder injury that could seriously hamper him against a quality opponent like Stan.
Not only that Stan has already beaten Novak twice in the majors at the Australian open two years ago and last year in the final of the French Open and he carries a perfect 2-0 in slam finals so far, so I think he could certainly make that 3-0 tomorrow evening.
And finally the reason why I think Stan could win is because out of all the slams, the US Open is the toughest to defend as no player has successfully defended it for eight years with Roger Federer being the last one to do so.
CUTTING TO THE CHASE (AT LAST!)
So as for my final prediction I think Stan will win this match in four close sets and it will be pretty tough but in the end I think he will overpower Novak and he should definitely do so if Novak's fitness becomes an issue. And I personally hope Stan does win the title as I think for Novak to win it, given the easy ride he has had so far, it would feel less deserved (but that's just me although I'm sure there other people that will agree).
So as for my scoreline prediction (which is never right!) I will go with this....
Wawrinka d. Djokovic 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5
OK so that's it for now and I will be back soon once the results for both the men and ladies are in.
Till the next one, its bye fer now!
Saturday, 10 September 2016
2016 US Open Ladies Part 2 - Semi finals and final preview
Right, so the final grand slam of the season, the US Open is now starting to draw to a close and in this post I will be looking at the ladies semi final matches and how they went and also my prediction for the final.
So without further messing about let's get going......
SEMI FINALS
Serena Williams vs Karolina Pliskova
So to start off the first semi final was between the World No.1, Serena Williams and the 10th seed, Karolina Pliskova. This match had alot riding on it for both players as Serena was looking to hold onto her No.1 ranking and she would need to win the match in order to do so, whereas Pliskova was looking to reach her first grand slam final.
And on paper the match looked to be foregone conclusion that Serena would come out on top, however it wasn't to be the case as Pliskova in the 1st set really came out firing as she went a double break up against an ailing Serena, who appeared to be struggling with a knee injuy and Pliskova nabbed the opener. In the 2nd set however it was a much tighter affair as Serena battled back against the 10th seed and play was pushed into a tiebreak. But it proved to be not enough for Serena as she surrendered her serve and the match with a double fault, which saw her not only lose the match but also her No.1 ranking with it. And this meant that Pliskova sealed her place in his first ever grand slam final with a remarkable 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) win.
Well this really was a shock loss for Serena who look to better Stefi Graff's record of 22 slams, which would have made Serena the most successful player in the open era of the sport, however in the end it was not to be.
As for Pliskova, well this was a terrific result and a great achievement as she has reached her first grand slam final and she has been a player who has risen up in the rankings this year so far. And right now given her form, I would not write off Pliskova's chances for the final but I will get on to that a bit later.
Angelique Kerber vs Caroline Wozniacki
So next up was the other semi final, which saw the World No.2, Angelique Kerber take on the former World No.1, Caroline Wozniacki. Kerber had alot riding on this match too as she was looking to grab the top spot in the sport from Serena Williams and after Serena was defeated by Pliskova it ensured that Kerber would indeed become the No.1.
So suffice to say that Kerber went into this match with alot of motivation and it also helped her out quite a bit as she showed great form against a resurgent Caroline Wozniacki. However whatever Caroline had what simply not enough as Kerber went on to beat her rival in straight sets to claim the No.1 spot and her place in the final with a commanding 6-4, 6-3 win.
Well there was little doubt that Kerber would win this match as she has been in great form all year and now she has the top ranking to prove it and it would be difficult to not see her claim her second slam of the season by the end of the tournament.
As for Caroline however it was disappointing that she was not able to make it a closer match but she has managed to rediscover her form again with her great run at the US Open and reaching the last four is a terrific effort from her. Not only that, Caroline's run in New York will see her return to the top 30 next week in the rankings as she will be ranked 29 in the world as of Monday, which is great to see and hopefully she will soon be able to get back into the top 10.
FINAL PREDICTIONS
Right so now onto the ladies final prediction that will see Angelique Kerber take on Karoline Pliskova for the title. So how will it go???? Well this is actually a tough one to fully predict as their head to head is very close with Kerber leading 4-3 so there isn't much between them.
However there are one or two things to consider regarding Pliskova as she did beat Kerber in their previous match in the Cincinnati final where Kerber would have become No.1 if she had won the title. Pliskova has also put in a great run at the US Open and she has beaten both the Williams sisters enroute to get to the final and has shown a great deal of grit and determination so far that could see her lift the title.
Kerber on the other hand has been the most consistent player on the tour this year and she has already claimed her first grand slam at the Australian open earlier this season and reached the final at Wimbledon. And now that Kerber is No.1 she is bound to be feeling very confident going into this match with it all to play for.
But as for my final prediction......well I have to side with Kerber as I really think she has shown what a great and consistent player she has become throughout the year. I also think he defeat to Pliskova in Cincinnati was attributed partly to fatigue and exhaustion from having competed at the Olympics the prior week, which left her out of steam in reaching the gold medal final only to come up short to Monica Puig. But this time round, Kerber has managed to reach the final in New York without dropping a set and she should have plenty left in the tank for what lies ahead.
So my scoreline prediction will be that Kerber wins this one in three sets and it should be a tough battle but in the end I think Angie will come good. So my scoreline for the match (for what very little its worth!) is:
Kerber d. Pliskova 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
Right, so that's it for my look at the ladies matches and I will be back soon with my look at the men's semi finals and look ahead to the final.
So, see you soon!
So without further messing about let's get going......
SEMI FINALS
Serena Williams vs Karolina Pliskova
So to start off the first semi final was between the World No.1, Serena Williams and the 10th seed, Karolina Pliskova. This match had alot riding on it for both players as Serena was looking to hold onto her No.1 ranking and she would need to win the match in order to do so, whereas Pliskova was looking to reach her first grand slam final.
And on paper the match looked to be foregone conclusion that Serena would come out on top, however it wasn't to be the case as Pliskova in the 1st set really came out firing as she went a double break up against an ailing Serena, who appeared to be struggling with a knee injuy and Pliskova nabbed the opener. In the 2nd set however it was a much tighter affair as Serena battled back against the 10th seed and play was pushed into a tiebreak. But it proved to be not enough for Serena as she surrendered her serve and the match with a double fault, which saw her not only lose the match but also her No.1 ranking with it. And this meant that Pliskova sealed her place in his first ever grand slam final with a remarkable 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) win.
Well this really was a shock loss for Serena who look to better Stefi Graff's record of 22 slams, which would have made Serena the most successful player in the open era of the sport, however in the end it was not to be.
As for Pliskova, well this was a terrific result and a great achievement as she has reached her first grand slam final and she has been a player who has risen up in the rankings this year so far. And right now given her form, I would not write off Pliskova's chances for the final but I will get on to that a bit later.
Angelique Kerber vs Caroline Wozniacki
So next up was the other semi final, which saw the World No.2, Angelique Kerber take on the former World No.1, Caroline Wozniacki. Kerber had alot riding on this match too as she was looking to grab the top spot in the sport from Serena Williams and after Serena was defeated by Pliskova it ensured that Kerber would indeed become the No.1.
So suffice to say that Kerber went into this match with alot of motivation and it also helped her out quite a bit as she showed great form against a resurgent Caroline Wozniacki. However whatever Caroline had what simply not enough as Kerber went on to beat her rival in straight sets to claim the No.1 spot and her place in the final with a commanding 6-4, 6-3 win.
Well there was little doubt that Kerber would win this match as she has been in great form all year and now she has the top ranking to prove it and it would be difficult to not see her claim her second slam of the season by the end of the tournament.
As for Caroline however it was disappointing that she was not able to make it a closer match but she has managed to rediscover her form again with her great run at the US Open and reaching the last four is a terrific effort from her. Not only that, Caroline's run in New York will see her return to the top 30 next week in the rankings as she will be ranked 29 in the world as of Monday, which is great to see and hopefully she will soon be able to get back into the top 10.
FINAL PREDICTIONS
Right so now onto the ladies final prediction that will see Angelique Kerber take on Karoline Pliskova for the title. So how will it go???? Well this is actually a tough one to fully predict as their head to head is very close with Kerber leading 4-3 so there isn't much between them.
However there are one or two things to consider regarding Pliskova as she did beat Kerber in their previous match in the Cincinnati final where Kerber would have become No.1 if she had won the title. Pliskova has also put in a great run at the US Open and she has beaten both the Williams sisters enroute to get to the final and has shown a great deal of grit and determination so far that could see her lift the title.
Kerber on the other hand has been the most consistent player on the tour this year and she has already claimed her first grand slam at the Australian open earlier this season and reached the final at Wimbledon. And now that Kerber is No.1 she is bound to be feeling very confident going into this match with it all to play for.
But as for my final prediction......well I have to side with Kerber as I really think she has shown what a great and consistent player she has become throughout the year. I also think he defeat to Pliskova in Cincinnati was attributed partly to fatigue and exhaustion from having competed at the Olympics the prior week, which left her out of steam in reaching the gold medal final only to come up short to Monica Puig. But this time round, Kerber has managed to reach the final in New York without dropping a set and she should have plenty left in the tank for what lies ahead.
So my scoreline prediction will be that Kerber wins this one in three sets and it should be a tough battle but in the end I think Angie will come good. So my scoreline for the match (for what very little its worth!) is:
Kerber d. Pliskova 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
Right, so that's it for my look at the ladies matches and I will be back soon with my look at the men's semi finals and look ahead to the final.
So, see you soon!
Thursday, 8 September 2016
2016 US Open update - Men's Part 1
OK, so now its time to move onto my look at the men's event so far at the 2016 US Open, the final grand slam of the season. So without further ados let's take a look what happened so far....
1st WEEK SEEDS OUT
Right so to kick off in the 1st week we had plenty of seeds tumble out early and to start there was Richard Gasquet who was tunned by the British player, Kyle Edmund who put in a great performance to beat Gasquet in straight sets. David Goffin also suffered defeat at the first hurdle as he went out to the American player, Jared Donaldson in four sets. Bernard Tomic went out in the 1st round too as he was beaten by Damir Dzumhur in four sets in a heated match that saw Tomic get angry with a fan saying something along the lines of "I'll stuff these balls down your throat!". Lovely!
As for the 2nd round losses we had a big casualty in the shape of Milos Raonic who despite his good form in the slams so far this season, suffered a 2nd round exit at the hands of the American, Ryan Harrison who beat Raonic in four sets. Feliciano Lopez also found himself on the losing end in the 2nd round as he got put out by Joao Sousa of Portugal in a four set match. Alexander Zverev, who has been tipped for big things in the future, lost to the British No.2, Dan Evans in a surprising four set defeat. Gilles Simon next was also a sufferer of the 2nd round defeat as he went down to Paolo Lorenzi in an epic five set match. And Steve Johnson also was beaten in the 2nd round by a resurgent Juan Martin Del Potro in straight sets.
As for the 3rd round losses we had David Ferrer who was also beaten by the big Argentine, Del Potro in straight sets. Marin Cilic, the former US Open champion who had also recently won in Cincinnati, suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of the American, Jack Sock in straight sets. Nick Kyrgios also had his misfortunes at this stage when he was forced to retire from his match with Ilya Marchenko in the fourth set having went two sets to one down. And lastly John Isner was stunned by the in form British player, Kyle Edmund in their 3rd round clash which saw Edmund dispatch Isner in four sets.
2ND WEEK MATCHES LAST 16 AND QUARTER FINALS
Right so now onto the 4th round matches (or i.e. the last 16) and quarter final matches which saw the World No.1, Novak Djokovic take on Kyle Edmund. And Novak proved to be simply too strong for Kyle as he dominated the young Brit in a straight sets win 6-2, 6-1, 6-4. Novak would then go on to face Jo-Wilfred Tsonga in the quarter finals, however Tsonga was forced to retire at the start of the 3rd set from a knee injury as Novak was two sets to love up. This had seen Novak get through to the last four having had two opponents, Tsonga and Mikhail Youzhny both retire during the matches and Jiri Vesily withdrawing before his 2nd round match with Novak was due to be played. This now means that Novak has only played two whole matches going into the semi finals, which will see him well rested but I will say more about that situation later.
