tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46592053533734568672024-02-08T03:58:10.105-08:00Net Cord Winner- Tennis BlogEverything tennis, from the ATP tour down to challengers, futures and college. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-25112295597573318172017-09-30T13:52:00.000-07:002017-09-30T13:56:01.198-07:00Three Who Need a Big End to the Season on the ATP World Tour<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 107%;">Jack
Sock: </span></b><span style="line-height: 107%;">Sock started off the year better than he could have
hoped, but since the clay season started his results have been worse than
anyone could have predicted. He lost in the first round at the US Open, Cincinnati,
and French Open, and second round in Montreal and Wimbledon. This was supposed
be the year Sock took a big step forward, as he’s well-adjusted to life on tour
and he seemed to be coming into his own. Instead, he’s taken a surprising step
back, and is about to get passed by the younger generation of Americans if he
doesn’t turn it around soon. It’s possible the rest of the tour has simply
figured out how to play Sock and take full advantage of his backhand, which he
has to go to great lengths to avoid being exposed. But despite all his
struggles, the talent and athleticism remain. Sock is more than capable of
posting some good results anytime he sets foot on a quick hard court, and he
needs them about as much as anyone on tour.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 107%;">Dominic
Thiem:</span></b><span style="line-height: 107%;"> Thiem may have cemented himself as a fixture
in the top ten, but it’s time he make some noise on surfaces other than clay.
He’s got an explosive game that can translate well to all surfaces, but it’s
well known that he likes the extra time clay gives him for his long strokes to
develop. If he can have a few big results on the quicker surfaces common during
the Asia and European swing this fall, his confidence should be high heading
into next year. His loss to Del Potro in the US Open after having a two-set
lead and match points was as devastating as it gets, and a strong fall season
would help Thiem put it behind him. His fall didn’t start out well, losing to Guido
Pella in the second round of a 250 in Chengdu, China. But if there’s one thing
we know about Thiem it’s that he’ll enter more tournaments than anyone else on
tour, meaning another opportunity is rarely more than a week away.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 107%;">Grigor
Dimitrov</span></b><span style="line-height: 107%;">: Dimitrov is the master at disappointing when faced
with big expectations, but stepping up just when you’re ready to give up on him
for good. After his strong start to the year, including his run to the
semifinals in Australia, it looked like Dimitrov was ready to play with the
best of them in 2017. Then, just as we thought he’d realize his vast potential,
Dimitrov hit a long stretch in the season where he could barely win a match.
But before we could give up on him again, he goes and wins his first career Masters
title in Cincinnati. In classic Dimitrov form, he followed that up by losing to
Andrey Rublev in straight sets in the second round of the US Open. </span><span style="line-height: 107%;">He's </span>currently sixth in the race to London, and looks likely to make it (in
large part to several others being injured or having shut it down for the
year). If he can get back to his Australian Open and Cincinnati form this fall,
Dimitrov can move past his US Open disappointment and become a threat to do
some damage at the ATP World Tour finals.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-30230656517358061072017-09-10T10:13:00.003-07:002017-09-10T10:13:52.044-07:00As the Inaugural Laver Cup Approaches, The World is Catching Up to Europe Fast<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s no secret that Europeans have dominated men’s tennis
for well over a decade now. Nearly every big tournament since 2003 has been won
by a member of the all European “Big Five”, which means few big titles have been
left for the rest of the world. While the inaugural Laver Cup, a competition
pitting Europe versus the rest of the world, may have been a massive mismatch
had it started ten years ago, it appears that it will be a much more even
matchup going forward than many may have thought.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray and Wawrinka fade out
over the next few years, much of the emerging talent in men’s tennis looks to
be coming from outside of Europe. The US and Canada alone have loads of young
talent who should be able to compete with Europe’s best. Canada can offer new
sensation Denis Shapovalov, who has shot up the rankings faster than anyone
expected. The scary thing is he may not even be Canada’s best young prospect.
Felix Auger-Aliassime, now 17, just won another Challenger title and is moving
into the top 200 in the world. Auger-Aliassime is considered by many to be one
of the best prospects to come around in years, and with Shapovalov will make
sure Canadian men’s tennis builds on Raonic’s success for over a decade.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The U.S. has several good prospects of their own, as Frances
Tiafoe, Jared Donaldson, Taylor Fritz, Ernesto Escobedo, Tommy Paul and others
have been making solid progress. None have risen quite as quickly as Shapovalov
this summer, but there’s still a lot to like amongst this group. And if he can
stay healthy and motivated, Australia’s Nick Kyrgios could very well be the
“world’s” best player for the next five years.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even as the “Big Five” eventually stops being dominant,
Europe should have plenty of new talent of their own. Alexander Zverev is
already one of the best players in the world and should only keep getting
better. Dominic Thiem is becoming a fixture in the top ten, and young Russians
Karen Khachanov, Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev have all made good strides
this year. Borna Coric is still just 20, and after beating Zverev at the US
Open, may be ready to make a run at the top 20. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s too much young talent starting to emerge for anyone
to know for sure who will dominate in the years to come, but it’s hard to
imagine the “world” not putting up a better fight against Europe over the next
decade. Fortunately for the Laver Cup, it may have come into existence at just
the right time.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-46335890402837033992017-09-08T21:50:00.002-07:002017-09-08T21:54:32.549-07:00Is Kevin Anderson’s Apperance in the US Open Finals a Fluke or a Sign of Things to Come?<div class="MsoNormal">
With Djokovic, Murray, Wawrinka, Nishikori and Raonic all
missing the US Open with injuries, and Nadal and Federer in the same half, it’s
not surprising that there’s only one superstar playing in the US Open men’s
final. Kevin Anderson managed to take advantage of an open draw and blast his
way into the finals, but the real question is if we’re headed for an era of the
Kevin Anderson’s of the world making more major finals, continued Big-Four/Five
dominance, or the “next gen” finally stepping up where it counts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even if Djokovic, Murray and Wawrinka come back strong in
2018 and Federer continues to play at a high level, it’s looking more and more
likely that they won’t maintain a stranglehold on grand slam finals spots going
forward. Counting them out is rarely wise, and they may all win more majors.
But with more early losses likely to happen as they enter or proceed through
their thirties, more opportunities should arise for the rest of the tour. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The governing bodies of men’s tennis surely hope it’s
the “next gen” who steps up and fills the void, but it seems just as likely we
could be headed for a few years of less marketable middle-upper aged veterans
like Kevin Anderson, Sam Querrey, Pablo Carreno-Busta, David Goffin and others
going deep into the big events. This may not be good for tv ratings, but it’s
something fans and the tour itself should prepare for before the next gen is
truly ready to push everyone else out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Alexander Zverev, Nick Kyrgios, Dominic Thiem and others
have all made good progress in the last couple of years, but with only two
grand slam semifinals between them in their careers (Thiem at the French) it
might be too soon to pencil them into multiple grand slam finals in 2018. And
while the “generation” below them may be every bit as good down the road (i.e.
Shapavalov, Auger-Alliassime, Tiafoe, Rublev amongst other talented teenagers),
don’t expect them to consistently go deep at majors for 3-4 more years. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many tennis fans may not be happy, but there very well may
be more “Kevin Andersons” popping up in grand slam finals over the next couple
of years. While it will certainly take some getting used to, after being
spoiled for so long with only legends fighting for grand slam titles, it might even
start to feel a bit refreshing to have the occasional mere mortal to root for. <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-62891352745094972832016-04-17T09:04:00.002-07:002016-04-17T09:05:54.201-07:00Nadal Makes Big Statement With Monte Carlo Title<div class="MsoNormal">
Based on Rafael Nadal's form over the last couple of years,
most of the phrases used to describe him went something like "past his
prime", "his best days are behind him" or "he'll never win
a major tournament again." But
after his <st1:place w:st="on">Monte Carlo</st1:place> title, it looks like
Nadal will once again be a serious threat at Roland Garros. Sure he didn't beat Djokovic along the way,
but his wins over Thiem, Wawrinka, Murray and Monfils were extremely impressive. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Djokovic is still likely to go into the French Open as the
heavy favorite (though another early loss in the <st1:state w:st="on">Madrid</st1:state> or Rome Masters may raise further
questions). But Nadal's game has always
gone up and down depending on his confidence level, and a strong clay court
season leading up to the French would have Nadal feeling better than he has in
two years. He may not be able to beat
Djokovic head to head, but could certainly be the guy to capitalize if Djokovic
somehow slips up along the way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perhaps more important than the fact Nadal won the
tournament was the improved quality of his play. Nadal's shots seemed to be jumping off the
court more than they have in the last couple of years. His depth of shot was also improved, as Nadal
left fewer shots short in the court where opponents could take the
offensive. If Nadal can continue to keep
his high bouncing shots deep in the court, it's hard not to see him having a
very successful clay court season. <br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tennis fans and analysts have a tendency to write off stars
a bit too early, such as when a late-twenties Federer was considered almost
done following a couple of losses to Guillermo Canas at Indian Wells and
Miami. No one expects Nadal to be as
excellent in his thirties as Federer has been, but he may not go out as quietly
as some thought he might. For now, a
confident Nadal on clay is a dangerous proposition for the rest of the tour,
and the remainder of the clay-court season suddenly has a very different feel. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-45385506748641849092016-04-03T18:35:00.000-07:002016-04-03T18:38:05.538-07:00Djokovic Once Again On Track For All-Time Great Season<div class="MsoNormal">
It seemed hard to imagine that Djokovic could be more
dominant in 2016 than he was in his remarkable 2015 season. Last year Djokovic had one of the best seasons
we've seen in the modern era, winning three out of four slams and a record six
Masters titles. This will still be hard
for Djokovic to replicate, but he's on the right track after winning the
Australian Open and the Indian Wells/Miami double to start the year. He's so far ahead of the pack that it's
conceivable he wins all four grand slams and six or seven Masters titles.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Djokovic's closest challengers over the last few years in
terms of the rankings have been Murray and Federer, but both seem further away from
Djokovic now than they have been in a while.
