When I first started this blog a few months back, I had the idea that Buy/Sell would be one of my recurring features. Of course, that hasn't happened. You know what they say about the best laid plans.
It's here now, though, so I guess there's that. Without further ado, here we go.
BUY:
- I might be alone on this because I'm a sports cards and collectibles nerd, but I'm buying that the Leaf Trading Cards purchase of Ace Authentic's stock is a positive for tennis trading cards.
I appreciate what Ace Authentic did for tennis cards and memorabilia, but their releases seemed sporadic and lacking in uniformity and consistency. Maybe their tennis product falls into the trading card rank and file, but with Leaf at the helm, you are likely going to at least get some consistency in the product.
I have already pre-ordered my first hobby box and you should too. I guess you could say I'm buying this in both a figurative and literal sense.
- I'm buying that John Isner might be working his way out of the funk he has been in since the 2013 season started. Isner played really well in wining the US Men's Clay Court Championship in Houston and I think it will be good for him to play a lighter schedule leading up to the French Open.
At this point, it's clear that he has a good game for clay, but for a number of reasons, he just hasn't been able to put it all together at Roland Garros. It remains to be seen whether or not this is the year he makes a deep run there, but don't be surprised if it is.
- I think we just might be witnessing Nicolas Almagro's career year. For so long, Almagro has been a nice, consistent top-15 or 20 player, but nothing more. He was overshadowed by countrymen Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer. He also had a habit of never really losing early in majors, but also never really exceeding expectations, either. Injuries played a part as well.
But now, he's in the middle of one of the best stretches of his career. He had a great run to the quarters of the Australian Open. Once there, he put the fear of God in David Ferrer before losing. He made the semis in Buenos Aires, the semis in Acapulco and the finals of Houston. More than the results themselves, though, you have to like the way he is playing.
Almagro is serving as well as anyone on tour right now and when you are getting all those free points, everything else kind of comes easy.
- I'm buying the fact that I can't wait for the French Open to get here. Independently, the French is fourth on my list of favorite Grand Slam tournaments.
But because of how long it has been since we've had a major, I always end up waiting breathlessly for it to begin. I know it's not going to change because it has been this way forever, but I've always disliked the fact that we have a four month break from majors followed by two weeks between majors.
Sell:
- Speaking of the French Open, I'm selling Rafael Nadal as an overwhelming favorite to win the tournament. Sure, he can win it and he has looked pretty darn good since returning from his knee injury, but playing at run of the mill ATP World Tour stops and playing in the French Open are two completely different things.
Specifically, playing two or three sets and playing five sets are two completely different things. He has been pushed physically to a certain extent since returning, but nothing will come close to the way he will be pushed if he ends up in a marathon four or five-setter against a tough opponent. It will be at that moment that we see just how healthy Nadal's knee is.
-I'm selling anyone in the ATP rankings behind the top four players. It's not that there aren't really good players behind those top four. There certainly are. It's just that the top 25 or 30 spots have been so fluid of late. I can't help but feel like that fluidity in the rankings has more to do with mediocrity and not parity.
Take a look at the current rankings. Is Richard Gasquet a top ten player? He is because he is ranked ninth in ATP points, but I just don't see him as that type of player. Outside the top ten, we have players like Marin Cilic, Tommy Haas, Gilles Simon, Andreas Seppi and Juan Monaco. Those guys have obviously had some success to get where they are now, but would you trust any of them in a big match?
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
Loss to Serbia Highlights Issue in US Davis Cup Lineup
I have gone on the record as saying that I'm bullish on the current US Davis Cup lineup moving forward.
The Bryan brothers have said they aren't looking at retirement until after the 2016 Olympic games and given the longevity that most doubles players enjoy, there is no reason to expect them to slow down before then.
John Isner and Sam Querrey may not give you the ceiling of an Andy Roddick in his prime, but you certainly could do at lot worse. Players with their serves are always going to be competitive.