As for the other matches, Gael Monfils who has shown great form so far in this tournament, he effortlessly beat Marcos Baghdatis in straight sets in the 4th round to reach the last eight in 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. And Monfils would then go on to beat his fellow countryman, Lucas Pouille in another straight sets win this time winning 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 to reach his first US Open semi final. This has now seen Monfils reach the semi finals of the US Open without dropping a single set, which is very impressive in itself and it shows the Frenchman hasn't just got flash but plenty of substance aswell.
Next was Stan Wawrinka who so far has had a bit of an up and down tournament and he was pushed to the limit in his 3rd round match where he took on Dan Evans in an incredible five set match in which Stan had to save a match point in the 4th set tiebreak before going on to dominate the 5th. However in the 4th round, Stan mostly had things under control against Ilya Marchenko and he only suffered a couple of dips when he dropped the 3rd set on a tiebreak and had to wrestle back a break of serve in the 4th but he finished strong to beat Marchenko in four sets. And in the quarter finals, Stan took on Juan Martin Del Potro once again this year and this time he got his revenge for their Wimbledon match as Stan beat big Delpo and halted his comeback in four sets, which left a very emotional Del Potro who had won over the crowd with his efforts despite losing the match.
And last of all we have Kei Nishikori who has been in good form so far in the tournament and he went into the last 16 to face Ivo Karlovic and he proved to be too good for the giant Croatian as he beat him in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6.
And...after this Kei went on to face Andy Murray who up to that point had an up and down tournament but despite that Andy went into the match as the heavy favourite having dominated their head to head 7-1.
And it looked to be more of the same for Kei as Andy bossed him from the baseline and mercilessly broke Kei three times to claim the first set. In the 2nd set however the tide turned as the match had to be stopped for a rain delay and they eventually closed the roof and from here, Kei became a different player and went on to break Andy and level the match at a set all. In the 3rd set, Andy managed though to regain his momentum as he broke Kei to grab the 3rd set and the two sets to one lead. And in the 4th, Andy early on had the momentum as he had a break point on Kei's serve but their play was interrupted by a loud gong sound (which later was found out to be the stadium's speaker system having a malfunction). And this noise distracted Andy for the remainder of the set, which let Kei take advantage and break his opponent twice to level the match at two sets all.
And the final set was a nailbiter, which saw momentum swing back and forth between the two players but in the end it was Kei that made the decisive break as he finally managed to break Andy to go 6-5 and he served out the match to end Andy's hopes of winning a 2nd US Open title with a remarkable 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 victory.
And I can't forget to finish off by going back and mentioning the last 4th round match, which was between Lucas Pouille and Rafael Nadal, the former two time champion. The match itself was a thrilling contest that was undoubtedly one of the best matches of the tournament. Pouille made the stronger start winning the first but Rafa went on to claim the 2nd and Pouille nabbed the 3rd and Rafa levelled with the 4th. And in the 5th set we were treated to a nailbiting finale, which saw the match finally go into a deciding tiebreak that saw Pouille pull off a stunning upset and beat Rafa to win in five sets and clinch a stunning 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 win.
SO WHAT NOW FOR RAFA AND ANDY???
Well what indeed. Starting with Rafa, well to his credit he did have a pretty decent US Open run this time around although he only managed to go one stage further than he did last year (the 3rd round where he lost to Fabio Fognini). Rafa however has shown that he has still some way to go when it comes to beating the upcoming stars such as Pouille and maybe also players like Thiem, Raonic and Kyrgios who are all young guns who have the game to beat Rafa. And from here its difficult to see Rafa relcaim his glory days, he has overall done not too badly this year so far as he has won two clay court titles and the Olympic gold medal in the men's doubles. But if he wants to compete at the very top level then he is still has alot of work to do ahead of him and its probably just leaving things a bit late now at this time in his career.
Then there is the concerns over Rafa's wrist injury, which had plagued since his withdrawal at the French Open. However the positive thing is that throughout the US Open, Rafa looked to be playing pain free and also he competed very well at the Olympics, so the signs are at least looking a bit more encouraging Rafa in regards to his fitness. But where he goes from here is just something we will need to wait and see and he has also said he is keen to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals in London at the end of the year so we will have to see how that pans out.
So now onto Andy and well, it has to be said that his quarter final exit to Kei Nishikori was undoubtedly something of a surprise as it was a match where he definitely appeared to have the momentum at certain stages but in the end he just lost his way and Kei played more aggressively at the key points. So this will be a tough loss for Andy to dwell on but the good news is at least he will a bit more time to recover before he goes into the Davis cup semi final in Glasgow where Great Britain will take on Argentina.
One thing however that will hurt Andy as a result of this loss to Nishikori is his chances of closing the gap between himself and Novak for the No.1 spot as it will see him no further forward than he was at the start of the tournament and with Novak still have a very sizeable advantage in points over Andy. And this will see Andy have to make up a great deal of ground in the upcoming tournaments if he is to grab that No.1 spot.
But the concern I have regarding Andy's ambitions for the top spot boils down to one crucial factor, and that is his serve as his serve has always been a liability and at the US Open he struggled badly on his serve with most of matches hovering around the 50% first serves in mark. And it has to be said if Andy wants to overtake Novak in the rankings then 50% first serves in is simply nowhere near good enough and he would need to become more consistent on his own serve and until he does, his chances of reaching the summit of the game looks doubtful.
But regardless of these concerns, Andy has done exceptionally well over the summer having claimed three titles on the trot at Queens, Wimbledon and the Rio Olympics and put together a career best 22 match winning streak, which is something worthy of even Novak's standards. And its quite certain that Andy would have been feeling the effects of fatigue after having played so many matches over the last three months that it was bound to take its toll sometime. And despite all that, Andy has still got it all to play for as the 2016 season nears its end, he might not make to No.1 in the world by the end of it but it'll fun to see if he can get closer to that spot.
SEMI FINAL PREDICTIONS
Right! So now onto the men's semi final predictions and my thoughts on them....
Stan Wawrinka vs Kei Nishikori
This is a hard match to predict given that their head to head is pretty close as Stan leads Kei 3-2 but it was Kei that won their last match in Canada and before Stan beat Kei at the Australian open last year so they have split their last two meetings.
The one decisive factor here however could come down to Kei's fitness as he had the longer match of the two players as it took Kei nearly four hours to put away Andy Murray in five sets, whereas Stan had a more comfortable four set win so this could help make a bit of difference. Another factor however that could be in Kei's favour though is that he won their previous encounter at the US Open, which was an epic encounter that went to five sets and its possible that Kei could repeat the feat here again.
So as for my prediction....well I have to side with Kei here as I think he already has had the advantage of having beaten Stan at the US Open two years and I think it will help him again this time around. Stan for sure is the more experienced player when its comes to playing in grand slam finals, having won two of them already and Kei has yet to win one himself. But I just think if it comes down to dogged athletism and raw speed then Kei might just hold the edge and I think he should come through this one in five sets. So my scoreline prediction (for what little its worth!) is:
Nishikori d. Wawrinka 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.
Novak Djokovic vs Gael Monfils
OK now this one is potentially much easier to predict as Novak simply owns Monfils in their head to head as he has never lost to the Frenchman, so Novak instantly starts off as the hot favourite to win this match.
However Novak still hasn't been fully tested at all in this tournament and that has simply come down to the fact that he as only played two full matches going into the last four, having benefited from a withdrawal and two retirals. Now whether or not this will benefit Novak fully or not remains to be seen as on the plus side he will be alot fresher going into this match but on the other hand, due to the walkovers he's had has left him without much in the way of proper matchplay that could impact on his game. And not only that, Monfils has been pretty efficient in his own matches as he has managed to reach the semi finals without even dropping a set, so he too should be feeling fairly fresh and fit.
But no matter how fit and fresh Monfils might be feeling its hard to bet against Novak on this one as having only played two full matches he will be feeling pretty fresh and good having had ample recovery time for his shoulder that was troubling him earlier in the tournament. And its impossible to not also look at the facts that Novak has never lost to Monfils and even though there is a first time for everything, I don't necessarily see that time being in New York.
So my final prediction will be that Novak comes through this match in four sets to reach another US Open final and my scoreline prediction (again for what its worth!) is:
Djokovic d. Monfils 6-4, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4.
Right! So that's its for now and I will be back soon once the mens and ladies semi final matches are over.
So till then its bye for now!
1st WEEK SEEDS OUT
Right so to kick off in the 1st week we had plenty of seeds tumble out early and to start there was Richard Gasquet who was tunned by the British player, Kyle Edmund who put in a great performance to beat Gasquet in straight sets. David Goffin also suffered defeat at the first hurdle as he went out to the American player, Jared Donaldson in four sets. Bernard Tomic went out in the 1st round too as he was beaten by Damir Dzumhur in four sets in a heated match that saw Tomic get angry with a fan saying something along the lines of "I'll stuff these balls down your throat!". Lovely!
As for the 2nd round losses we had a big casualty in the shape of Milos Raonic who despite his good form in the slams so far this season, suffered a 2nd round exit at the hands of the American, Ryan Harrison who beat Raonic in four sets. Feliciano Lopez also found himself on the losing end in the 2nd round as he got put out by Joao Sousa of Portugal in a four set match. Alexander Zverev, who has been tipped for big things in the future, lost to the British No.2, Dan Evans in a surprising four set defeat. Gilles Simon next was also a sufferer of the 2nd round defeat as he went down to Paolo Lorenzi in an epic five set match. And Steve Johnson also was beaten in the 2nd round by a resurgent Juan Martin Del Potro in straight sets.
As for the 3rd round losses we had David Ferrer who was also beaten by the big Argentine, Del Potro in straight sets. Marin Cilic, the former US Open champion who had also recently won in Cincinnati, suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of the American, Jack Sock in straight sets. Nick Kyrgios also had his misfortunes at this stage when he was forced to retire from his match with Ilya Marchenko in the fourth set having went two sets to one down. And lastly John Isner was stunned by the in form British player, Kyle Edmund in their 3rd round clash which saw Edmund dispatch Isner in four sets.
2ND WEEK MATCHES LAST 16 AND QUARTER FINALS
Right so now onto the 4th round matches (or i.e. the last 16) and quarter final matches which saw the World No.1, Novak Djokovic take on Kyle Edmund. And Novak proved to be simply too strong for Kyle as he dominated the young Brit in a straight sets win 6-2, 6-1, 6-4. Novak would then go on to face Jo-Wilfred Tsonga in the quarter finals, however Tsonga was forced to retire at the start of the 3rd set from a knee injury as Novak was two sets to love up. This had seen Novak get through to the last four having had two opponents, Tsonga and Mikhail Youzhny both retire during the matches and Jiri Vesily withdrawing before his 2nd round match with Novak was due to be played. This now means that Novak has only played two whole matches going into the semi finals, which will see him well rested but I will say more about that situation later.
As for the other matches, Gael Monfils who has shown great form so far in this tournament, he effortlessly beat Marcos Baghdatis in straight sets in the 4th round to reach the last eight in 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. And Monfils would then go on to beat his fellow countryman, Lucas Pouille in another straight sets win this time winning 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 to reach his first US Open semi final. This has now seen Monfils reach the semi finals of the US Open without dropping a single set, which is very impressive in itself and it shows the Frenchman hasn't just got flash but plenty of substance aswell.
Next was Stan Wawrinka who so far has had a bit of an up and down tournament and he was pushed to the limit in his 3rd round match where he took on Dan Evans in an incredible five set match in which Stan had to save a match point in the 4th set tiebreak before going on to dominate the 5th. However in the 4th round, Stan mostly had things under control against Ilya Marchenko and he only suffered a couple of dips when he dropped the 3rd set on a tiebreak and had to wrestle back a break of serve in the 4th but he finished strong to beat Marchenko in four sets. And in the quarter finals, Stan took on Juan Martin Del Potro once again this year and this time he got his revenge for their Wimbledon match as Stan beat big Delpo and halted his comeback in four sets, which left a very emotional Del Potro who had won over the crowd with his efforts despite losing the match.