<st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city>
is once again in an early season funk, and Federer has barely played due to
injury and illness. Moreover, Nadal is
no longer a serious challenger to Djokovic, and Wawrinka's days of giving
Djokovic a run for his money seem to be behind him. Other talented youngish players such as David
Goffin, Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic are all having very good seasons, but
simply aren't in Djokovic's league.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unless something's wrong with him or he wears down later on
in the year, it's simply hard to see anyone beating Djokovic at an important
tournament. No style of play phases him,
as he's dispatching the big hitters and baseline grinders with similar
ease. (Yes Simon gave him fits for one
match by not giving him pace and getting a lot of balls back in play, but if that
was really the strategy to beat him with <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city>
would surely have a better head-to-head against the Serb). While Djokovic could potentially be
vulnerable against Dominic Thiem on clay, it will probably be at least another
year before Thiem's truly ready to knock him out at a big tournament.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If Djokovic is able to win the French Open for the first
time it will be interesting to see how he handles the pressure of going for
the 2016 Grand Slam. It's possible that
could make him tight as the year progresses (i.e. Serena at the US Open), or he
may relax after having finally completed the career grand slam. Regardless, at this rate he's so far ahead of
the field it might not matter much either way.
Not only does Djokovic seem likely to avoid any seemingly inevitable
decline after his epic 2015 season, but it looks like he might even improve
upon one of the greatest seasons of all-time. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-63476486893465787632016-02-27T08:00:00.001-08:002016-02-27T08:05:26.225-08:00Is There a New "Big Four" Brewing on the ATP Tour?<div class="MsoNormal">
Within the last few years there has been an influx of young
talent on the ATP Tour, but no one seemed truly ready to challenge the game's
best. The likes of Kyrgios, Kokkinakis,
Zverev, Coric, Thiem, Tomic and others all posted some good results, but many
tennis fans wanted more than they were giving.
It finally appears that fans who have been hoping to see some fresh
faces at the top may be getting their wish before long. Since the Australian Open several young
players have made serious strides, and they appear closer to reaching the
games elite.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
20 year old Nick Kyrgios has made waves based on winning a
250 level title in Marseille (which included several quality wins), and
following it up with a run to the Dubai semifinals before retiring against
Wawrinka. 22 year old Dominic Thiem has
been on a tear of late as well. He won a
250 on clay while beating Nadal along the way, reached a semis the next week
which included a win over Ferrer, and is currently in the finals of the 500
level tournament in <st1:city w:st="on">Acapulco</st1:city>. Thiem is clearly headed toward the top 10,
and will enter the top 5 in the points race for the year after this week. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
18 year old Alexander Zverev has been in good form as well,
and has cracked the top 60 in the world.
Another 18 year old, American Taylor Fritz, has been rolling in
2016. He fell to Sam Querrey in the
quarters of <st1:city w:st="on">Acapulco</st1:city> after coming through
qualifying, and earlier made the finals of the 250 level tournament in <st1:place w:st="on">Memphis</st1:place>. Fritz's goal for the year was reportedly to
crack the top 100, but has already done so just a couple months into the
year. His should now have his sights set
on a spot in the top 40 by the end of 2016.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While there's a handful of other talented young players, Kyrgios,
Thiem, Zverev and Fritz all seem to have grand slam champion level talent. Someone will have to win slams after the
"Big Four" move on in a few years, and these guys seem to be as
likely of bets as anyone. Kyrgios,
Zverev and Fritz all have natural "point ending" power that lends
itself to grand slam titles, and Thiem should be a dark horse threat at the
French Open as early as this year. The slightly older Kyrgios and Thiem already
seem to be on their way to passing the "second tier" top ten guys,
i.e. Ferrer, Berdych, Gasquet, Nishikori, etc, and at this rate Zverev and
Fritz may just be a couple of years behind. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lots of things can change over the next few years, but if
the last month is any indication this group of young stars isn't going to waste
much time in making their moves. It may
be a bit early to start calling them the next Big Four, but their future and
the future of the ATP Tour appears to be extremely bright.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-75417946349753905902016-02-21T07:27:00.001-08:002016-02-21T07:27:32.264-08:00Thoughts on the Return of Juan Martin Del Potro<div class="MsoNormal">
Juan Martin Del Potro made his long awaited return to the
ATP Tour this week in <st1:city w:st="on">Delray Beach</st1:city>,
where he ultimately fell to Sam Querrey in the semifinals. The big question was not how he would do, but rather how would he look after
having missed so much time due to surgeries on his left wrist. The initial reaction is that he looked pretty
good all things considered, but there are still plenty of questions about his
future after seeing him struggle to hit two-handed backhands.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It's hard to say at this point whether Del Potro was simply
holding back on the two-hander because he's not mentally ready to let it go
full speed, or if it's still bothering him in some capacity. He sliced a good percentage of backhands, and
when he used the two-hander he seemed afraid to truly accelerate through the
stroke. He also ran around as many
backhands as possible, though with his forehand it's hard to blame him for that
strategy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If Del Potro continues to improve and gain confidence in his
backhand he looks good enough to make a return to the top ten. But while he can hide his current backhand
against lower ranked players, the best of the best will expose that side. Simply put, unless his backhand improves
significantly it's hard to see him challenging the very best in the world for
grand slam titles. There's no reason to
believe it won't keep getting better (unless for some reason he can't bend his
wrist like he used to or has pain when he snaps through the shot), but at this
point it's clearly not where it needs to be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Del Potro's return to the tour comes at a great time, as
men's tennis needs some "new" names who can potentially challenge
Djokovic, Murray and Federer. He's a fan
favorite, plays an exciting game (at least when he's unloading on forehands),
and has the talent to beat anyone when he's on.
Let's just hope his backhand returns to form, so that we can get the
full Del Potro experience we've been missing for the last few years.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-33963766101768775292016-02-14T18:24:00.000-08:002016-02-14T18:26:00.977-08:00Reflections from Rotterdam, Memphis and Buenos Aires<div class="MsoNormal">
It was an action packed week of tennis on the ATP Tour, with
Martin Klizan, Kei Nishikori and Dominic Thiem all winning titles. Here are some thoughts following the week
that was.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Fritz is progressing
faster than expected:</b> 18 year old American Taylor Fritz has been
a highly regarded prospect for some time now, but few expected him to adjust to
life on the ATP Tour so quickly. Fritz
had already won a Challenger title (to go with his two from the end of last
year) and qualified for the Australian Open in 2016, but this week's run
to the finals in Memphis lifted Fritz to a whole new level. He became the youngest American ATP finalist
in decades, and is nearing a spot in the top 100. Like Zverev, Kokkinakis and Coric, Fritz
simply isn't wasting any time in his climb up the rankings. At this rate, Fritz could be headed toward a
spot in the top 50 by the end of 2016. He's
still got some things in his game to improve, notably movement and fitness, but
Fritz is already the best prospect American men's tennis has had in over a
decade. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Thiem looks ready to
make a run toward the top 10:</b> Thiem
won multiple 250 level tournaments on clay last year, so it shouldn't be
surprising that he captured another one early on in 2016. But given that he had to beat Nadal to win
his title in <st1:city w:st="on">Buenos Aires</st1:city>,
this one feels a little more meaningful.
Everyone understands Nadal isn't what he used to be, but beating him on
clay still counts for something. Getting
that win over Nadal should do wonders for Thiem's confidence, and he may
finally believe he can beat guys in the top ten at bigger tournaments. The key for Thiem heading into 2016 was whether he could translate his success at 250s to 500s, Masters and Grand Slams. Even though this was just a 250 and doesn't technically answer that question, it's another positive sign in Thiem's development. At 22 years old Thiem is clearly one of the
ATP Tour's brightest young stars, and a spot in the top ten doesn't seem very
far away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Fortunes can change
quickly on the ATP Tour:</b> From the end of
2015 to the beginning of 2016 Martin
Klizan lost 6 straight matches. He began
to turn things around at the beginning of February by making the semifinals of
a 250 in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Bulgaria</st1:country-region>, and then
captured the biggest title of his career this week by winning the 500 level
event in <st1:city w:st="on">Rotterdam</st1:city>. On his way to the title he fought off 5 match
points against Roberto Bautista-Agut in the quarters, and then three against
Nicolas Mahut in the semis. The win
should send Klizan from outside the top 40 to around 25 in the world. Klizan is a talented lefty with a big
forehand, and seems to have the ability to rise higher. He hasn't fully put it all together at this point in his
career, but at 26 still has plenty of time.