I also think it helps that these four, barring injuries and things of that nature, are the obvious four players to select. Over the last several years, the parts had been shuffled quite a bit as Roddick began to take some Davis Cup ties off, James Blake was forced to take more time off due to injuries and Mardy Fish had a late-career resurgence.
I think there is something to be said for continuity, even in a sport there the "team" doesn't compete together.
The downside of this lineup is that is has its limitations.
Isner and Querrey are nice players. They both feature a dangerous weapon in their respective serves. Against most players they will face in early-round Davis Cup matches, that will be enough.
They run into problems, though, when they come up against teams that feature an elite player, like they did this past weekend against Novak Djokovic and Serbia. Neither guy is known for digging deep and coming up with awe-inspiring performances when faced with a top-flight player. Isner's win against Federer in Davis Cup last year comes to mind, but that's about it.
On top of that, the Davis Cup format rewards teams that have one transcendent player. Anything can happen in a Davis Cup weekend, to be sure, but when you have a near-sure thing in a player like Djokovic, you are basically coming into the weekend up 2-0.
And that's exactly the type of player the US is lacking.
They don't feature a player that gives the team an automatic win. They have nice players, sure, but you can't bank on them the way Serbia banks on Djokovic and the way Spain banks on Nadal or even Ferrer.
I guess I need to change my tune about the current version of the US Davis Cup team. I like their depth. There is no real weak spot in the lineup and against teams with no real elite player, that will almost always be enough to get the job done. But when they do come up against a team with that type of player, they are woefully unable to fight fire with fire.
The Bryan brothers have said they aren't looking at retirement until after the 2016 Olympic games and given the longevity that most doubles players enjoy, there is no reason to expect them to slow down before then.
John Isner and Sam Querrey may not give you the ceiling of an Andy Roddick in his prime, but you certainly could do at lot worse. Players with their serves are always going to be competitive.
I also think it helps that these four, barring injuries and things of that nature, are the obvious four players to select. Over the last several years, the parts had been shuffled quite a bit as Roddick began to take some Davis Cup ties off, James Blake was forced to take more time off due to injuries and Mardy Fish had a late-career resurgence.
I think there is something to be said for continuity, even in a sport there the "team" doesn't compete together.
The downside of this lineup is that is has its limitations.
Isner and Querrey are nice players. They both feature a dangerous weapon in their respective serves. Against most players they will face in early-round Davis Cup matches, that will be enough.
They run into problems, though, when they come up against teams that feature an elite player, like they did this past weekend against Novak Djokovic and Serbia. Neither guy is known for digging deep and coming up with awe-inspiring performances when faced with a top-flight player. Isner's win against Federer in Davis Cup last year comes to mind, but that's about it.
On top of that, the Davis Cup format rewards teams that have one transcendent player. Anything can happen in a Davis Cup weekend, to be sure, but when you have a near-sure thing in a player like Djokovic, you are basically coming into the weekend up 2-0.
And that's exactly the type of player the US is lacking.
They don't feature a player that gives the team an automatic win. They have nice players, sure, but you can't bank on them the way Serbia banks on Djokovic and the way Spain banks on Nadal or even Ferrer.
I guess I need to change my tune about the current version of the US Davis Cup team. I like their depth. There is no real weak spot in the lineup and against teams with no real elite player, that will almost always be enough to get the job done. But when they do come up against a team with that type of player, they are woefully unable to fight fire with fire.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Bartender! Another round (of Davis Cup) please!
Davis Cup is criminally underappreciated in the sports world.
Not only is it as exhilarating and intriguing as almost any other international competition, but generally speaking, we consistently get fantastic tennis from this event.
If the last round of play in early February is any indication, this year is going to be no exception. All we had last time were upsets, returns to prominence for historical tennis powers and the longest match in the storied history of Davis Cup.
It would be asking a lot of this round of play to stack up against that, but I'm anxiously awaiting what we will see over the weekend.
Okay, enough dawdling, on to the tie previews.
Canada vs. Italy (Vancouver, Indoor Hard Court)
The fact that I might be most excited to see this tie confirms the fact that I'm a huge tennis nerd. There aren't any real big names in this tie like there are in the others (although I will admit that Milos Raonic is getting close to that level) and neither of these teams strike you as teams that are going to ultimately come away with the Davis Cup in the end.