And last of all we have Kei Nishikori who has been in good form so far in the tournament and he went into the last 16 to face Ivo Karlovic and he proved to be too good for the giant Croatian as he beat him in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6.
And...after this Kei went on to face Andy Murray who up to that point had an up and down tournament but despite that Andy went into the match as the heavy favourite having dominated their head to head 7-1.
And it looked to be more of the same for Kei as Andy bossed him from the baseline and mercilessly broke Kei three times to claim the first set. In the 2nd set however the tide turned as the match had to be stopped for a rain delay and they eventually closed the roof and from here, Kei became a different player and went on to break Andy and level the match at a set all. In the 3rd set, Andy managed though to regain his momentum as he broke Kei to grab the 3rd set and the two sets to one lead. And in the 4th, Andy early on had the momentum as he had a break point on Kei's serve but their play was interrupted by a loud gong sound (which later was found out to be the stadium's speaker system having a malfunction). And this noise distracted Andy for the remainder of the set, which let Kei take advantage and break his opponent twice to level the match at two sets all.
And the final set was a nailbiter, which saw momentum swing back and forth between the two players but in the end it was Kei that made the decisive break as he finally managed to break Andy to go 6-5 and he served out the match to end Andy's hopes of winning a 2nd US Open title with a remarkable 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 victory.
And I can't forget to finish off by going back and mentioning the last 4th round match, which was between Lucas Pouille and Rafael Nadal, the former two time champion. The match itself was a thrilling contest that was undoubtedly one of the best matches of the tournament. Pouille made the stronger start winning the first but Rafa went on to claim the 2nd and Pouille nabbed the 3rd and Rafa levelled with the 4th. And in the 5th set we were treated to a nailbiting finale, which saw the match finally go into a deciding tiebreak that saw Pouille pull off a stunning upset and beat Rafa to win in five sets and clinch a stunning 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 win.
SO WHAT NOW FOR RAFA AND ANDY???
Well what indeed. Starting with Rafa, well to his credit he did have a pretty decent US Open run this time around although he only managed to go one stage further than he did last year (the 3rd round where he lost to Fabio Fognini). Rafa however has shown that he has still some way to go when it comes to beating the upcoming stars such as Pouille and maybe also players like Thiem, Raonic and Kyrgios who are all young guns who have the game to beat Rafa. And from here its difficult to see Rafa relcaim his glory days, he has overall done not too badly this year so far as he has won two clay court titles and the Olympic gold medal in the men's doubles. But if he wants to compete at the very top level then he is still has alot of work to do ahead of him and its probably just leaving things a bit late now at this time in his career.
Then there is the concerns over Rafa's wrist injury, which had plagued since his withdrawal at the French Open. However the positive thing is that throughout the US Open, Rafa looked to be playing pain free and also he competed very well at the Olympics, so the signs are at least looking a bit more encouraging Rafa in regards to his fitness. But where he goes from here is just something we will need to wait and see and he has also said he is keen to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals in London at the end of the year so we will have to see how that pans out.
So now onto Andy and well, it has to be said that his quarter final exit to Kei Nishikori was undoubtedly something of a surprise as it was a match where he definitely appeared to have the momentum at certain stages but in the end he just lost his way and Kei played more aggressively at the key points. So this will be a tough loss for Andy to dwell on but the good news is at least he will a bit more time to recover before he goes into the Davis cup semi final in Glasgow where Great Britain will take on Argentina.
One thing however that will hurt Andy as a result of this loss to Nishikori is his chances of closing the gap between himself and Novak for the No.1 spot as it will see him no further forward than he was at the start of the tournament and with Novak still have a very sizeable advantage in points over Andy. And this will see Andy have to make up a great deal of ground in the upcoming tournaments if he is to grab that No.1 spot.
But the concern I have regarding Andy's ambitions for the top spot boils down to one crucial factor, and that is his serve as his serve has always been a liability and at the US Open he struggled badly on his serve with most of matches hovering around the 50% first serves in mark. And it has to be said if Andy wants to overtake Novak in the rankings then 50% first serves in is simply nowhere near good enough and he would need to become more consistent on his own serve and until he does, his chances of reaching the summit of the game looks doubtful.
But regardless of these concerns, Andy has done exceptionally well over the summer having claimed three titles on the trot at Queens, Wimbledon and the Rio Olympics and put together a career best 22 match winning streak, which is something worthy of even Novak's standards. And its quite certain that Andy would have been feeling the effects of fatigue after having played so many matches over the last three months that it was bound to take its toll sometime. And despite all that, Andy has still got it all to play for as the 2016 season nears its end, he might not make to No.1 in the world by the end of it but it'll fun to see if he can get closer to that spot.
SEMI FINAL PREDICTIONS
Right! So now onto the men's semi final predictions and my thoughts on them....
Stan Wawrinka vs Kei Nishikori
This is a hard match to predict given that their head to head is pretty close as Stan leads Kei 3-2 but it was Kei that won their last match in Canada and before Stan beat Kei at the Australian open last year so they have split their last two meetings.
The one decisive factor here however could come down to Kei's fitness as he had the longer match of the two players as it took Kei nearly four hours to put away Andy Murray in five sets, whereas Stan had a more comfortable four set win so this could help make a bit of difference. Another factor however that could be in Kei's favour though is that he won their previous encounter at the US Open, which was an epic encounter that went to five sets and its possible that Kei could repeat the feat here again.
So as for my prediction....well I have to side with Kei here as I think he already has had the advantage of having beaten Stan at the US Open two years and I think it will help him again this time around. Stan for sure is the more experienced player when its comes to playing in grand slam finals, having won two of them already and Kei has yet to win one himself. But I just think if it comes down to dogged athletism and raw speed then Kei might just hold the edge and I think he should come through this one in five sets. So my scoreline prediction (for what little its worth!) is:
Nishikori d. Wawrinka 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.
Novak Djokovic vs Gael Monfils
OK now this one is potentially much easier to predict as Novak simply owns Monfils in their head to head as he has never lost to the Frenchman, so Novak instantly starts off as the hot favourite to win this match.
However Novak still hasn't been fully tested at all in this tournament and that has simply come down to the fact that he as only played two full matches going into the last four, having benefited from a withdrawal and two retirals. Now whether or not this will benefit Novak fully or not remains to be seen as on the plus side he will be alot fresher going into this match but on the other hand, due to the walkovers he's had has left him without much in the way of proper matchplay that could impact on his game. And not only that, Monfils has been pretty efficient in his own matches as he has managed to reach the semi finals without even dropping a set, so he too should be feeling fairly fresh and fit.
But no matter how fit and fresh Monfils might be feeling its hard to bet against Novak on this one as having only played two full matches he will be feeling pretty fresh and good having had ample recovery time for his shoulder that was troubling him earlier in the tournament. And its impossible to not also look at the facts that Novak has never lost to Monfils and even though there is a first time for everything, I don't necessarily see that time being in New York.
So my final prediction will be that Novak comes through this match in four sets to reach another US Open final and my scoreline prediction (again for what its worth!) is:
Djokovic d. Monfils 6-4, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4.
Right! So that's its for now and I will be back soon once the mens and ladies semi final matches are over.
So till then its bye for now!
2016 US Open update - Ladies Part 1
Right, I'm way behind with starting these posts so I figured rather than do a big detailed list of the matches and the seeds that went out and who is still let's keep it even more concise to catch up for once. So I will quickly list how the 1st week went and into the 2nd week up until the semi finals, which take place tomorrow for the ladies match, which is what I will cover in this first post.
And with that let's take a look....
1ST WEEK SEEDS OUT
Right in the first week we had a number of seeds go out early such as Ana Ivanovic who lost out to Denise Allertova in straight sets. Sara Errani also suffered a first round defeat at the hands of the American, Shelby Rodgers who also won in straight sets. Kiki Bertens went out too in the first round as she was beaten by Ana Konjuh in a close three set match.
As for some of the top seeds inside the top 10 and 20 we first off had a big upset with Garbine Muguruza, the reigning French Open champion, going out in the second round to Anastasia Sevastova in straight sets. Svetlana Kuznetsova also went out at the hands of a resurgent Caroline Wozniacki who beat the former US Open champion in straight sets. Sam Stosur, the former 2011 champion, also went out in the 2nd round as she lost to Zhang Shuai of China with a straight set defeat. Timea Bacsinszky too went down to the American player, Varvara Lepchenko in the second round with a three set loss.
As for the 3rd round defeats there was Dominika Cibulkova, who suffered a three set loss to the Ukranian player, Lesia Tsurenko. Elena Vesnina also lost out to Carla Suarez Navarro in a straight sets match in the last 32. Caroline Garcia of France too was beaten by the Polish No.1, Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets. And lastly Elina Svitolina of the Ukraine suffered her loss at the hands of the two time Wimbledon champion, Petra Kvitova who beat Elina in straight sets.
2ND WEEK MATCHES LAST 16 AND QUARTER FINALS
Now for the 2nd week matches and I will cover up until the quarter finals and I will kick off with the 4th round matches (and why not??). So in the 4th round we had a big upset for the British No.1, Johanna Konta, who took on Anatasija Sevastova of Latvia, however the Latvian proved too good for Konta who sufferd a straight sets defeat to deny her a place in her first US Open quarter final.
As for the wins well we had Caroline Wozniacki, who has been in great form in this tournament and seems to be getting back to her best after suffering a long slump this year and last year. And here Caroline took on Madison Keys and she went on to stun the 8th seed in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 to reach her first major quarter final in two years. And Caroline went on to beat Anatasija Sevastova in the quarter finals in straight sets to reach the last four with an emphatic 6-0, 6-2 victory.
Angelique Kerber who is still vying for the No.1 ranking showed her great form by beating Petra Kivtova in the last 16 and advancing in straight sets with a 6-3, 7-5 win. And Angie went on to face last year's finalist, Roberta Vinci and despite winning a tight first set, Kerber went on to run away with the match and thrashed Vinci with a bagel and sealed her semi final spot in 7-5, 6-0.
Karolina Pliskova, who has shown great form so far this year continued to show her grit as she took on the mighty Venus Williams in their 4th round match, which turned into an epic battle, which went right down to the wire. And despite a valiant battle from the former World No.1 in Venus, it was Pliskova who won a decisive final set tiebreak to reach the quarter finals with a thrilling 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 win. Pliskova would then go on to face the surprise quarter finalist, Ana Konjuh, who was no match for Pliskova who trounced Konjuh in straight sets 6-2, 6-2, to reach her first grand slam semi final.
And last of all Serena Williams, has shown her impressive form again in this tournament as she strolled her way through the first week into the quarter finals by beating Yaroslava Shvedova in straight sets 6-2, 6-3. However Serena encountered her first test of the tournament when she took on Simona Halep in the quarter finals as the dimunitive Romanian took a set against the American before Serena was able to close out the match in the 3rd with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 win.
SEMI FINALS PREDICTION
So......! This sets up the ladies semi final matches and what matches they promise to be as it will see four great players go at it for the right to reach the final. So let's have a quick look at both of these matches and give a prediction....
Serena Williams vs Karolina Pliskova
This is a very intriguing match and even though Serena goes into it as the heavy favourite, they still have only played once and that was two years ago in Stanford where Serena won in straight sets.
However Pliskova has become a much better player since then and she has beaten several big names, most notably Angelique Kerber in Cincinnati, where Pliskova denied Kerber the No.1 spot in the final. Pliskova also has a pretty big serve too in her arsenal, which will do her good against the might of Serena, so if she can get a high percentage of first serves in she can make life difficult for the World No.1.
But....despite all this I still have to go with Serena but I think this could be a fairly close match and I think Serena will win it in two close sets, let's say Williams d. Pliskova 7-6, 6-4.