It will be interesting to see whether Klizan can build on his <st1:place w:st="on">Rotterdam</st1:place> title, or if
this was simply one of those weeks where everything happened to fall his
way. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Zverev looks like a
future top 10 player- at worst:</b> 18
year old Alexander Zverev got knocked out of <st1:city w:st="on">Rotterdam</st1:city> by Gael Monfils in the quarters,
but not before he took out third seeded Gilles Simon 7-6 in the third the round
before that. The week before he made the
semis of a 250 level event, and the young German seems ready to rocket up the rankings in
2016. He has a booming serve at
6'6'', and simply crushes the ball off both wings. While some guys his height see their movement
suffer, Zverev flies around the court and plays extremely effective defense as
well. He does need to get in better
shape and improve his consistency, but Zverev seems well on his way to becoming
a great player on the ATP Tour. Whether
that means winning grand slams or "merely" settling into a spot in
the top 10 remains to be seen, but Zverev is looking more and more like a can't
miss future star.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-69635461964881154132016-02-07T08:52:00.001-08:002016-02-07T08:53:03.675-08:00What to Expect at the Memphis Open<div class="MsoNormal">
In the last several years many lower level ATP tournaments
have left the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region>,
but the Memphis Open is holding strong.
This year's field is solid if not spectacular, and should definitely
capture the interest of fans of American men's tennis. Though Kei Nishikori is the top seed and
three-time defending champion, about a third of the field is made up of
American players. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It's hard to see anyone seriously challenging Nishikori in
the top half. He'll open with the winner
of Frances Tiafoe and Ryan Harrison, which based on recent form looks like it
will be Tiafoe. While Tiafoe has a very
bright future, if he does advance to play Nishikori it likely won't be much
more than a good learning experience.
Nishikori could then play 5th seeded American Denis Kudla in the
quarters, before running into 4th seeded Sam Querrey or 6th seeded Sam Groth in the
semis. If Nishikori even drops a set on
the way to the finals it will be a bit of a surprise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The bottom half should be the more entertaining of the two
halves. Donald Young has gotten off to a
slow start to begin the year, but the 3rd seed should be able to build some
momentum by reaching the semis. This is
a key year in Young's career, as at age 26 he should be entering his
prime. If he can't capitalize on draws
like this, it's hard to see him being much more than a borderline top 50 player
the rest of the year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The bottom section of the bottom half is packed with
Americans, including Austin Krajicek, Steven Johnson and teenage prospects
Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul. Paul should
have a shot to take out 34 year old Benjamin Becker in his opening match, and
would have a decent chance against Australian John Millman or Krajicek in the
second round. Fritz opens against a
qualifier, and then would face Johnson in round two. Fritz may be on his way to becoming <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region>'s top
player, but at this point in their careers Johnson's experience should allow
him to prevail. Johnson has struggled to
begin 2016, but it's still hard to see him not advancing out of this
section. In the semis, look for Johnson
to get past Young in a tight three set match.
He owns a 2-1 career record against Young, and playing indoors should
help Johnson dominate with his big serve and forehand.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the finals Nishikori should be able to get past Johnson
in straight sets. He owns a 3-0 career
record against the American, and is a much more complete player. Johnson will have to serve great and try to
keep points short, but it's hard to see him pulling off the upset. Nishikori should be able to expose Johnson's
weak backhand, and take advantage of the open court when Johnson tries to cheat
over to protect it. Nishikori's focus
for the year should be on improving his results in grand slams and Masters
tournaments, but winning another 250 should get him in the right state of mind
as he prepares to challenge for bigger titles.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-88712389454890616302016-02-02T21:16:00.000-08:002016-02-02T21:17:03.870-08:00More Aussie Open Lessons<div class="MsoNormal">
<st1:place w:st="on"><b>Milos</b></st1:place><b> Raonic is officially back:</b> Raonic made his move into the top ten a
couple of years ago, and appeared to be ready to rise even higher. A foot injury in early 2015 ruined his momentum, and
he never really got back on track the rest of the year. He fell outside the top 10, and it looked
like his career was suddenly heading in the wrong direction. Now it appears his decline in 2015 was just a minor blip, and that he's serious about making a run toward the top
5. Raonic was impressive on his way to
the Australian Open semis, and who knows what would have happened if he didn't
hurt his leg during his 5 set loss to <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city>. Raonic may not be the smoothest player around
and has limited movement, but he's got serious weapons and seems committed to
improving his all-around game. If he can
stay healthy, don't be surprised if Raonic finishes 2016 around 5 in the world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Ferrer isn't ready to
go down quietly:</b> Every year it seems
like Ferrer is going to take a step back. His game is largely based on his incredible
endurance, speed and footwork, and that gets harder and harder to sustain as a
player gets into his thirties. Ferrer
was struggling heading into <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region>,
with losses in tune ups to Sock and Marchenko.
However, he was impressive in taking down Americans Steve Johnson and
John Isner, before putting up a good fight against <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city> in the quarters. Ferrer's ranking will probably fall off a bit
in 2016, but it looks like he's going to continue to give it everything he's got
in the coming year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>There's not much
separating the winners from the losers:</b> Angelique Kerber had the tournament
of her life. She beat pre-tournament
favorites Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams, won her first grand slam title
and rose to number 2 in the world. Not a
bad couple of weeks for the German. But
it could have been a completely different story for Kerber if a net cord or
shank went against her when she was down match point to Misaki Doi of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region> in her
first round match. While the announcers
did give this some attention during the finals, it really is remarkable. She was one point away from being a first
round loser, having to face continued questions about her record in majors,
etc, and then she goes out and wins the whole tournament. Regardless of where Kerber goes from here, she'll
always have the label tennis pros want more than anything next to their name:
grand slam champion.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>American men weren't
ready to take the next step:</b>
American men were confident heading into <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region>, but left without much to
show for it. Isner and Johnson were
mowed down by Ferrer, and neither put up much of a fight. Meanwhile, Sock lost to Lukas Rosol in the
second round. Sock was sick heading into
the tournament, but has to make some changes if he truly wants to become a top
singles player who can challenge for grand slam titles. In hindsight, maybe Sock shouldn't have
played a tournament the week before the Australian Open. (He probably should have played Brisbane and gotten some real matches under his belt two weeks in advance as opposed to the Hopman Cup exhibition). His decision to continue to play doubles in
grand slams also has to be questioned, as for the second straight grand slam he
lost a match in which fatigue and/or illness was an issue. His future is still extremely bright, but he
may have to make some hard decisions going forward if he wants to improve his
results in the biggest events.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-20573831991196375032016-02-02T18:10:00.000-08:002016-02-02T18:12:06.596-08:00Some Aussie Open Lessons<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Djokovic's separation
from the field is only growing</b>: Heading into the Australian Open it was clear that Djokovic
was the heavy favorite. He won 3 of the
4 grand slams in 2015, captured every big tournament at the end of the year, and
routed Nadal in a tune up event to start off 2016. Looking back on the event, it's possible we
underestimated just how far ahead of the field Djokovic is right now. Federer and Murray were simply outclassed by
the world number one, and it's hard to imagine either beating him in a grand
slam any time soon. Nadal no longer
seems like a threat to Djokovic either, and it's unlikely Wawrinka will
continue to be much of a threat as he gets older. While there are talented young players on the
way up, it's hard to find anyone from the 18-25 crop who will be able to
challenge Djokovic during the remainder of his prime (i.e. the next 2-3
years). It's true things can change
quickly in tennis, particularly for superstars that are reaching the end of
their twenties. But after watching
Djokovic's dominance in Australia, it's hard not to see him racking up a handful
of grand slam titles over next couple of years.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Serena is the best in
the world by a mile- except when she isn't: </b>No one denies that Serena is the best female tennis player
in the world, and by a good margin too.
But her performance against Angelique Kerber in the Australian Open finals
was simply puzzling. It was the second
straight grand slam she suffered a shocking defeat, but more surprising than
the loss itself was how poorly she played.
It appeared nerves were a big factor, but Serena missed countless easy
shots that a player of her caliber has no business missing. To Kerber's credit she played a smart match
and made Serena hit lots of extra shots, but if Serena was playing anywhere
close to her best level she wins it in straights.