Angelique Kerber vs Caroline Wozniacki
This is promises to be a real humdinger of a match as both these ladies have quite an interesting rivalry with one another, although it is Kerber that leads their head to head 7-5 but they have split their last four matches with two wins apiece, so this really could be a close one. Not only that there are two other factors to consider too, first off: Caroline has rediscovered her form in this tournament so an upset is possible here and secondly: Kerber is still trying to go for the top spot so she is bound to feel the pressure here and this could lead to the upset.
However as for my prediction I still have to side with Kerber on this one as she is the current World No.2 and a real in form player who has already won a slam whereas Caroline has yet to and unfortunately may well not do before her career is over. But this should still be a cracking match and I think it will go to three sets but Kerber should emerge as the winner, so for what its worth my prediction will be Kerber d. Wozniacki 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.
Right, so that's it for my look at the ladies matches and I will be back soon with my update on the men's matches.
So see you soon....
And with that let's take a look....
1ST WEEK SEEDS OUT
Right in the first week we had a number of seeds go out early such as Ana Ivanovic who lost out to Denise Allertova in straight sets. Sara Errani also suffered a first round defeat at the hands of the American, Shelby Rodgers who also won in straight sets. Kiki Bertens went out too in the first round as she was beaten by Ana Konjuh in a close three set match.
As for some of the top seeds inside the top 10 and 20 we first off had a big upset with Garbine Muguruza, the reigning French Open champion, going out in the second round to Anastasia Sevastova in straight sets. Svetlana Kuznetsova also went out at the hands of a resurgent Caroline Wozniacki who beat the former US Open champion in straight sets. Sam Stosur, the former 2011 champion, also went out in the 2nd round as she lost to Zhang Shuai of China with a straight set defeat. Timea Bacsinszky too went down to the American player, Varvara Lepchenko in the second round with a three set loss.
As for the 3rd round defeats there was Dominika Cibulkova, who suffered a three set loss to the Ukranian player, Lesia Tsurenko. Elena Vesnina also lost out to Carla Suarez Navarro in a straight sets match in the last 32. Caroline Garcia of France too was beaten by the Polish No.1, Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets. And lastly Elina Svitolina of the Ukraine suffered her loss at the hands of the two time Wimbledon champion, Petra Kvitova who beat Elina in straight sets.
2ND WEEK MATCHES LAST 16 AND QUARTER FINALS
Now for the 2nd week matches and I will cover up until the quarter finals and I will kick off with the 4th round matches (and why not??). So in the 4th round we had a big upset for the British No.1, Johanna Konta, who took on Anatasija Sevastova of Latvia, however the Latvian proved too good for Konta who sufferd a straight sets defeat to deny her a place in her first US Open quarter final.
As for the wins well we had Caroline Wozniacki, who has been in great form in this tournament and seems to be getting back to her best after suffering a long slump this year and last year. And here Caroline took on Madison Keys and she went on to stun the 8th seed in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 to reach her first major quarter final in two years. And Caroline went on to beat Anatasija Sevastova in the quarter finals in straight sets to reach the last four with an emphatic 6-0, 6-2 victory.
Angelique Kerber who is still vying for the No.1 ranking showed her great form by beating Petra Kivtova in the last 16 and advancing in straight sets with a 6-3, 7-5 win. And Angie went on to face last year's finalist, Roberta Vinci and despite winning a tight first set, Kerber went on to run away with the match and thrashed Vinci with a bagel and sealed her semi final spot in 7-5, 6-0.
Karolina Pliskova, who has shown great form so far this year continued to show her grit as she took on the mighty Venus Williams in their 4th round match, which turned into an epic battle, which went right down to the wire. And despite a valiant battle from the former World No.1 in Venus, it was Pliskova who won a decisive final set tiebreak to reach the quarter finals with a thrilling 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 win. Pliskova would then go on to face the surprise quarter finalist, Ana Konjuh, who was no match for Pliskova who trounced Konjuh in straight sets 6-2, 6-2, to reach her first grand slam semi final.
And last of all Serena Williams, has shown her impressive form again in this tournament as she strolled her way through the first week into the quarter finals by beating Yaroslava Shvedova in straight sets 6-2, 6-3. However Serena encountered her first test of the tournament when she took on Simona Halep in the quarter finals as the dimunitive Romanian took a set against the American before Serena was able to close out the match in the 3rd with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 win.
SEMI FINALS PREDICTION
So......! This sets up the ladies semi final matches and what matches they promise to be as it will see four great players go at it for the right to reach the final. So let's have a quick look at both of these matches and give a prediction....
Serena Williams vs Karolina Pliskova
This is a very intriguing match and even though Serena goes into it as the heavy favourite, they still have only played once and that was two years ago in Stanford where Serena won in straight sets.
However Pliskova has become a much better player since then and she has beaten several big names, most notably Angelique Kerber in Cincinnati, where Pliskova denied Kerber the No.1 spot in the final. Pliskova also has a pretty big serve too in her arsenal, which will do her good against the might of Serena, so if she can get a high percentage of first serves in she can make life difficult for the World No.1.
But....despite all this I still have to go with Serena but I think this could be a fairly close match and I think Serena will win it in two close sets, let's say Williams d. Pliskova 7-6, 6-4.
Angelique Kerber vs Caroline Wozniacki
This is promises to be a real humdinger of a match as both these ladies have quite an interesting rivalry with one another, although it is Kerber that leads their head to head 7-5 but they have split their last four matches with two wins apiece, so this really could be a close one. Not only that there are two other factors to consider too, first off: Caroline has rediscovered her form in this tournament so an upset is possible here and secondly: Kerber is still trying to go for the top spot so she is bound to feel the pressure here and this could lead to the upset.
However as for my prediction I still have to side with Kerber on this one as she is the current World No.2 and a real in form player who has already won a slam whereas Caroline has yet to and unfortunately may well not do before her career is over. But this should still be a cracking match and I think it will go to three sets but Kerber should emerge as the winner, so for what its worth my prediction will be Kerber d. Wozniacki 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.
Right, so that's it for my look at the ladies matches and I will be back soon with my update on the men's matches.
So see you soon....
Monday, 22 August 2016
2016 US Open Preview - Men's top contenders pick
Right! So the US Open is now just a week away as the final major of the season is nigh and it will see the world's best compete against each other once more. So in this post I will look at my pick of the contenders for the title that include the top favourites to win and those who might go deep and make a good run in New York.
So let's take a look....
1. Andy Murray
Right, so at the top for a change is the British No.1 and current World No.2, Andy Murray who has had a terrific summer so far having nabbed three titles on the trot with Queens, Wimbledon and recently the Olympic gold. Andy has also recruited Ivan Lendl, his former coach, once again in the hope that he will be able to win more majors and replace Novak the summit of the game and no doubt they will be working together over the next two weeks or so in New York. And their parternship so far has gotten off to a great start with Andy winning his 2nd Wimbledon title and he is looking good to repeat that success at Flushing Meadows.
However there are still a couple of snags ahead for Andy, one is that his most recent defeat was at the hands of Marin Cilic in the Cincinnati Masters final yesterday, which ended his unbeaten 22 match winning streak. And this is a defeat that all of a sudden does make Andy looks somewhat vulnerable and beatable again so there is still a small room for doubt if he can somehow muster the energy and the belief to win the next seven matches to claim his 4th major title.
And the other reason is simply Novak Djokovic, who has dominated Andy in their recent grand slam meetings with Andy only having been able to have defeated his nemesis twice in grand slam matches. Novak has of course been looking in questionable however over the summer with his shock defeats at Wimbledon and Olympics, he also has looked more vulnerable that he had before, which came as a real surprise after his French open victory. But it is safe to say that Novak will regroup for the US Open, depending of course if his wrist is still a problem and as such he will remain a serious threat for Andy to overcome.
But I have to say I would still give Andy the edge overall for this tournament and I think with his new sense of focus and intensity at the hands of Lendl, could prove yet another winning combination for him. Andy knows a thing or two about winning this season and he is now equal on the major events alongside Novak this season so far (if you include the Olympics) so I think its fairly safe bet that even if Andy doesn't win the final he should sure be in it, but for my money right now he is the top man. Prediction: champion or finalist.
2. Novak Djokovic
Next is of course Novak Djokovic, the World No.1 who has looked less than himself in recent months after he sustained two shock defeats at Wimbledon to Sam Querrey and Juan Martin Del Potro at the Olympics. And no doubt these are two defeats that will have shaken his confidence somewhat and he was in tears after he lost at the Olympics to Del Potro, which saw chances of winning the career golden slam go up in smoke.
But this guy isn't the world's best player for nothing and no doubt Novak knows how to bounce back from tough defeats and he has done it many times in the past so its a fairly safe bet that he can do so once again in time for New York. Novak will also be back on his beloved hard courts for the US Open so he should also be considered a top favourite for that alone as its overall his best surface and when it comes to the majors he's won 8 of his 12 majors on hard courts.
However there are still other concerns for Novak and not just his recent defeats but also his wrist injury, which kept him out of playing in Cincinnati and he is still yet to announce if he will play in New York although at this stage we can only assume he will be. But even if Novak does play and his wrist isn't still 100 percent then there is still room for doubt over how well he will perform at Flushing meadows this year so for now its all a bit up in the air.
But... regardless of all that, Novak is the World No.1 for a reason and I'm sure he will do all he can to play and if he fit and well enough its safe bet that he will reach the final. And if he does that 13th major could well be his for the taking although I wouldn't rule out an upset that could see him fall but I think the last four or two is for sure if he plays. Prediction: Champion, finalist, semi finals.
3. Marin Cilic
Next is the former US Open champ, Marin Cilic who has had a bit of a turbulent time performance in the last year or so, however he has now shown signs of steadying the ship and he has put in some goof performances already this season. And Marin also won his first Masters title in Cincinnati at the weekend there by beating Andy Murray in the final, which shows when he is on he really can beat the best. There was also at that thrilling match between Cilic and Roger Federer at Wimbledon last month where Cilic took a two sets to love lead and then eventually lost in five sets to Roger and despite the defeat, it still showed Cilic is a dangerous player and one to be reckoned with.
The only snags I see for Cilic are purely down to his draw and who he will face as it could really have an impact on his performance there and Cilic will need to do the best he can to take care of his earlier opponents and not use up too much energy. Cilic also has proven he can be a bit inconsistent at times when taking on the top players and he can get off to a strong start but finish weakly as he did against Roger and even Andy Murray at the US Open four years ago is another example when he went a set and a double break up before Andy fought back and won the match in four sets.
But the good thing for Cilic is he appears to be finding his feet just time for the US Open and it is a tournament he has already won and he is obviously comfortable playing at the event so a 2nd title is far from impossible. So if Cilic does get a good draw he can definitely go on a deep run that could potentially see him win the title although I don't see him as the outright champion he still has a shot, so I think the last four or two could be a possibility. Prediction: finalist, champion, semi finals.
4. Kei Nishikori
Up next is Kei Nishikori who has had an excellent season so far and he has been very consistent throughout 2016. And so far Kei has reached two Masters finals in Miaimi and Toronto and then went on to play at the Olympics in Rio and claimed his first medal, wining the bronze by beating Rafa in three sets. Kei is also a former finalist in New York having lost out to Marin Cilic in the final, he also has managed to do very well at Flushing Meadows and could well go on another good run this year.
But the problems for me with Kei come down to the fact that he lacks any big weapons in his game that often sees him come up short against the likes of Andy or Novak, who he has seldom beaten. Kei also at times can be prone to injury and this could also hamper his progress at the event if it should occur and it would ultimatley see him potentially exit earlier on.
However I do think Kei should enjoy a good run this year and go deep into the tournament although I do have to say I don't see him as the champ but I do think he will make a good stab at it and should reach the final four. Prediction: semi finals.
5. Milos Raonic
At No.5 on the list is the big serving Canadian, Milos Raonic who also has had a very good season so far having reached the finals at Indian Wells and also his first major final at Wimbledon. Raonic's game is also fast improving under the coaching of John McEnroe who has taken him on over the grass court season and apparently appears to be still carrying out the role although on a part-time basis as he still has his commentating duties. Raonic also in recent times added to his powerful serve by becoming a decent volleyer aswell as improving his overall fitness and movement that makes him a formidable player.
The only problems for me with Raonic however is that he lacks the overall speed and athletism to really take it to the likes of Nole and Andy on a consistent basis as he has failed to beat either of them this year alone (and he has never beaten Novak for that matter). Raonic also needs to improve on when to use his aggression and power game and when not to use it as his potent shots can often misfire and let him down when he is pushed in longer rallies.
But depsite this I would still say that Raonic will have a pretty good run at Flushing Meadows and I do think its possible he could well reach the last eight or four before he eventually goes out. Prediction: quarter finals or semis.
6. Dominic Thiem
Next on the list is the fast rising Austrian player, Dominic Thiem who has exploded onto the scene this year having made his debut in the top 10 and at one stage he had won more matches than any other player this season (although he may have been overtaken since). Thiem also looks set to be a potential future World No.1 as he has the game, the speed and the ability and the mentality to make it to the top.
However right now I still think Thiem is a work in progress and he has much to learn before he can really get himself up to the very top of the game and so far he is still coming up second best against the likes of Novak, who thrashed him earlier this year at the French Open semi finals in straight sets. Thiem also appears to be stronger on clay than the other surfaces although he has won titles on all three surfaces this year alone but when it comes to the slams he will need to make further improvements on all surfaces before he will become the best there is.
But regardless of all that I still think that Dom should have a good tournament and I think he could possibly reach the last eight at Flushing Meadows before he potentially exits. Prediction: quarter finals.
7. Stan Wawrinka
Next up is Stan "the man" Wawrinka who has had a really up and down season so far, which is atypical of most of his seasons right neough. Yet, Stan is one of the two men in the last five years that has actually managed to win a grand slam outside the big four and the fact that he has won two makes him a formidable player when he is on his game.
But this season so far we have not seen a trace of that Stan of last year who defeated Novak Djokovic in the French Open final and instead he has been meandering in his results with a 4th round exit in Melbourne and a 2nd round defeat at Wimbledon. And Stan is very much a player who either blows hot or cold and when he is on he is near unbeatable but when he is off then he very much beatable. So Stan will really need to find his form and work his way into the tournament if he is to go on and win his first US Open title.
However regardless of that, Stan could still have a decent run in New York and even though I don't see him as the eventual champion either I think he could do well enough to reach the last eight. Prediction: quarter finals.
8. Rafael Nadal
Then we have the former two time champion, Rafa Nadal, who so far has had a season of mixed fortunes as early on he looked in good shape during the clay court season where he won his first Masters title in two years at Monte Carlo and also another title in Barcelona. However Rafa's season had been cut short temporarily during the French open due to a wrist injury that saw him wtihdraw from the event to undergo recovery. Rafa however did make a strong comeback at the Olympics where he put in a very good showing and he won the Olympic gold medal in doubles and he reached the semi finals of the singles event.
However there have been some real danger signs again for Rafa after the Olympics as he decided to go and play in Cincinnati, which I personally thought was a strange move given that before the Olympics he said he would not have played if it was any other event. And as a result of this Rafa's wrist troubles appeared to resurface during his 3rd round match in Cincinnati against Borna Coric, which saw him go out early and this left yet another big question mark over Rafa's fitness to play on the tour. So it still remains to be seen if Rafa will choose to compete or give the US Open a miss this year and even if he does can his wrist stand up to the pace of playing seven best of five set matches? In his current state probably not. But so far Rafa has claimed he full intends to play at the US Open despite any ongoing issues with his wrist.
So for me my prediction will depend purely on Rafa's attendance at the US Open in the first place but for argument's sake let's say he does play then I still think Rafa could have a fairly decent shot at getting into the 2nd week. However I don't see Rafa making it to the final as I'm sure he is bound to come up short against one of the other top players or maybe even this wrist could end up becoming an issue again. So I think that Rafa might or might not make the 2nd week so for me I think maybe the last 32, 16 or 8 could be a realistic guess. Prediction: 3rd, 4th round or quarter finals.
9. David Goffin
Next up is the Belgium No.1, David Goffin, who has also had a very good year so far in 2016 and he most notably was also part of the Davis cup team last year who played Great Britain in the final, which Goffin lost to in the deciding match to Andy Murray. But Goffin has shown great promise so far this season having reached back to back Masters semi finals at Indian Wells and Miami and he even reached his maiden slam quarter final at the French open.
However the problem I have with Goffin simply comes down to the fact that he lacks any big weapons in his game and his height of 5ft 11 leaves him at a disadvantage against taller opponents who have more firepower. So Goffin simply has to rely on his speed and athletism to combat against the top players but that in itself may not be enough.
But regardless of this I think Goffin could also enjoy a decent run at the US Open and he could very well make it into the last 16 or 8. Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.
10. Juan Martin Del Potro
And last but not least by any means is the Olympic runner up, Juan Martin Del Potro, who stunned everyone with his impressive showing at the Olympics where he beat both Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal on his way to the final. Delpo has also had his misfortunes of late as he has just returned earlier this year from a continued wrist injury that saw him undergo two surgeries. However Delpo proved at the Olympics he belongs back in the top 10 and being a former US Open champ he knows already what it takes to win a major.
The only problem however for Del Potro is in how his draw will work out for him as he could easily come up short at any time if he plays the wrong opponent, however he could end up making a deep run in New York also. Del Potro is also still lacking in five set matchplay this year as he has only played at Wimbledon in the slams and he had that one incredible four set match against Andy Murray in the Rio Olympic final, which left him almost dead on his feet, so his fitness over five set matches at this stage could still possibly be an issue.
But....Del Potro is that one guy that can cause an upset out of nowhere and he is very much a top 10 player, even if his current ranking is inside the top 200, make no mistake he was playing top 10 tennis at the Olympics. And if he continues to do so at the US Open then I think he may yet have a shot at winning his 2nd title at Flushing Meadows. But if I'm being entirely honest I think that's a bridge too far at this point and more realistically I would say that Del Potro has a shot at reaching the last 16 or 8 before he exits New York: Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.
Right! So that's it for now and I will be back to do some coverage of the US Open once it get's underway.
So until then its bye the now.
So let's take a look....
1. Andy Murray
Right, so at the top for a change is the British No.1 and current World No.2, Andy Murray who has had a terrific summer so far having nabbed three titles on the trot with Queens, Wimbledon and recently the Olympic gold. Andy has also recruited Ivan Lendl, his former coach, once again in the hope that he will be able to win more majors and replace Novak the summit of the game and no doubt they will be working together over the next two weeks or so in New York. And their parternship so far has gotten off to a great start with Andy winning his 2nd Wimbledon title and he is looking good to repeat that success at Flushing Meadows.
However there are still a couple of snags ahead for Andy, one is that his most recent defeat was at the hands of Marin Cilic in the Cincinnati Masters final yesterday, which ended his unbeaten 22 match winning streak. And this is a defeat that all of a sudden does make Andy looks somewhat vulnerable and beatable again so there is still a small room for doubt if he can somehow muster the energy and the belief to win the next seven matches to claim his 4th major title.
And the other reason is simply Novak Djokovic, who has dominated Andy in their recent grand slam meetings with Andy only having been able to have defeated his nemesis twice in grand slam matches. Novak has of course been looking in questionable however over the summer with his shock defeats at Wimbledon and Olympics, he also has looked more vulnerable that he had before, which came as a real surprise after his French open victory. But it is safe to say that Novak will regroup for the US Open, depending of course if his wrist is still a problem and as such he will remain a serious threat for Andy to overcome.
But I have to say I would still give Andy the edge overall for this tournament and I think with his new sense of focus and intensity at the hands of Lendl, could prove yet another winning combination for him. Andy knows a thing or two about winning this season and he is now equal on the major events alongside Novak this season so far (if you include the Olympics) so I think its fairly safe bet that even if Andy doesn't win the final he should sure be in it, but for my money right now he is the top man. Prediction: champion or finalist.
2. Novak Djokovic
Next is of course Novak Djokovic, the World No.1 who has looked less than himself in recent months after he sustained two shock defeats at Wimbledon to Sam Querrey and Juan Martin Del Potro at the Olympics. And no doubt these are two defeats that will have shaken his confidence somewhat and he was in tears after he lost at the Olympics to Del Potro, which saw chances of winning the career golden slam go up in smoke.
But this guy isn't the world's best player for nothing and no doubt Novak knows how to bounce back from tough defeats and he has done it many times in the past so its a fairly safe bet that he can do so once again in time for New York. Novak will also be back on his beloved hard courts for the US Open so he should also be considered a top favourite for that alone as its overall his best surface and when it comes to the majors he's won 8 of his 12 majors on hard courts.
However there are still other concerns for Novak and not just his recent defeats but also his wrist injury, which kept him out of playing in Cincinnati and he is still yet to announce if he will play in New York although at this stage we can only assume he will be. But even if Novak does play and his wrist isn't still 100 percent then there is still room for doubt over how well he will perform at Flushing meadows this year so for now its all a bit up in the air.
But... regardless of all that, Novak is the World No.1 for a reason and I'm sure he will do all he can to play and if he fit and well enough its safe bet that he will reach the final. And if he does that 13th major could well be his for the taking although I wouldn't rule out an upset that could see him fall but I think the last four or two is for sure if he plays. Prediction: Champion, finalist, semi finals.
3. Marin Cilic
Next is the former US Open champ, Marin Cilic who has had a bit of a turbulent time performance in the last year or so, however he has now shown signs of steadying the ship and he has put in some goof performances already this season. And Marin also won his first Masters title in Cincinnati at the weekend there by beating Andy Murray in the final, which shows when he is on he really can beat the best. There was also at that thrilling match between Cilic and Roger Federer at Wimbledon last month where Cilic took a two sets to love lead and then eventually lost in five sets to Roger and despite the defeat, it still showed Cilic is a dangerous player and one to be reckoned with.
The only snags I see for Cilic are purely down to his draw and who he will face as it could really have an impact on his performance there and Cilic will need to do the best he can to take care of his earlier opponents and not use up too much energy. Cilic also has proven he can be a bit inconsistent at times when taking on the top players and he can get off to a strong start but finish weakly as he did against Roger and even Andy Murray at the US Open four years ago is another example when he went a set and a double break up before Andy fought back and won the match in four sets.
But the good thing for Cilic is he appears to be finding his feet just time for the US Open and it is a tournament he has already won and he is obviously comfortable playing at the event so a 2nd title is far from impossible. So if Cilic does get a good draw he can definitely go on a deep run that could potentially see him win the title although I don't see him as the outright champion he still has a shot, so I think the last four or two could be a possibility. Prediction: finalist, champion, semi finals.
4. Kei Nishikori
Up next is Kei Nishikori who has had an excellent season so far and he has been very consistent throughout 2016. And so far Kei has reached two Masters finals in Miaimi and Toronto and then went on to play at the Olympics in Rio and claimed his first medal, wining the bronze by beating Rafa in three sets. Kei is also a former finalist in New York having lost out to Marin Cilic in the final, he also has managed to do very well at Flushing Meadows and could well go on another good run this year.
But the problems for me with Kei come down to the fact that he lacks any big weapons in his game that often sees him come up short against the likes of Andy or Novak, who he has seldom beaten. Kei also at times can be prone to injury and this could also hamper his progress at the event if it should occur and it would ultimatley see him potentially exit earlier on.
However I do think Kei should enjoy a good run this year and go deep into the tournament although I do have to say I don't see him as the champ but I do think he will make a good stab at it and should reach the final four. Prediction: semi finals.