As Federer can attest winning grand slams doesn't get any easy when
you're 34 years old, and it will be interesting to see how Serena responds at
the majors the rest of the year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Nadal has to stop
letting his opponents enter the zone: </b>Nadal has to be wondering what it is about his game that is
letting lesser players enter the zone against him. For the second straight grand slam he was
knocked out early by a talented player who caught fire during the
match. Just as Fognini's incredible shot
making ended Nadal's run at the US Open, he fell victim to the talented
Verdasco in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region>. Not to take anything away from Fognini or
Verdasco, but when enough players keep finding the zone against Nadal, it's
looking more like it's Nadal who is doing something to allow this to
happen. His forehand has clearly let him
down over the last year or two, and his lack of confidence appears to be leading him to leave more forehands short in the box where opponents can tee off. Nadal may not be
in full on crisis mode (he is still top 5 in the world after all), but it's
looking like he may be stuck on 14 grand slam titles for the foreseeable
future.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The "next generation"
on the men's side is nowhere near ready:</b>
As referenced above, there are lots of talented tennis players in the men's game in the under 25 age group.
That being said, they are still completely irrelevant when it comes to
challenging for major titles. The
emerging teens of Coric, Chung and Zverev didn't make it past round one, though
Chung and Zverev did draw Djokovic and Murray, respectively. Dominic Thiem lost a winnable match to Goffin
in the third round, Tomic fell to <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city>
in straights in the fourth round, and a perhaps still sick Sock had a
disappointing loss to Rosol in round two.
Dimitrov seems to be improved from his awful 2015, but failed to challenge Federer at all in sets three and four when it looked like he was going to make it a match. The always
hyped Nick Kyrgios sounded confident heading in, but fell to Berdych in a
relatively routine third round match.
Some of these younger players will likely turn into superstars down the
road (perhaps when Djokovic, Federer and Murray stop being dominant in 2027),
but it's clear they all have a long ways to go.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-65221045472455191692016-01-17T13:17:00.001-08:002016-01-17T13:20:49.832-08:00Winners and Losers from the Australian Open Men's Draw<div class="MsoNormal">
With the 2016 Australian Open ready to begin, here's a look
at some winners and losers from the men's draw.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Winners:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Andy Murray:</b> <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city>
knew he'd land on the opposite side of Djokovic as the number two seed, but he
was fortunate to see 4th seeded Wawrinka land on his half as opposed to 3rd
seeded Federer. Moreover, he's slated to
play 8th seeded Ferrer in the quarters, who just got destroyed by Sock and
shouldn't be much of a threat to <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city>. In the early rounds <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city> doesn't look to have much to fear
either. He opens with 18 year old
Alexander Zverev who is a superstar in the making, but isn't ready to beat <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city> in a major at this
point in his career. After that the path
looks to be relatively tame. If <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city> fails to make the
semis with this draw it would be a big surprise, and he'd be confident heading
into a semifinal match against Wawrinka or Nadal. Winning a third career major in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region> is clearly <st1:place w:st="on">Murray</st1:place>'s goal, and the draw gave him as good
of an opportunity to do so as he could have hoped for.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Rafael Nadal:</b> Nadal has to be thrilled with his Australian
Open draw. Both Djokovic and Federer are
in the other half, and his potential quarterfinal opponent is Stan Wawrinka who
he historically dominates (and beat in straights at the end of 2015). While <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city>
is clearly in good form and would be a tough semifinal opponent, Nadal knows he
can still beat him as he took <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city>
out at the 2015 year ending championships. Nadal often plays himself into form as a
tournament goes on, and he should have the opportunity to do so here. He's not getting that much attention as a
serious contender based on the beat down Djokovic gave him to open up the year
in <st1:city w:st="on">Doha</st1:city>, but with his friendly draw Nadal could
end up being a major factor in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Losers:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Roger Federer:</b> As the third seed Federer was clearly hoping
to land in the opposite half of Novak Djokovic, but he had no such luck. Assuming he makes it to the semis he'll
likely have to find a way to beat the world number one, but his draw to that
point is tougher than the one he usually faces.
Federer could face the always tricky Alexandr Dolgopolov in round two,
and a Grigor Dimitrov who seems closer to his 2014 form than his 2015 form in
round 3. He could then face the talented
Dominic Thiem or David Goffin in the Round of 16. In the quarters he could find himself facing
the big hitting Berdych, Kyrgios or Cilic.
Federer would clearly be favored against any of these opponents individually,
but having to role through such a tough draw just to make the semis could take
a lot out of the 34 year old. He's still
a serious threat, but Federer's Australian Open draw did him no favors. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Kei Nishikori:</b> Nishikori failed to build on his success in
grand slams in 2015 after reaching the 2014 US Open finals, and it looks like
he'll have to wait a little bit longer to do so in 2016. While his path to the quarterfinals is pretty
manageable, he's slated to run into Djokovic in the quarters. Based on current form Nishikori would
struggle to even get a set (which says more about Djokovic than Nishikori). It's possible Nishikori is ready to make a
run at the top 5 in 2016, but it doesn't look like <st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place> will be much help in that
regards. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The "next
generation":</b> The draw didn't do
any favors to much of the promising next generation. Alexander Zverev could have done damage with
the right draw, but has to open against <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city>. Borna Coric would have to meet fellow
countryman Marin Cilic in round two, and 19 year old Korean Hyeon Chung who is
just outside the top 50 drew Djokovic in round one. 18 year old American qualifier Taylor Fritz
has been on a tear to open up the new year, but drew Jack Sock in round
one. Assuming Sock is recovered from the
flu in time, this seems to be asking a bit too much from Fritz at this point in
his career. Moreover, the big hitting
Thanasi Kokkinakis wasn't even able to play <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region> with an injury. There's a lot to look forward to with this
young generation, but it's unlikely we'll see a teenager make a deep run in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region> given
their brutal draws.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-85220197927249717132016-01-10T08:56:00.000-08:002016-01-10T08:56:17.079-08:00What We Learned From Week 1 on the ATP Tour in 2016<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>There may be hope for
a "youth" movement in 2016:</b>
The one thing that's been missing from men's tennis in recent years is a
young superstar who is good enough to challenge the Big Four. While that's still a long ways away from
happening, there were signs in the first week of the season that younger
players (or at least guys younger than 27) are ready to make some moves. 19 year old Borna Coric reached the finals of
Chennai where he fell to Stan Wawrinka, and in the process showed he may be
poised for a true breakout season in 2016.
Milos Raonic topped Federer to win the <st1:city w:st="on">Brisbane</st1:city> title, which is impressive even if
Federer wasn't feeling 100%. Also in <st1:city w:st="on">Brisbane</st1:city> were the
talented Grigor Dimitrov, Dominic Thiem and Bernard Tomic, who all had solid
tournaments and look to be improved in the new season. Moreover, 18 year old American Taylor Fritz
continued his strong play in Challengers by rolling to the title in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Happy</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Valley</st1:placetype></st1:place>. Given our lowered expectations at what constitutes
a youth movement based on the recent past, tennis fans may be in for a pleasant
surprise in 2016. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Djokovic did not
forget how to play tennis during the off-season:</b> If the rest of the tour was hoping that
Djokovic lost a step during the off-season, they must be sorely disappointed
after seeing what he did to Rafael Nadal in <st1:city w:st="on">Doha</st1:city>.
The 14-time grand slam champion managed a grand total of 3 games against
the World Number 1 in the <st1:city w:st="on">Doha</st1:city>
finals, and in doing so Djokovic sent a clear message to the rest of the tour
that he plans on being just as dominant as ever in 2016. It may be nearly impossible for Djokovic to
top his epic 2015 season, but he's already off to a better start given that he
lost to Karlovic in <st1:city w:st="on">Doha</st1:city>
to start off the previous season.
Djokovic has now won the last 6 tournaments he's played, and looks
poised to have another dominant season in 2016.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The over 30 crowd may
begin slowing down:</b> It wasn't a
great week for the over 30 crowd on the ATP tour, and this could be a sign some
of the tour's veterans may be in for a rough 2016. 33 and 34 year old Spaniards David Ferrer and
Feliciano Lopez both suffered surprising first round losses in <st1:city w:st="on">Doha</st1:city>.
32 year old Gilles Muller got knocked out by a qualifier in Chennai, and
31 year old Gilles Simon fell to Dimitrov for the first time in his career in <st1:city w:st="on">Brisbane</st1:city>. And then there was that loss by Federer to
Raonic, though Federer did look to be in good form during his run to the
finals. Maybe the over 30 contingent
just came out a bit flat to start the season and will get it together soon, but
their early struggles could be a sign of more problems to come in 2016.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Don't sleep on
Wawrinka in 2016:</b> Wawrinka didn't
drop a set in capturing the Chennai title, and looks to be a threat heading
into <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region>. He's won a slam in each of the last 2
seasons, and could do so again in 2016 if a draw falls right. He didn't get much attention heading into the
season, which is justifiable given most people were focusing on Djokovic's
dominance, Murray's momentum following his Davis Cup title and Federer's
continued great form. But if Stan stays
focused and motivated (which he looked to be to start off the season), we
shouldn't be surprised if the Swiss number 2 steals another big title or two in
the new season. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-31534386304548065172016-01-02T09:33:00.000-08:002016-01-02T09:34:04.987-08:00Storylines to Watch on the ATP Tour in 2016<div class="MsoNormal">
As we get ready to begin the 2016 ATP season, below is a
look at some of the biggest storylines to follow during the upcoming year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Can Djokovic win the
career, or even 2016 calendar grand slam?</b>
The obvious storyline heading into the year is whether Djokovic can
finally win the French Open and complete the career grand slam. Nadal is no longer invincible on clay, as
Djokovic proved in destroying him on the way to the 2015 finals at Roland
Garros. Unfortunately for the Serb, he
seemed to run out of steam by the finals and played a pretty tentative match
against an in-the-zone Stan Wawrinka.