5. Milos Raonic
At No.5 on the list is the big serving Canadian, Milos Raonic who also has had a very good season so far having reached the finals at Indian Wells and also his first major final at Wimbledon. Raonic's game is also fast improving under the coaching of John McEnroe who has taken him on over the grass court season and apparently appears to be still carrying out the role although on a part-time basis as he still has his commentating duties. Raonic also in recent times added to his powerful serve by becoming a decent volleyer aswell as improving his overall fitness and movement that makes him a formidable player.
The only problems for me with Raonic however is that he lacks the overall speed and athletism to really take it to the likes of Nole and Andy on a consistent basis as he has failed to beat either of them this year alone (and he has never beaten Novak for that matter). Raonic also needs to improve on when to use his aggression and power game and when not to use it as his potent shots can often misfire and let him down when he is pushed in longer rallies.
But depsite this I would still say that Raonic will have a pretty good run at Flushing Meadows and I do think its possible he could well reach the last eight or four before he eventually goes out. Prediction: quarter finals or semis.
6. Dominic Thiem
Next on the list is the fast rising Austrian player, Dominic Thiem who has exploded onto the scene this year having made his debut in the top 10 and at one stage he had won more matches than any other player this season (although he may have been overtaken since). Thiem also looks set to be a potential future World No.1 as he has the game, the speed and the ability and the mentality to make it to the top.
However right now I still think Thiem is a work in progress and he has much to learn before he can really get himself up to the very top of the game and so far he is still coming up second best against the likes of Novak, who thrashed him earlier this year at the French Open semi finals in straight sets. Thiem also appears to be stronger on clay than the other surfaces although he has won titles on all three surfaces this year alone but when it comes to the slams he will need to make further improvements on all surfaces before he will become the best there is.
But regardless of all that I still think that Dom should have a good tournament and I think he could possibly reach the last eight at Flushing Meadows before he potentially exits. Prediction: quarter finals.
7. Stan Wawrinka
Next up is Stan "the man" Wawrinka who has had a really up and down season so far, which is atypical of most of his seasons right neough. Yet, Stan is one of the two men in the last five years that has actually managed to win a grand slam outside the big four and the fact that he has won two makes him a formidable player when he is on his game.
But this season so far we have not seen a trace of that Stan of last year who defeated Novak Djokovic in the French Open final and instead he has been meandering in his results with a 4th round exit in Melbourne and a 2nd round defeat at Wimbledon. And Stan is very much a player who either blows hot or cold and when he is on he is near unbeatable but when he is off then he very much beatable. So Stan will really need to find his form and work his way into the tournament if he is to go on and win his first US Open title.
However regardless of that, Stan could still have a decent run in New York and even though I don't see him as the eventual champion either I think he could do well enough to reach the last eight. Prediction: quarter finals.
8. Rafael Nadal
Then we have the former two time champion, Rafa Nadal, who so far has had a season of mixed fortunes as early on he looked in good shape during the clay court season where he won his first Masters title in two years at Monte Carlo and also another title in Barcelona. However Rafa's season had been cut short temporarily during the French open due to a wrist injury that saw him wtihdraw from the event to undergo recovery. Rafa however did make a strong comeback at the Olympics where he put in a very good showing and he won the Olympic gold medal in doubles and he reached the semi finals of the singles event.
However there have been some real danger signs again for Rafa after the Olympics as he decided to go and play in Cincinnati, which I personally thought was a strange move given that before the Olympics he said he would not have played if it was any other event. And as a result of this Rafa's wrist troubles appeared to resurface during his 3rd round match in Cincinnati against Borna Coric, which saw him go out early and this left yet another big question mark over Rafa's fitness to play on the tour. So it still remains to be seen if Rafa will choose to compete or give the US Open a miss this year and even if he does can his wrist stand up to the pace of playing seven best of five set matches? In his current state probably not. But so far Rafa has claimed he full intends to play at the US Open despite any ongoing issues with his wrist.
So for me my prediction will depend purely on Rafa's attendance at the US Open in the first place but for argument's sake let's say he does play then I still think Rafa could have a fairly decent shot at getting into the 2nd week. However I don't see Rafa making it to the final as I'm sure he is bound to come up short against one of the other top players or maybe even this wrist could end up becoming an issue again. So I think that Rafa might or might not make the 2nd week so for me I think maybe the last 32, 16 or 8 could be a realistic guess. Prediction: 3rd, 4th round or quarter finals.
9. David Goffin
Next up is the Belgium No.1, David Goffin, who has also had a very good year so far in 2016 and he most notably was also part of the Davis cup team last year who played Great Britain in the final, which Goffin lost to in the deciding match to Andy Murray. But Goffin has shown great promise so far this season having reached back to back Masters semi finals at Indian Wells and Miami and he even reached his maiden slam quarter final at the French open.
However the problem I have with Goffin simply comes down to the fact that he lacks any big weapons in his game and his height of 5ft 11 leaves him at a disadvantage against taller opponents who have more firepower. So Goffin simply has to rely on his speed and athletism to combat against the top players but that in itself may not be enough.
But regardless of this I think Goffin could also enjoy a decent run at the US Open and he could very well make it into the last 16 or 8. Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.
10. Juan Martin Del Potro
And last but not least by any means is the Olympic runner up, Juan Martin Del Potro, who stunned everyone with his impressive showing at the Olympics where he beat both Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal on his way to the final. Delpo has also had his misfortunes of late as he has just returned earlier this year from a continued wrist injury that saw him undergo two surgeries. However Delpo proved at the Olympics he belongs back in the top 10 and being a former US Open champ he knows already what it takes to win a major.
The only problem however for Del Potro is in how his draw will work out for him as he could easily come up short at any time if he plays the wrong opponent, however he could end up making a deep run in New York also. Del Potro is also still lacking in five set matchplay this year as he has only played at Wimbledon in the slams and he had that one incredible four set match against Andy Murray in the Rio Olympic final, which left him almost dead on his feet, so his fitness over five set matches at this stage could still possibly be an issue.
But....Del Potro is that one guy that can cause an upset out of nowhere and he is very much a top 10 player, even if his current ranking is inside the top 200, make no mistake he was playing top 10 tennis at the Olympics. And if he continues to do so at the US Open then I think he may yet have a shot at winning his 2nd title at Flushing Meadows. But if I'm being entirely honest I think that's a bridge too far at this point and more realistically I would say that Del Potro has a shot at reaching the last 16 or 8 before he exits New York: Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.
Right! So that's it for now and I will be back to do some coverage of the US Open once it get's underway.
So until then its bye the now.
Monday, 15 August 2016
Rio 2016 Olympics - Men's event review
OK so now to get onto the men's tournament at the Rio 2016 Olympics and let's see who claimed the top prizes in the men's.
EARLY EXITS AND UPSETS
First up to cover the early exits and upsets well the early exits of the top seeds included David Ferrer, who lost out to the Russian player, Evgeny Donskoy in a very tense three set battle that saw the Russian come back from a set down to win 3-6, 7-6, 7-5. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also suffered an early defeat at the hands of the Luxembourg player, Gilles Muller in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. Jack Sock of the USA also had an early exit in the 1st round as he came up short against the Japenese player, Taro Daniel in staight sets, 6-4, 6-4. Marin Cilic of Croatia and the former US Open champion suffered an exit in the 3rd round to Gael Monfils in a very close three set match that saw the Frenchman top Cilic in 6-7, 6-3, 6-4. And lastly David Goffin of Beligum went out at the hands of the home favourite, Thomaz Bellucci as the Brazilian won the match in straight sets, 7-6, 6-4.
And now for the biggest upset of them all which saw the World No.1, Novak Djokovic, who was seeking his first Olympic gold medal, come up against Juan Martin Del Potro in his opening round. And the match itself proved to be its last for the top seed as Del Potro put in a stunning performance to put out Novak in two tiebreak sets 7-6, 7-6 to pull off the biggest upset of the tournament and with it end Novak's dreams of completing his golden career slam.
Well this was no doubt the biggest surprise of the tournament which was an almost perplexing loss for Novak who after the match finished, broke down in tears and was devastated at losing out so early in the event. However it was soon revealed that Novak had been suffering from a recurring wrist injury after the rigours of his tennis season so far but I will get onto that in a bit more detail later. Meanwhile Del Potro really re-established himself once again in the tennis world with this performance after having been out of the game for such a long time with injury and there was even more to come for the big Argentine.
SEMI FINAL MATCHES
And this brings me onto the men's semi final matches which saw in the first match Andy Murray, the defending gold medal champion take on Kei Nishikori for a place in the final.
And to quickly recap both men had come through tough quarter final matches as Nishikori survived a 3rd set tiebreaker against Gael Monfils, who double faulted on match point to let Nishikori back into the match and win it. And Andy had two tough prior matches where in the 3rd round he looked to be exiting early as he played the dangerous, Fabio Fognini who took a 3-0 lead in the 3rd set but Andy managed somehow to break back and turn it around. And after this Andy had to endure another tough battle against the in form American, Steve Johnson, who pushed Andy to a 3rd set tiebreak, which Andy dominated to reach the semis.
So their semi final match had alot riding on it however it was Andy that made a stronger start and Nishikori got careless on his serve and ended up suffering a double break and Andy handed him a matchstick (6-1). And in the 2nd set, Kei seemed to be struggling with his feet as he changed his shoes his movement appeared to be hampered and he went down a break again and despite a valiant attempt to beak back, Andy served out the match to reach his 2nd gold medal final with a commanding 6-1, 6-4 win.
So now onto the second men's semi final which was between Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin Del Potro as both men looked set for an epic contest infront of a firey crowd of Brazilian/Spanish and Argentine fans. And the match itself did not disappoint as both men were locked into an outright battle for the final that saw Rafa take the opening set. However in the 2nd set, Del Potro mounted his spirited fightback that saw him break Rafa and take the match into a deciding set. And in the 3rd and final set both players treated the crowd to a thrilling contest as the match's momentum swung to and fro and Del Potro appeared to have the upper hand at serving for the match at 5-4 only for Rafa to break back. And play went into a very tense tiebreak that saw Rafa even recover a minibreak down to go 6-5 to Delpo but he ended up spraying a forehand and with that Delpo fell to the ground in delight as he won an incredible epic match in 3 hours and 10 minutes with a score of 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 that saw him reach his first Olympic gold medal final.
Well there is not much doubt that this was one of the best matches of the tournament that saw both men put in an incredible effort on the court for a decidedly split crowd who were both booing and cheering the two players but they produced an incredible atmosphere all the same. And I personally thought it looked certain that Rafa would come out on top of this one but in the end it wasn't to be and Delpo deserves nothing but credit for how he turned this one around in his favour from a set down. And it also reinforced how Del Potro really has recovered his great form and despite his current low ranking of 141, he is playing top 10 tennis.
BRONZE MEDAL PLAY OFF
As for the bronze medal play off match it saw both losing semi finalists, Rafael Nadal and Kei Nishikori face each other for the 3rd place prize. And the match itself proved to be an absorbing encounter that had twists and turns and it was Nishikori that made the stronger start as he had the shorter match the other day against Andy, whereas Rafa played over three hours against Del Potro so is fatigue was evident as Kei won the first set with a double break. And in the 2nd set, Rafa continued to appear to be running on empty as he went down a double break again and it looked to be all over for the Spaniard.
However the match took another turn when Kei was unable to serve it out twice and Rafa levelled to go 5-5 and play then went into a tiebreak that saw Rafa dominate it to much to the surprise of everyone, take the match into a decider. However in the final set, Rafa appeared to be distracted by Kei's long 12 minute bathroom break at the start of the set and he lost concentration as he went down another break. And this time, Kei did not relent as he finally closed the barn door and claimed one of his biggest wins and the bronze medal with a 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 win.
Well there was not much doubt this was another high quality match and a fascinating battle between two top players and the twists and turns in the 2nd set also made it great to watch. And I think its great to see Kei win this medal as he was clearly the better player for the most part and for once losing quickly worked in his favour as it left him fresher for this match. And this will rank as one of Kei's biggest achievements as winning any medal in the Olympics is quite an achievement in itself so he deserves it. Although there was a bit of controversy from Rafa over Kei's decision to go for a lengthy bathroom break before the start of the 3rd set, which did appear to affect Rafa's concentration but in the end Kei was the fresher player and fatigued in the end played its part in Rafa's defeat.