Djokovic looks like he'll be the favorite heading in, though based on
recent form a tougher Nadal is likely to await than what we saw in 2015. <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city> is much
improved on clay and could be a threat as well, and Djokovic will be hoping to
find <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city> and
Nadal on the other half of the draw. Assuming
he's able to reach the finals once again, we can expect Djokovic to learn from
his mistake in 2015 and come out with a more aggressive gameplan. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The less likely but still interesting storyline is whether
Djokovic can make a run at the 2016 grand slam.
He only came one match away last year, but it's hard to predict that
anyone (no matter how dominant) will pull off this feat. First, he has to stay healthy, which he's
been pretty good at doing throughout his career. Then, he's got to hope an opponent doesn't
catch fire for a prolonged period of time, i.e. Wawrinka at the French. Djokovic's world class defense generally
makes him immune from getting blown off the court in a best of 5 match, but
this doesn't mean it's impossible on any given day. And while Djokovic has owned his fellow
members of the Big Four at majors in recent years, if you run into Federer, <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city> and Nadal enough
at the latter stages of grand slams one slip-up is hard to avoid. It may be unlikely, but it's still fun to
imagine as one of the biggest stories of the 2016 season.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Will anyone new break
into the ATP Elite?</b> We're probably
still a couple of years away from the next generation truly joining the elite
of the ATP Tour, but it's still a major storyline heading into the season. Dominic Thiem, Jack Sock and Nick Kyrgios are
all in their young twenties and have tons of talent, but whether they can
challenge for spots in the top 10 remains to be seen. Following behind them is the younger Coric,
Zverev, Kokkinakis, Chung, Rublev and the deep group of American teens, who are
all accomplished but may still need a few more years of seasoning. If anyone from either of these groups can
somehow start to challenge the ATP's best, it will be a breath of fresh air and
a major storyline of the ATP season.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Does Federer have one
more grand slam title (or Olympic gold) left in him? </b>It's been amazing how well Federer has
played since he entered his thirties, and he's made several grand slam finals
in the last couple of years. But he's
been unable to overcome the Djokovic riddle when it matters most, and it's hard
to see him knocking off the world number one in a slam final now that he's
nearing age 35. Moreover, <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city> and Nadal both
look like they'll enter 2016 in good form, which should only make Federer's
work more difficult as he attempts to win one more major title. Federer will clearly be targeting <st1:place w:st="on">Wimbledon</st1:place>, the US Open and the Olympics (which is the
only major singles title he hasn't yet won) in 2016. He likely won't enter any of these events as
the favorite, but if the draw opens up it won't be shocking if he ends up
holding one of these three titles. Whether
or not he pulls it off, Federer's attempt to win one more huge event will be a
major story to watch in 2016.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Will anyone from the
"lost generation" challenge the Big Four?</b> The "generation" of guys currently
in their mid-twenties, i.e. Nishikori, Raonic, Dimitrov, Cilic and Del Potro arrived
with plenty of hype. But due to some bad
luck in terms of injuries and timing (being right behind one of the greatest
groups of players of all time), they're in danger of failing to capitalize on
their primes before being passed by in favor of the talented younger
generation. It's not too late for them,
but they should all be feeling a sense of urgency. Del Potro is clearly the furthest away, as
he's barely played in the last couple of years with wrist injuries. The rest all seem capable of having big 2016
seasons, but for this group a "big" season feels like a spot in the
top 8. However, if any of them can win a
major (or in Cilic's case a second major), it will be a huge achievement for
this group and could perhaps signal a slight changing of the guard. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-11378586892420588292015-12-27T10:04:00.000-08:002015-12-27T10:04:40.782-08:00Some Predictions for the 2016 ATP Season (Part 2)<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Grigor Dimitrov will
be closer to his 2014 form:</b> In 2014
Dimitrov looked like the next big thing in men's tennis He had his much awaited breakthrough year,
spending time in the top 10 in the world and reached the semifinals at <st1:place w:st="on">Wimbledon</st1:place>. For a
guy who improved every year since turning pro, the natural progression seemed
to be that Dimitrov would start competing for grand slam titles in 2015. Instead, for the first time in his career
Dimitrov had a serious regression, and finished in the low-twenties in the
rankings. He was a
non-factor at most big tournaments, and his backhand remained a weakness. Some thought experimenting with a new racquet
was the problem, others thought his focus was away from tennis, or that he
wasn't ready to deal with the bigger spotlight 2014 brought. But whatever the cause, 2014 was clearly a
wasted year for the Bulgarian. Most of
the issues Dimitrov dealt with last season should be behind him, and he should
be extremely motivated to prove 2015 was a fluke. He's still remarkably talented, and can play
with less pressure and attention in 2016.
Expect Dimitrov to finish the year a lot closer to 10 in the world than
30.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Jack Sock will end
the year as the top ranked American:</b>
John Isner has been carrying the torch for American men's tennis over
the last several years, and generally maintains a ranking between 11-20 in the
world. While Isner had a strong 2015
(finishing at 11), 2016 may be the year Isner relinquishes his spot as the top
ranked American. Don't expect for Isner
to have a big drop in the rankings, but it looks like Jack Sock is ready to
take the next step. Sock ended 2015 on a
tear, and has fixed many of the deficiencies in his game that held him back
early on. Sock looks like he belongs on
court with the top ATP players, and his game should be ready to compete with
the world's best. If he can stay healthy
for the whole year (which has been a problem in the past), Sock should be able
to finish just outside the top 10 in the world rankings. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Marin Cilic will be
back:</b> 2015 was a tough year for the
2014 US Open Champion, as late 2014 wrist problems hampered his preparations
for the year. Cilic never really got on
track, though he still managed to reach the semis of the US Open and quarters
of <st1:place w:st="on">Wimbledon</st1:place>.
Now that he's had a full off-season to rest and train, Cilic should be
ready to return to form in 2016. He
won't have the Big Four's consistency week in and week out, but a healthy Cilic
could easily steal a Masters title or make a couple of deep runs in grand
slams. After a year in which he finished
at 13 in the rankings, a final ranking in the 6-8 range is a reasonable
expectation for the upcoming season.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Ernests Gulbis will
return to the top 25:</b> There's no
denying that 2015 was a disaster of a season for Gulbis. He finished 2014 in the top 15 in the world,
and at one point dropped outside of the top 100 in 2015. There were times where it looked like he
couldn't beat a club pro, and his bizarre forehand form (which appeared to help
in 2014) began to look like a cheap gimmick.
While there's not much evidence to suggest Gulbis will return to form in
2016 (except a couple of decent results toward the end of the season), Gulbis
generally does the opposite of what everyone expects. If we have high expectations going in for
Gulbis he generally disappoints, and when we write him off he tends to become
relevant. Now that no one is taking
Gulbis seriously, things seem to be lining up exactly how Gulbis likes them. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-72107932672549089702015-12-26T10:03:00.001-08:002015-12-26T10:03:44.160-08:00Some Predictions for the 2016 ATP Season (part 1)<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Andy Murray will win
his third grand slam title:</b> Murray
has accomplished nearly everything a tennis pro could ask for (grand slam
champion, Olympic gold medal, Davis Cup title), but the knock on him is that as
good as he's been he "only" has two grand slam titles. Look for <st1:place w:st="on">Murray</st1:place> to capture his third major in 2016, though he may need a slip up by Djokovic along the way to make
it happen. <st1:place w:st="on">Murray</st1:place> has worked his way up to number two in
the world, and will benefit from avoiding Djokovic until the finals at every
big event. While <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city>
will be a threat at every major he plays, <st1:place w:st="on">Wimbledon</st1:place>
stands out as his best bet to get it done. Australia should also present a good opportunity if he can ride the momentum from leading Great Britain to the 2015 Davis Cup title.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Dominic Thiem will
reach the next level:</b> Thiem has been
on everyone's radar for a while now even though he's just 22. He finished
2015 at number 20 in the world, and won multiple
250 level tournaments. However, he wasn't much of a factor at the bigger events. This isn't particularly unusual for a younger
player, but Thiem should be ready to step up his results at Masters and grand
slams in 2016. With a powerful game that
resembles Stan Wawrinka's, Thiem has the point ending power and versatility
that seems necessary to challenge for slams in today's game. With all the physical tools he needs, Thiem's
mental toughness and focus will determine how far he goes in 2016. Expect Thiem to be more comfortable on tour
and in the bigger events after his experiences over the last couple years, and a
spot in the top 10 seems ascertainable for the talented Austrian.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Alexander Zverev will
become the game's top young player:</b>
The 18 year old ended 2015 just outside the top 80 in the world, but he
was a bit overshadowed by fellow teen Borna Coric who finished nearly 40
spots ahead of him in the rankings.
Don't be fooled by the current rankings discrepancy, as Zverev seems
better suited to reach the game's top level.
While it's hard to see Coric not becoming a perennial top 10-15 player,
his lack of a weapon and average forehand are potentially worrisome. Zverev has no such weaknesses, and has world
class power. Further, he moves well for
his height, and his ground strokes should only become heavier as he bulks up. While there's several talented young players
on the ATP Tour, Zverev seems like the best bet to win a grand slam title. He may already be known by serious tennis
fans, but it won't be long until he's more of a household name. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Young American men
will surge up the rankings</b>: 2015 was
a promising year for the young Americans, notably Taylor Fritz, Frances
Tiafoe, Jared Donaldson and Tommy Paul.
Others such as Noah Rubin, Ernesto Escobedo, Stefan Kozlov and a few
others also showed some positive signs.
Now that this group has some exposure to what life is like on the pro
tour, many of them should be ready to take the next step. That will mean different things to each of
them based on their varying talent levels, but Fritz, Tiafoe, Paul and
Donaldson should all have their sights set on a spot in the top 100. After a full off-season to train following a
year in which many of them just turned pro, expect big things from this
talented group in 2016. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-69251613874509085132015-12-14T18:44:00.000-08:002015-12-14T18:44:38.446-08:00It's Time to Make Davis Cup More of a Team Competition<div class="MsoNormal">
Every year the Davis Cup title (at least theoretically) goes
to the top country in men's tennis. But
for what's supposedly a "team" event, very little emphasis is placed
on the whole "team" part. This
year's champion is <st1:country-region w:st="on">Great
Britain</st1:country-region>, who has one superstar in Andy
Murray and only one other singles player in the top 100. It's kind of hard to take the tournament
seriously when a country like <st1:country-region w:st="on">Great
Britain</st1:country-region> can be deemed the best in the world,
when they're essentially a one-man show.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Great
Britain</st1:country-region> to no fault of it's own merely took
advantage of the Davis Cup format, which basically requires no depth of talent
for the participating countries. Given
that one stud singles player (i.e. any member of the "Big Four") can
win 2 out of the necessary 3 points in any given tie, very little else is
needed to advance. This may be great for
the countries with superstars up top, but it's hard to say this is the best way
to determine which country reigns supreme in men's tennis in any given year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The whole ATP season is designed to recognize the top
individual players in the world, so it simply doesn't make sense that the
premier team event in men's tennis is so "individual" based. To truly determine which is the best country,
it would make more sense if each country has to use three or four singles
players, as opposed to just two. (Perhaps
keep the current format but only let singles players play once, so that a
country has to us it's 4 best singles players). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The country that would have likely benefited the most from a
more "team" friendly format over the last decade would have been <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region>. Most tennis analysts would acknowledge <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region> has been
one of the strongest countries in men's tennis over the last decade with the
likes of Tsonga, Monfils, Gasquet, Simon and a host of others, but they don't
even have one Davis Cup title with this crop.
Despite all their talent and depth, their lack of a sure fire number one
option has kept them from winning a title.
But does anyone really consider <st1:country-region w:st="on">Great
Britain</st1:country-region> "better" than <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region> when it
comes to men's tennis? It becomes fair
to ask whether the problem was <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region>
and its inability to get the job done at the biggest moments, or whether <st1:place w:st="on">France</st1:place>
just found themselves stuck in a format that isn't really designed to reward
the best "team". </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some might argue Davis Cup struggles with garnering ratings
and support enough as it is, and throwing out the fourth best player from
Canada against the fourth best player from Belgium isn't going to help in that
regard. This may be true, but there has
to be a way to make the competition more about recognizing the best country, and
not just the country with the best player in any given year. As many others have suggested, making Davis
Cup an every other year event may be the solution toward boosting ratings and
overall interest, and if fans are more excited about the event in itself they
may not care as much about seeing some lower ranked players. One way or the other, if the event is truly
supposed to recognize the country with the best team, the format should be such
that actually having a good "team" is a prerequisite to wining. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-6930306450594102232015-11-26T10:11:00.001-08:002015-11-26T10:13:07.489-08:00Who Exceeded Expectations on the ATP Tour in 2015?<div class="MsoNormal">
The following is a look at a few players on the ATP Tour who
exceeded their expectations heading into the 2015 season: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Novak Djokovic:</b> Djokovic had ridiculously high expectations
heading into the year, and he more than exceeded them. Any questions about why he seemed to let some
grand slam titles slip away were put to rest, and he continued to rocket his way
up through the record books. Winning 3
grand slams and 6 Masters titles is nearly impossible to achieve, and in doing
so he destroyed any notion that the "Big Four" as we have come to
know it still exists. Djokovic came
within one match of winning the 2015 Grand Slam, and would anyone really be
surprised if he pulls it off in 2016?
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Benoit Paire:</b> Benoit Paire ended 2014 ranked around 100 in
the world, and at one point early in 2015 nearly fell down to 150. A once promising career seemed to be slipping
away, in part based on injuries and a questionable mental game. However, Paire managed to show some serious
resolve and grinded his way all the up to 19 in the world at the season's
end. He showed more mental toughness
along the way than most of us thought he had in him, notably fighting off match
points to knock out Nishikori at the US Open, and winning 4 consecutive 3 set
matches against tough competition to reach the finals of the 500 level Japan
Open. Paire put himself in a great
position to take off in 2016, and will definitely be someone to watch going
forward.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Hyeon Chung:</b> 19 year old Hyeon Chung increased his ranking
by over 100 spots in 2015, and finds himself just outside of the top 50 in the
world. He's part of a talented group of
young teenagers getting ready to make their move on the ATP Tour, and will look
to continue his rise in 2016. Most of
Chung's ranking points came in Challengers, and he didn't do much at the ATP
level. This isn't unusual or overly
concerning for a teenager trying to break through, but Chung will need to fare
better against ATP level competition in 2016 or he risks taking a step
back. Regardless of where he goes from
here (and the bet is he'll adjust and be ready to make another jump next year),
he took a major step forward this season. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Bernard Tomic:</b> Tomic started the year outside of the top 50
in the rankings, and quietly ends the year with a spot in the world's top
20. Just when it seemed like the
off-court drama surrounding Tomic would derail his career, he seems to have
righted the ship in 2015. While he's
long been projected as a future star and it may seem strange to say a 23 year
old Tomic "exceeded expectations" with a mere top 20 finish, it just
shows how far he had fallen. Tomic
likely benefited from reduced attention given the emergence of other young
Australian stars- notably Kyrgios and Kokkinakis, and should just be entering
his prime in the next few years. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-11393188645303436642015-11-23T09:03:00.000-08:002015-11-23T09:03:04.771-08:00Some Thoughts Following the ATP World Tour Finals<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Djokovic continues to
win when it matters:</b> Roger Federer
may have beaten Djokovic three times during the 2015 season, but Djokovic
dominated this rivalry when it mattered most.
Just as he did at the US Open and <st1:place w:st="on">Wimbledon</st1:place>, Djokovic was able to top Federer in the finals here despite a loss to
Federer in the round-robin stage. Djokovic
completed one of the finest seasons in recent memory (if not tennis history),
and at the moment lacks a serious rival.
Maybe Nadal or Murray will make adjustments and become better equipped
to deal with the world number one in 2016, but if not look for Djokovic to be
almost as dominant in 2016. If Djokovic
doesn't win at least 2 majors next year it will be a pretty big surprise, and
Djokovic probably thinks he has a somewhat realistic shot at wining all
four. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>A disappointing
showing for <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city>:</b> Based on <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city>'s previous comments it's clear his end
of the year priority was winning the Davis Cup title rather than the ATP World
Tour Finals. He was afraid he'd be worn
down from the event, and wouldn't have enough time to practice on clay before
the Davis Cup finals. After <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city>'s lackluster
performance in the group stage he didn't even make the semifinals, so at least he'll have plenty of time to get ready on the clay. <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city>
simply got blitzed by Nadal and fell to Wawrinka in a match that decided who
would reach the semis. (He did have a
win over Ferrer, who went 0-3 at the event).