And as for Rafa, well he will no doubt be disappointed with this loss but he gave all that he had left in it and he also gave his absolute all in the semi final against Del Potro so ultimately it would take its toll. However Rafa will take many positives out of the Olympics as he not only reached the bronze medal play-off in the singles, he also won his first Olympic gold medal in the men's doubles as he won the event with his doubles partner, Marc Lopez.
So Rafa is looking to be in good form ahead of the US Open and let's hope that he will be able to compete there if all is good and well with his wrist. And rather suprisingly Rafa has decided to play in the Cincinnati masters this week even though he has indicated that his wrist is still not 100 percent but he is keen to play so he can try and bump up his points in the race to play the year end finals at the o2 in London. This might be a dangerous decision though on Rafa's part because he could risk further damage to his wrist but it is ultimately his decision and let's hope it isn't one that will affect his ability to play for the remainder of the season.
MEN'S GOLD MEDAL FINAL
Sooooo this brings me onto the men's final between Andy Murray and Juan Martin Del Potro in what promised to be a highly intriguing match. Although Andy went into the match as a heavy favourite given his current form and having been on a 17 match winning streak going into the final he looked to be surefire winner.
As for the match itself....well it delivered on its promise in spades as both men produced an incredible match that was more than worthy of an Olympic final.
And the match itself had its fair share of twists and turns as even in the 1st set despite taking an early lead, Andy kept dropping his serve to let Delpo back into the match. However as play went to 6-5 with Delpo serving to take the match into a breaker it was Andy that made his move and broke Delpo to grab the first set. In the 2nd set however, Andy came off the boil and starting to make more errors and dropped serve again and this time Delpo took advantage and went on to level the match at a set all. In the 3rd set however, Andy managed to regain the momentum as Del Potro started to tire from his efforts in the match and also his Rafa match, and Andy broke Delpo twice to grab the two sets to one lead. And in the 4th set both men produced some thrilling points and great tennis that saw momentum swing back and forth as Delpo twice went a break up only for Andy to break back twice. And at 6-5 with Delpo serving again for a tiebreak, Andy made his move and on his 2nd gold medal point he sealed the deal as Delpo netted a backhand that saw Andy win his second gold medal with a stunning 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 win.
Well... there is little doubt that this was not only the match of the tournament but one of the best matches of the year as for four hours and two minutes both men produced a sensational encounter for the 8,000 strong crowd. And both men gave their absolute all throughout even though there were many dips during the match from both players, the intensity was always there and the crowd, which produced the atmosphere of a football match also played their part in what was a memorable experience.
As for Andy this surely ranks as one of the crowning achievements of his career as he successfully defended his gold medal and he became the first singles player in the history of the Olympics to do so and win back to back golds. And despite at times some atrocious serving, Andy was able to dictate play and physically outlast Del Potro at the key moments in the match that in absence of Djokovic, showed him to be the best player on the planet right now. And it was the perfect way to cap off a memorable summer, which will see Andy head into the US Open with much confidence.
As for Del Potro well there is no doubt this will be a tough loss for him but he said after the match he was very proud to win the silver medal and he has every right to be as he truly re-established himself as a top player in this event. And this match proved once again what a great player Delpo really is and its a pity that he had been out of the game for so long as he could well have went on to win several more major titles of his own had he had kept healthy. But with this tournament, Del Potro has proven he is back to his best and from here things can only get better as he will go into the US Open also with a great deal of confidence that could see him make a good run there.
SO WHAT NOW FOR ANDY HEADING INTO THE US OPEN????
Well....what indeed as Andy right now is arguably the best player in the world in absence of Novak Djokovic, who is currently out of the game with a wrist injury but he is set to return for the US Open at the end of the month. But even if Novak does return for the US Open is there any gurarantee that he will be able to get back ontop and win a 3rd title at Flushing meadows??? Well this is the one question that remains to be answered as first of all we will need to wait and see if Novak will be fit enough to play the event but if he doesn't then Andy is the hot favourite to win. And right now the way I see things is that Andy right now is the hot favourite to win the US Open given his current form and that he is on an 18 match winning streak (the longest of his career).
However the only question mark for Andy right now is how much has he got left in the tank after the Olympics as he has to play the Cincinnati masters event this week before the US Open comes round. And Andy's winning streak could easily come to an end as he will no doubt be feeling the effects of fatigue after the Olympics tournament so its questionable that he will be able to go on to win in Cincinnati. However I wouldn't be concerned if Andy does go out as it would be purely down to fatigue more than anything else and no doubt if he does lose in Cincy then he will no doubt come back strong and regroup for the US Open.
SUM UP
Right so to sum up its been a terrific tournament for men's tennis at the Olympics and it ends again with a terrific result for Great Britain as Andy Murray claimed the gold medal for the 2nd time and in the final we got a terrific and highly memorable match. And for me personally this was a far better and more competitive match than Andy's Wimbledon triumph last month and it will surely remain as a match that will last long in the memory and with it Andy made his own piece of history by winning back to back singles gold medals.
So next up is the US Open and I will do a preview on that for the men's event and give my pick of the top contenders for the title (and I think I know who I will put right at the top!) within the next week or so once Cincinnati has finished.
Right so until the next one its bye for now!
EARLY EXITS AND UPSETS
First up to cover the early exits and upsets well the early exits of the top seeds included David Ferrer, who lost out to the Russian player, Evgeny Donskoy in a very tense three set battle that saw the Russian come back from a set down to win 3-6, 7-6, 7-5. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also suffered an early defeat at the hands of the Luxembourg player, Gilles Muller in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. Jack Sock of the USA also had an early exit in the 1st round as he came up short against the Japenese player, Taro Daniel in staight sets, 6-4, 6-4. Marin Cilic of Croatia and the former US Open champion suffered an exit in the 3rd round to Gael Monfils in a very close three set match that saw the Frenchman top Cilic in 6-7, 6-3, 6-4. And lastly David Goffin of Beligum went out at the hands of the home favourite, Thomaz Bellucci as the Brazilian won the match in straight sets, 7-6, 6-4.
And now for the biggest upset of them all which saw the World No.1, Novak Djokovic, who was seeking his first Olympic gold medal, come up against Juan Martin Del Potro in his opening round. And the match itself proved to be its last for the top seed as Del Potro put in a stunning performance to put out Novak in two tiebreak sets 7-6, 7-6 to pull off the biggest upset of the tournament and with it end Novak's dreams of completing his golden career slam.
Well this was no doubt the biggest surprise of the tournament which was an almost perplexing loss for Novak who after the match finished, broke down in tears and was devastated at losing out so early in the event. However it was soon revealed that Novak had been suffering from a recurring wrist injury after the rigours of his tennis season so far but I will get onto that in a bit more detail later. Meanwhile Del Potro really re-established himself once again in the tennis world with this performance after having been out of the game for such a long time with injury and there was even more to come for the big Argentine.
SEMI FINAL MATCHES
And this brings me onto the men's semi final matches which saw in the first match Andy Murray, the defending gold medal champion take on Kei Nishikori for a place in the final.
And to quickly recap both men had come through tough quarter final matches as Nishikori survived a 3rd set tiebreaker against Gael Monfils, who double faulted on match point to let Nishikori back into the match and win it. And Andy had two tough prior matches where in the 3rd round he looked to be exiting early as he played the dangerous, Fabio Fognini who took a 3-0 lead in the 3rd set but Andy managed somehow to break back and turn it around. And after this Andy had to endure another tough battle against the in form American, Steve Johnson, who pushed Andy to a 3rd set tiebreak, which Andy dominated to reach the semis.
So their semi final match had alot riding on it however it was Andy that made a stronger start and Nishikori got careless on his serve and ended up suffering a double break and Andy handed him a matchstick (6-1). And in the 2nd set, Kei seemed to be struggling with his feet as he changed his shoes his movement appeared to be hampered and he went down a break again and despite a valiant attempt to beak back, Andy served out the match to reach his 2nd gold medal final with a commanding 6-1, 6-4 win.
So now onto the second men's semi final which was between Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin Del Potro as both men looked set for an epic contest infront of a firey crowd of Brazilian/Spanish and Argentine fans. And the match itself did not disappoint as both men were locked into an outright battle for the final that saw Rafa take the opening set. However in the 2nd set, Del Potro mounted his spirited fightback that saw him break Rafa and take the match into a deciding set. And in the 3rd and final set both players treated the crowd to a thrilling contest as the match's momentum swung to and fro and Del Potro appeared to have the upper hand at serving for the match at 5-4 only for Rafa to break back. And play went into a very tense tiebreak that saw Rafa even recover a minibreak down to go 6-5 to Delpo but he ended up spraying a forehand and with that Delpo fell to the ground in delight as he won an incredible epic match in 3 hours and 10 minutes with a score of 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 that saw him reach his first Olympic gold medal final.
Well there is not much doubt that this was one of the best matches of the tournament that saw both men put in an incredible effort on the court for a decidedly split crowd who were both booing and cheering the two players but they produced an incredible atmosphere all the same. And I personally thought it looked certain that Rafa would come out on top of this one but in the end it wasn't to be and Delpo deserves nothing but credit for how he turned this one around in his favour from a set down. And it also reinforced how Del Potro really has recovered his great form and despite his current low ranking of 141, he is playing top 10 tennis.
BRONZE MEDAL PLAY OFF
As for the bronze medal play off match it saw both losing semi finalists, Rafael Nadal and Kei Nishikori face each other for the 3rd place prize. And the match itself proved to be an absorbing encounter that had twists and turns and it was Nishikori that made the stronger start as he had the shorter match the other day against Andy, whereas Rafa played over three hours against Del Potro so is fatigue was evident as Kei won the first set with a double break. And in the 2nd set, Rafa continued to appear to be running on empty as he went down a double break again and it looked to be all over for the Spaniard.
However the match took another turn when Kei was unable to serve it out twice and Rafa levelled to go 5-5 and play then went into a tiebreak that saw Rafa dominate it to much to the surprise of everyone, take the match into a decider. However in the final set, Rafa appeared to be distracted by Kei's long 12 minute bathroom break at the start of the set and he lost concentration as he went down another break. And this time, Kei did not relent as he finally closed the barn door and claimed one of his biggest wins and the bronze medal with a 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 win.
Well there was not much doubt this was another high quality match and a fascinating battle between two top players and the twists and turns in the 2nd set also made it great to watch. And I think its great to see Kei win this medal as he was clearly the better player for the most part and for once losing quickly worked in his favour as it left him fresher for this match. And this will rank as one of Kei's biggest achievements as winning any medal in the Olympics is quite an achievement in itself so he deserves it. Although there was a bit of controversy from Rafa over Kei's decision to go for a lengthy bathroom break before the start of the 3rd set, which did appear to affect Rafa's concentration but in the end Kei was the fresher player and fatigued in the end played its part in Rafa's defeat.
And as for Rafa, well he will no doubt be disappointed with this loss but he gave all that he had left in it and he also gave his absolute all in the semi final against Del Potro so ultimately it would take its toll. However Rafa will take many positives out of the Olympics as he not only reached the bronze medal play-off in the singles, he also won his first Olympic gold medal in the men's doubles as he won the event with his doubles partner, Marc Lopez.
So Rafa is looking to be in good form ahead of the US Open and let's hope that he will be able to compete there if all is good and well with his wrist. And rather suprisingly Rafa has decided to play in the Cincinnati masters this week even though he has indicated that his wrist is still not 100 percent but he is keen to play so he can try and bump up his points in the race to play the year end finals at the o2 in London. This might be a dangerous decision though on Rafa's part because he could risk further damage to his wrist but it is ultimately his decision and let's hope it isn't one that will affect his ability to play for the remainder of the season.