<st1:place w:st="on">Murray</st1:place>
was consistent throughout the year and will end 2015 as the number two player
in the world, but once again he got knocked out of an important tournament
earlier than many expected.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Nadal continued his
good form:</b> Nadal had been heating up
heading into the ATP World Tour Finals, and should be mostly encouraged by his
performance. He swept his matches in the
group stage, before falling to Djokovic in the semis. Nadal may not believe he can compete with
Djokovic at the moment, but he's got to think he can return to number two in
the world in 2016. He just beat Murray
and Wawrinka indoors, Federer will be another year older, and there's not many
other obvious challengers. There were
plenty of down moments during the year for Nadal, but a strong World Tour
Finals should boost his confidence heading into 2016. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Ferrer's days playing
this event may be over:</b> Ferrer is
one of the best competitors in tennis, but he was clearly overmatched by the
superior competition at this event. He's
been a staple in the top 8 for the last several years, but is vulnerable to
sliding back next year. He'll turn 34
during 2016, and his physical game won't get any easier to play as he gets
older. It won't be for lack of effort,
but don't be surprised if Marin Cilic or Milos Raonic steals Ferrer's spot at
the ATP World Tour Finals in 2016.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-77656289181260412872015-11-17T17:24:00.001-08:002015-11-17T17:24:21.120-08:00ATP World Tour Finals Field Far Too Predictable<div class="MsoNormal">
The ATP World Tour Finals is supposed to provide an exciting
and conclusive end to the ATP season, but once again excitement for the event
seems to be greatly lacking. Even the
players contest matches looking like they'd rather be somewhere else, i.e.
Wawrinka against Nadal and Nishikori against Djokovic. While there aren't many easy solutions, it's
becoming clear that some new blood is badly needed to add intrigue to the
event. Seeing the same players compete
year after year has become far too predictable, and the event takes on the
exact same feel as year's past.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The average age of this year's contestants is extremely
high, as Nishikori is by far the youngest player at 25. Everyone else is at least 28, and you have to
go all the way down to 14 in the world to find anyone younger than 25. While there's a lot of young talent on the
way up, the current group of teens and young twenty-somethings is still at
least a few years away from challenging for spots in this prestigious
event. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It's certainly not a problem on its own that there are
several veteran superstars in the top 8 in the rankings. The "Big Four's" dominance over the
last decade has clearly been good for tennis, and they're some of the most marketable
athletes in the world. But seeing the
same matchups over and over again simply takes a lot of the luster away. While it used to be must see TV whenever
there was a matchup amongst members of the "Big Four", it just hasn't
had that same feel in recent years. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What tennis could use is at least one or two legitimate
young challengers to the "Big Four's" dominance. Imagine how much more exciting it would be if
there was some 20 year old who was pumped about being there and could actually
stand toe-to-toe with the best players in the world. This could be Kyrgios, Coric, Zverev or
whomever else in a couple years, but for tennis' sake it's a shame there isn't
someone like that ready to compete at this event now. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe in 5 years when the "Big Four's" reign is
officially over we'll be longing for the days when there were four global superstars
to headline the event. It's hard to
imagine the tour won't suffer at least a temporary decline in popularity when
they're no long around. But that doesn't
mean we can't wish there was a little more variety at the top of the men's
game. Sports are often at their best
when there's a newcomer trying to challenge a veteran who's attempting to hang
on to power for a little bit longer (i.e. the Federer/Nadal dynamic from
several years ago). If men's tennis is
lucky, it's a dynamic we'll soon get to experience again before several
"more of the same" World Tour Finals pass us by. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-25181823887360241962015-11-15T07:53:00.000-08:002015-11-15T07:53:32.516-08:00Way Too Early Predictions For the 2016 World Tour Finals<div class="MsoNormal">
As we get ready for the 2015 ATP World Tour Finals comprised
of the top 8 players in the world, here's a way too early prediction of what
the 2016 field will look like (assuming everyone stays healthy- except for Juan
Martin Del Potro, in which case we have to see it to believe it):</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The sure things:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Novak Djokovic:</b> In all likelihood, Djokovic won't be as
dominant in 2016 as he was in 2015.
While it's not easy to see who will challenge him, Djokovic won so many
slams and Masters tournaments this year that it will be a nearly impossible
task for him to have the same amount of success next year. But unless he trots out in 2016 sporting a
flashy new one-handed backhand just to make things interesting, he's finishing
2016 well inside the top 8 (and very likely once again at number one).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Andy Murray:</b> <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city>
is simply too consistent and good on every surface for this to even be a
question. He's settled in at number two
in the world, and should stay in the two-three range for much of 2016. His focus for 2016 will be on adding another
major to his total, as he can't be thrilled with having the same amount as Stan
Wawrinka. With Federer and Wawrinka
getting up there in age, <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city>
will be in a good position to pounce should Djokovic have a rare slip up along
the way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The almost sure
things:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Roger Federer:</b> Were it just for his performance in 2015
Federer would be in the above group, but he will be turning 35 during
2016. It's possible that whenever
Federer does decline it happens swiftly, and Federer won't give himself much
room for error with the limited schedule he's likely to play. Given his incredibly high level of play over
the last year or two Federer is a risk to take a slight step back in 2016. But even if the consistency isn't what it was
(losses at the end of this year to Isner and Albert Ramos-Vinolas are a bit
troubling), he should post enough strong results at the big events to finish
well inside the top 8. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Rafael Nadal:</b> Even in a year when Nadal was widely assumed
to be struggling, he still managed to finish around 5 in the world (pending the
ATP World Tour Finals). Nadal started
playing well toward the end of the year at a time when he's struggled in the
past, and this is encouraging for his prospects in 2016. Even if Djokovic is in another league, Nadal
should rack up plenty of points on the clay to challenge for a spot in the top
4, let alone the top 8. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Stan Wawrinka:</b> Wawrinka had another strong year in 2015 and
currently sits at number 4 in the world.
He's still not the most consistent guy on tour week in and week out, but
shows up at enough big events to rack up significant ranking points. Wawrinka is 30 years old, but should have at
least a couple of good years left (even if there's a slight decline). Even
if he continues to have some surprising losses in 2016, it's hard to imagine he
won't make enough deep runs at important tournaments to finish inside the top
8. While it would have sounded
unimaginable just a few years ago, Wawrinka is now trying to boost his resume
for a bid into the tennis Hall of Fame.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Kei Nishikori:</b> Nishikori took a bit of a step back in 2015,
but overall still had a pretty solid year.
A withdrawal at <st1:place w:st="on">Wimbledon</st1:place> and first
round loss to Paire at the US Open (when he may not have been 100%) hurt his
ranking, but he was otherwise pretty consistent throughout the year. Nishikori will look to improve his
performances at the big events in 2016, and it won't be surprising if he does
so. He should just be entering his
prime, and has some of the best ground strokes in the game. If Nishikori fails to finish in the top 8
next year he'd consider it a major disappointment, and it would be a pretty big
surprise in the tennis world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The probables:</b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Tomas Berdych:</b> It says a lot about Berdych that he had a
somewhat up and down 2015 but still is currently 6 in the world. He didn't do as well as he would have liked
in some important tournaments, notably the US Open and <st1:place w:st="on">Wimbledon</st1:place>,
but always seems to pick up enough points in smaller events. Berdych generally seems to finish in the 5-8
range, and until he fails to do so it's hard to pick against him. Sure there's some younger talented players on
the way up who will at some point take Berdych's spot, but the bet here is
Berdych makes the World Tour Finals once again in 2016. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<st1:place w:st="on"><b>Milos</b></st1:place><b> Raonic:</b> Raonic clearly didn't have the kind of year
he was hoping for, and was hampered by a foot injury. Given that he's not the most mobile guy to
start with, any further limitations on his movement is going to cause some
problems. Assuming he's at full strength
to begin next year, Raonic should be able to will himself back into the top
8. He's still got one of the best serves
in the game, and has improved his backhand in recent years. Had he stayed healthy throughout 2015 he
probably would have found himself in this year's field, and expect him to
finish 2016 around 7-8 in the world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Just missing out:</b> David Ferrer, Richard Gasquet, Marin Cilic</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-83709304141882547882015-11-04T19:01:00.000-08:002015-11-04T19:19:43.606-08:00Can Borna Coric Build on an Up and Down 2015 Season?<div class="MsoNormal">
Borna Coric is the youngest player in the top 50, and he
just concluded a solid if not spectacular 2015 season with his loss to Andy
Murray in Paris. Coric gained a lot of attention
at the end of last year when he got a win over Rafael Nadal, and more attention
early this year when he destroyed <st1:city w:st="on">Murray</st1:city> in <st1:city w:st="on">Dubai</st1:city>. But even with these marquee victories, Coric
learned wins simply aren't easy to come by on the ATP Tour no matter how much
promise you have. He ends the season on
a 3 match losing streak and a 25-27 record, but will be in good position to
take a step forward in 2016. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even though Coric struggled at times, he didn't have that
many "bad" losses. Of course
he would have liked to have a better record, but how many 18 year olds are
going to consistently beat Cilic, Nishikori, Nadal, Anderson, Wawrinka, Tsonga
and the other top guys he ran into nearly every week. When he finally took a break from the ATP
World Tour to play a Challenger towards the end of the year (like most guys his
age are doing) he won it without much trouble.