MEN'S GOLD MEDAL FINAL
Sooooo this brings me onto the men's final between Andy Murray and Juan Martin Del Potro in what promised to be a highly intriguing match. Although Andy went into the match as a heavy favourite given his current form and having been on a 17 match winning streak going into the final he looked to be surefire winner.
As for the match itself....well it delivered on its promise in spades as both men produced an incredible match that was more than worthy of an Olympic final.
And the match itself had its fair share of twists and turns as even in the 1st set despite taking an early lead, Andy kept dropping his serve to let Delpo back into the match. However as play went to 6-5 with Delpo serving to take the match into a breaker it was Andy that made his move and broke Delpo to grab the first set. In the 2nd set however, Andy came off the boil and starting to make more errors and dropped serve again and this time Delpo took advantage and went on to level the match at a set all. In the 3rd set however, Andy managed to regain the momentum as Del Potro started to tire from his efforts in the match and also his Rafa match, and Andy broke Delpo twice to grab the two sets to one lead. And in the 4th set both men produced some thrilling points and great tennis that saw momentum swing back and forth as Delpo twice went a break up only for Andy to break back twice. And at 6-5 with Delpo serving again for a tiebreak, Andy made his move and on his 2nd gold medal point he sealed the deal as Delpo netted a backhand that saw Andy win his second gold medal with a stunning 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 win.
Well... there is little doubt that this was not only the match of the tournament but one of the best matches of the year as for four hours and two minutes both men produced a sensational encounter for the 8,000 strong crowd. And both men gave their absolute all throughout even though there were many dips during the match from both players, the intensity was always there and the crowd, which produced the atmosphere of a football match also played their part in what was a memorable experience.
As for Andy this surely ranks as one of the crowning achievements of his career as he successfully defended his gold medal and he became the first singles player in the history of the Olympics to do so and win back to back golds. And despite at times some atrocious serving, Andy was able to dictate play and physically outlast Del Potro at the key moments in the match that in absence of Djokovic, showed him to be the best player on the planet right now. And it was the perfect way to cap off a memorable summer, which will see Andy head into the US Open with much confidence.
As for Del Potro well there is no doubt this will be a tough loss for him but he said after the match he was very proud to win the silver medal and he has every right to be as he truly re-established himself as a top player in this event. And this match proved once again what a great player Delpo really is and its a pity that he had been out of the game for so long as he could well have went on to win several more major titles of his own had he had kept healthy. But with this tournament, Del Potro has proven he is back to his best and from here things can only get better as he will go into the US Open also with a great deal of confidence that could see him make a good run there.
SO WHAT NOW FOR ANDY HEADING INTO THE US OPEN????
Well....what indeed as Andy right now is arguably the best player in the world in absence of Novak Djokovic, who is currently out of the game with a wrist injury but he is set to return for the US Open at the end of the month. But even if Novak does return for the US Open is there any gurarantee that he will be able to get back ontop and win a 3rd title at Flushing meadows??? Well this is the one question that remains to be answered as first of all we will need to wait and see if Novak will be fit enough to play the event but if he doesn't then Andy is the hot favourite to win. And right now the way I see things is that Andy right now is the hot favourite to win the US Open given his current form and that he is on an 18 match winning streak (the longest of his career).
However the only question mark for Andy right now is how much has he got left in the tank after the Olympics as he has to play the Cincinnati masters event this week before the US Open comes round. And Andy's winning streak could easily come to an end as he will no doubt be feeling the effects of fatigue after the Olympics tournament so its questionable that he will be able to go on to win in Cincinnati. However I wouldn't be concerned if Andy does go out as it would be purely down to fatigue more than anything else and no doubt if he does lose in Cincy then he will no doubt come back strong and regroup for the US Open.
SUM UP
Right so to sum up its been a terrific tournament for men's tennis at the Olympics and it ends again with a terrific result for Great Britain as Andy Murray claimed the gold medal for the 2nd time and in the final we got a terrific and highly memorable match. And for me personally this was a far better and more competitive match than Andy's Wimbledon triumph last month and it will surely remain as a match that will last long in the memory and with it Andy made his own piece of history by winning back to back singles gold medals.
So next up is the US Open and I will do a preview on that for the men's event and give my pick of the top contenders for the title (and I think I know who I will put right at the top!) within the next week or so once Cincinnati has finished.
Right so until the next one its bye for now!
Rio 2016 Olympics tennis review - the ladies event
Well I thought I would do a post covering the Rio 2016 Olympics tennis event, so I will split this into two parts and I will deal with the ladies event first of all. So let's see what happened for the ladies in Rio....
LADIES EVENT
Right to kick off in the ladies event there were of course some withdrawals from the tournament before it began that included Simona Halep, who withdrew due to concerns over the Zika virus in Rio. However that didn't stop alot of the top seeds from playing at the event itself and there were plenty there to compete for the medals.
So start off with the seeds that went out there were some early casualties in the big names that included Agnieszka Radwanska who was beaten by Zheng Saisai of China in straight sets. Venus Williams also went out in the first round to Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium who beat the American in a hard fought three set battle which saw Flipkens eclipse Venus in a tiebreak. Roberta Vinci also suffered an early first round exit as she lost out to Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia in straight sets. And Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland was beaten early on in the 1st round also as she was taken out by the Chinese player, Zhang Shuai in a tense close three set match.
And lastly of the big upsets or should I say the biggest of all was Serena Williams who in the 3rd round took on, Elena Svitolinam the 15th seed. And the Ukranian player, who had taken out the British player, Heather Watson in the 2nd round, went to claim the win of her career by stunning Serena in straight sets as she claimed a remarkable 6-4, 6-3 victory to see the No.1 seed suffer another surprising defeat.
SEMI FINALS
As for the players that reached the semi finals we had Monica Puig who faced off against Petra Kvitova in a match that had Petra as the favourite given the difference in their rankings. However it was Puig that proved to be the stronger player as after they levelled the match at a set all, Puig stunned the 11th seed, Kvitova and claimed a three set 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 victory to reach the biggest final of her career, the gold medal match. This was quite a feat from Monica Puig who had guaranteed not only her first Olympic medal but also the first Olympic medal for her nation, Puerto Rico.
As for the semis next match there was Angelique Kerber, who was the highest remaining seed (who had beaten the British No.1, Jo Konta in the quarter finals) who took on Madison Keys for a place in the gold medal final. However, Kerber showed her experience was greater as she won the first with a break before facing a spirited fight from Keys in the 2nd set but in the end, Kerber was too solid for Keys as she broke her opponent again to reach the final with a 6-3, 7-5 win.
BRONZE MEDAL PLAY-OFF
So as with the Olympic tennis format this left the two semi final losers with a chance to compete for the Olympic bronze medal and the play off was between Petra Kvitova and Madison Keys as the two of them fought it out for the 3rd prize. And the match itself was a very competitve one which saw both players split the first two sets that pushed the match into a decider. However in the decider it was Petra that showed the better form as she grabbed a double break to seal her victory over the younger American and with it the bronze medeal with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 win.
This was Petra's first Olympic medal and you could see how emotional it was for her when she won it as she went down on her knees and head in hands so she deserves much credit for battling for the win. As for Keys I was a bit disappointed for her that she lost especially given that she was the higher ranked player but her inexperience probably was the telling factor here in the end and sadly she finished in 4th place and empty handed but regardless of that she too has had a great games and no doubt a great experience.
GOLD MEDAL FINAL
And finally there was the gold medal final between Angelique Kerber and Monica Puig and right off Kerber was the hot favourite for this match as she had never lost to Puig in their previous matches and also given her experience in the big matches. But the match proved to be another stunning upset as it was Puig that showed her mettle again as she fought her way past Kerber in a three set battle that saw the Puerto Rican secure her first ever gold medal and also her country's first Olympic medal after a three set 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 victory.
So this was quite a victory for Monica Puig who thoroughly deserved her win and it was great to see her claim her country's maiden Olympic medal and this surely should give her a big boost to her confidence and her career for the future.
SUM UP
So that's it for the ladies and it was quite a memorable one that saw many upsets and unfortunately for Great Britain with the defeats of Jo Konta and Heather Watson there were medals for the ladies team GB. But with that let's turn our attentions to the men's event....
So I will be back soon with that post.
See you in a bit....
LADIES EVENT
Right to kick off in the ladies event there were of course some withdrawals from the tournament before it began that included Simona Halep, who withdrew due to concerns over the Zika virus in Rio. However that didn't stop alot of the top seeds from playing at the event itself and there were plenty there to compete for the medals.
So start off with the seeds that went out there were some early casualties in the big names that included Agnieszka Radwanska who was beaten by Zheng Saisai of China in straight sets. Venus Williams also went out in the first round to Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium who beat the American in a hard fought three set battle which saw Flipkens eclipse Venus in a tiebreak. Roberta Vinci also suffered an early first round exit as she lost out to Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia in straight sets. And Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland was beaten early on in the 1st round also as she was taken out by the Chinese player, Zhang Shuai in a tense close three set match.
And lastly of the big upsets or should I say the biggest of all was Serena Williams who in the 3rd round took on, Elena Svitolinam the 15th seed. And the Ukranian player, who had taken out the British player, Heather Watson in the 2nd round, went to claim the win of her career by stunning Serena in straight sets as she claimed a remarkable 6-4, 6-3 victory to see the No.1 seed suffer another surprising defeat.
SEMI FINALS
As for the players that reached the semi finals we had Monica Puig who faced off against Petra Kvitova in a match that had Petra as the favourite given the difference in their rankings. However it was Puig that proved to be the stronger player as after they levelled the match at a set all, Puig stunned the 11th seed, Kvitova and claimed a three set 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 victory to reach the biggest final of her career, the gold medal match. This was quite a feat from Monica Puig who had guaranteed not only her first Olympic medal but also the first Olympic medal for her nation, Puerto Rico.
As for the semis next match there was Angelique Kerber, who was the highest remaining seed (who had beaten the British No.1, Jo Konta in the quarter finals) who took on Madison Keys for a place in the gold medal final. However, Kerber showed her experience was greater as she won the first with a break before facing a spirited fight from Keys in the 2nd set but in the end, Kerber was too solid for Keys as she broke her opponent again to reach the final with a 6-3, 7-5 win.
BRONZE MEDAL PLAY-OFF
So as with the Olympic tennis format this left the two semi final losers with a chance to compete for the Olympic bronze medal and the play off was between Petra Kvitova and Madison Keys as the two of them fought it out for the 3rd prize. And the match itself was a very competitve one which saw both players split the first two sets that pushed the match into a decider. However in the decider it was Petra that showed the better form as she grabbed a double break to seal her victory over the younger American and with it the bronze medeal with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 win.
This was Petra's first Olympic medal and you could see how emotional it was for her when she won it as she went down on her knees and head in hands so she deserves much credit for battling for the win. As for Keys I was a bit disappointed for her that she lost especially given that she was the higher ranked player but her inexperience probably was the telling factor here in the end and sadly she finished in 4th place and empty handed but regardless of that she too has had a great games and no doubt a great experience.
GOLD MEDAL FINAL
And finally there was the gold medal final between Angelique Kerber and Monica Puig and right off Kerber was the hot favourite for this match as she had never lost to Puig in their previous matches and also given her experience in the big matches. But the match proved to be another stunning upset as it was Puig that showed her mettle again as she fought her way past Kerber in a three set battle that saw the Puerto Rican secure her first ever gold medal and also her country's first Olympic medal after a three set 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 victory.
So this was quite a victory for Monica Puig who thoroughly deserved her win and it was great to see her claim her country's maiden Olympic medal and this surely should give her a big boost to her confidence and her career for the future.
SUM UP
So that's it for the ladies and it was quite a memorable one that saw many upsets and unfortunately for Great Britain with the defeats of Jo Konta and Heather Watson there were medals for the ladies team GB. But with that let's turn our attentions to the men's event....
So I will be back soon with that post.
See you in a bit....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)