Coric probably figures if everyone has to take their lumps when they
first come on tour it's better to do so when you're just 18, and now he'll be
able to hit the ground running heading into next season. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just because Coric has a higher ranking at the moment than
his fellow talented teens doesn't necessarily mean he'll end up being the best
of the bunch (the pick here is Alexander Zverev). There's lots of examples of talented young
players coming up around the same time where whoever peaked first didn't end up
having the better career (i.e. Hewitt and Federer). But it's hard to imagine Coric won't at least
become a perennial top 15-20 player on tour.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The biggest thing he needs to do is add power to his
forehand. The forehand is widely
considered the most important shot in today's game, and without a dominant one
it's extremely difficult to grab a spot in the top ten. Coric's average forehand tends to sit up with
too much spin, and gives his opponents something to attack. If he can turn his forehand into a weapon
instead of a slight liability (and it's not crazy to think an 18 year old still
has time to add power to that side), Coric could become really scary. Don't be surprised if at this time next year
Coric is sitting around 25 in the world.
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-73399493129427966712015-11-03T18:46:00.002-08:002015-11-03T18:47:41.278-08:00Americans Sock, Johnson Take Big Leaps Forward in 2015<div class="MsoNormal">
Much of the focus on American men's tennis lately (here
included) has been on the promising group of American teenagers on the way
up. It's always easy to get excited
about the next big thing, and the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> has its best crop of emerging
young players in over a decade. But in
the meantime, Americans Jack Sock and Steve ("aka Stevie") Johnson
have made clear they're worth our attention with their now concluded impressive
2015 seasons. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jack Sock had been on everyone's radar for quite some time,
as he was one of <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region>'s
more promising juniors in a while in his own right. But his first few years on tour weren't much
to write home about. That's not to say
they were a complete disaster, but he clearly wasn't ready for life as a top
level pro. He struggled with his
fitness, had a questionable work ethic, and lacked a respectable backhand. Sock started to finally break through in
2014, and took it to a new level in 2015.
With improved fitness, a better backhand and seemingly more comfort
being on tour, Sock should finish the year around 25 in the world. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sock won his first ATP World Tour title in 2015, posted several
top 20 wins, and now has to believe he belongs on the same court with the
world's top players. Whether he can make
the jump to the top 10 in the next couple of years will probably depend on how
much he improves his backhand, as there's not much else that should hold him
back. Given that he made significant
strides with his backhand already, it finally looks like he's made this a
priority. If he continues to do so
throughout the off-season and comes into 2016 even stronger off that side, it's
reasonable to foresee Sock finishing next year somewhere in the 10-15 range in
the rankings. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For Johnson, it wasn't that long ago he was hanging around
150 in the world. As good as he was in
college, people started wondering if he had the game to make in on the ATP
Tour. Johnson answered all such
questions in 2015, and should finish around 30 in the world. He ended the year on a strong note, and will
enter 2016 with tons of confidence. Johnson's
upside probably isn't quite as high as Sock's, but he can certainly become a
top 20 player in 2016. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Johnson's backhand hasn't come as far as Sock's, and he
seems to have resigned himself to becoming a "slicer" off that side a
la Feliciano Lopez. This can work to a
point, but it's hard to reach a truly elite level without at least a solid
two-handed backhand. Hopefully for his fans Johnson spends his off-season practicing cross-court topspin
backhands for about three hours a day.
If he enters 2016 with an improved backhand stroke (even if it's just by
a little), he'll certainly be no fun for the rest of the tour to play against in 2016. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sock and Johnson may no longer be the shiny new objects in
American men's tennis, but it looks like they'll be more than capable of
holding the fort down until help arrives.
Seeing the teenagers quickly rise through the ranks also may have pushed
them both to improve, as they realized they could soon get passed by if they
don't. With Sock, Johnson and lots of
young talent on the way, landing a spot on the U.S. Davis Cup team looks to be a difficult proposition throughout much of the next decade.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-7117121939571802822015-11-02T17:19:00.001-08:002015-11-02T17:21:43.882-08:00Watch Out for Nadal in 2016<div class="MsoNormal">
For most professional tennis players, a 56-18 record, 3
titles and over $3 million in prize money is a pretty good year. If you're name is Rafael Nadal, such a year
causes people to panic and wonder if your career is beginning to wind
down. Obviously Nadal's year hasn't been
what we've come to expect from the 14 time grand slam champion, but it's hardly
been the train wreck some people have made it out to be. More importantly, Nadal is playing some of his
best tennis as the year winds down, and this bodes well for the Spaniard in
2016. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nadal clearly struggled with his confidence as he returned
to the tour at the beginning of the year.
Injuries slowed him down at the end of 2014, and he didn't begin 2015 in
his usual form. He got rolled by Berdych
at the Australian Open, lost to Fognini multiple times, and got beaten handily
by Djokovic, Murray and Wawrinka at different times during the clay court
season. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More concerning than the results themselves was that he
simply didn't look like Nadal. His
timing on his usually devastating forehand was off, and it looked like he
mis-hit more forehands this year than he had in the previous 10 years
combined. As his confidence faded he
stopped hitting out on a lot of forehands, and at times appeared to merely be
guiding the ball through the court.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even without his confidence Nadal managed to grind out what
may end up being a top 5 season (he just moved up to fifth in the points
race). While it wasn't what we're used
to, he did make the semis of <st1:city w:st="on">Monte Carlo</st1:city>, finals
of <st1:state w:st="on">Madrid</st1:state>, won <st1:state w:st="on">Hamburg</st1:state>
(a 500 level event), finals of <st1:city w:st="on">Beijing</st1:city>, semis of <st1:city w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:city>
and finals of <st1:city w:st="on">Basel</st1:city>. Nadal traditionally struggles in the post- US
Open Asian and European indoor swing, but has been solid over the last few
tournaments. His forehand looked to be
returning to form, and this should be worrisome for the rest of the tour. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nadal has always rebounded strong from injuries, layoffs and
slumps. He probably won't do so to the
same extent as before (don't expect him to win 3 slams in 2016). But it's hard to rule out the possibility
that Nadal returns to number two or three in the world. Djokovic has clearly passed him by, but with
a good training block in the off-season there's no reason Nadal can't rejoin
the likes of Murray and Federer. At some
point his body probably will break down, and it's hard to see him going strong
into his mid-thirties like Federer.
However, that doesn't mean he doesn't have a couple of great years left. If he can continue to end his year on a high
note, a confident and healthy Nadal heading into 2016 could be a scary
proposition for the rest of the tour. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659205353373456867.post-35472769040512187132015-10-19T19:12:00.001-07:002015-10-19T19:14:43.638-07:00Taylor Fritz Surges to the Top of a Deep American Teenage Class<div class="MsoNormal">
It's no secret that serious help is on the way for American
men's tennis. The timing couldn't be
better, given that we've seen the headline: "No American Man Makes it Past
Third Round at Major" more times than fans of American men's tennis care
to count over the past decade. But now
it appears there may be something special brewing with the likes of Taylor
Fritz, Jared Donaldson, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Michael Mmoh, Reilly
Opelka, and Stefan Kozlov amongst a few others.
All have impressive accomplishments to their name, including Fritz's
junior US Open title, Paul's junior French Open title, Opelka's junior
Wimbledon title, Tiafoe's <st1:place w:st="on">Kalamazoo</st1:place>
title, and Donaldson's status as a top 150 pro.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While several members of this emerging group have taken
turns at the forefront over the last year or so, at the moment Fritz has sprinted
to the front of the pack. He recently
won the US Open junior title and became the number one junior in the world. Then, the newly turned pro just won two
Challengers in extremely impressive fashion.
He beat Donaldson in the finals of the first Challenger in a tight three
setter, and beat the talented Dustin Brown twice along the way. Most everyone else struggled to even get a
set off him, as he simply rolled through several talented opponents. He's now up to 232 in the world, and he spent
most of the last year playing junior tournaments. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some American fans will continue to be cynical and feel like
they've been let down by too many hyped up American prospects. This may be
true, but with Fritz and other members of this group there's substance to back
up the hype. Any 17 year old who wins
multiple Challenger titles right after turning pro is clearly a serious talent. The fact other Americans before him have
fallen short shouldn't keep them from getting excited about Fritz's prospects
as a top level pro. He's clearly not
there yet and will have to continue to push himself, but it looks like he'll
soon belong in the same conversation with the world's other top teenagers such
as Zverev, Kokkinakis, Coric, Rublev, Chung and a couple others. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There's no need for Fritz to rush things, as he'll need to
build up his fitness so he can withstand the rigors of the ATP Tour. The other international teens may be ranked
higher at the moment, but that doesn't mean they're all better long term
prospects than Fritz (though many of them are quite good prospects themselves). However, given how they've all raised their
rankings, if Fritz wants to keep pace he probably should have his sight set on
a spot in the top 50-80 in the world a year from now.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Other members of the American contingent are obviously aware
of Fritz's success, and won't want to fall too far behind. Even if Fritz stays in front of the pack, the
fact that Donaldson, Tiafoe, Paul and others are all making moves of their own should
help create a positive competitive environment within the group. For fans of American men's tennis who just
want to see someone succeed at the game's highest level, well it may just be
time to get your hopes up once again. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15140717224318608066noreply@blogger.com0