With all that being said, though, this tie is so completely unpredictable.
Canada obviously has a huge advantage thanks to Milos Raonic being by far the best singles player in this tie. If he plays like he's capable of in his matches, Canada will only need to eke out one more match win to clinch the team win.
On the other hand, Italy's top two players, Fabio Fognini and Andreas Seppi, are the type of grinders that might be able to frustrate Raonic. Fognini has the raw talent to play with anyone on tour and Seppi gives a good, honest effort every time he takes the court.
You also can't overlook the fact that Italy has the players to challenge Canada for the doubles point. Against most nations, Canada would all but have the doubles point wrapped up before the match even starts thanks to the presence of Daniel Nestor. But that's not the case against Italy. Fognini is an accomplished doubles player and Simon Bolelli gives him a solid partner.
Most intriguing of all for me is that this tie represents a fantastic opportunity for both nations. For Canada, it gives them a chance to show that they are now real players in the world of international tennis. For Italy, it gives them the chance get back to a place that had been very familiar at one point, the top of the tennis world.
This one is too close to call, but I guess I have to pick a winner. When in doubt, I like to go with the nation that has the best one player. For that reason, I'm picking Canada, but I think it's going to be close.
USA vs. Serbia (Boise, Indoor Hard Court)
I suppose if I were to be as excited for any one tie other than Canada/Italy it would be this one. I mean, I'm nothing if not a patriot, particularly when sports are involved.
I have to admit that I kind of like this new-look USA Davis Cup lineup. With Isner and Querrey leading the way, you have a better than average 1-2 punch in your singles lineup and the Bryans don't show any real signs of slipping from their perch at the top of doubles tennis.
I just wish that was going to matter more this weekend.
I don't have to tell you who leads the Serbian team. That would be none other than Novak Djokovic, arguably the best player on tour. Behind him, they have Viktor Troicki, a player that is easily overlooked but shouldn't be taken lightly. The Serbians also feature Nenad Zimonjic, a championship-level doubles player that will, at the very least, make the Bryans work to get the doubles point.
The Americans have the depth to go toe-to-toe with Serbia, but when you are dealing with a player as good as Djokovic, I'm not sure depth matters as much. If he plays anywhere close to his best, he will be able to take care of Isner and Querrey in his matches and I'm betting that Troicki will upset one of those two, as that is just what Troicki does.
While we're here, let me mention how disappointed I am that the USTA decided to hold this tie in Boise, Idaho. I'm sure Boise is a nice enough city, but is it a tennis hotbed? Do they have a history of hosting major international competitions like this? Can we guarantee that the crowds won't end up being paltry because a heavy snowstorm moves in over the weekend? I don't have any definitive answers for those questions, but I'm guessing the answer is no in each case.
In conclusion, I hate to say it, but I think the Serbians are the safe bet here.
Argentina vs. France (Buenos Aires, Outdoor Clay)
Only one thing is for sure in this tie and that's that there are going to be literally hundreds of long, drawn out, stylish points played on the clay in Buenos Aires. That's just what these two teams do.
Beyond that, I don't see anything but domination on France's part in this tie.
The French are bringing their "A" team to Argentina. It doesn't get much better than Tsonga, Gasquet, Benneteau and Llodra.You know your team is good when Benneateau might not be able to get into a match unless he plays doubles.
Argentina has as close to an "A" team as they can get at this point.They are missing Juan Martin del Potro, but that's not all that surprising considered his estrangement from the Argentine Davis Cup team.
It's just that I don't think Argentina matches up well against France. In the first round, Argentina came up against a German team that was undermanned and was ill-fit for the surface they were playing on.
That won't be the case against France. The French team has better talent from top to bottom and they play well on clay. Their country's major tournament is played on that surface after all.
It's also worth noting that France is 5-0 all time against Argentina in Davis Cup play. That has little bearing on what will happen this weekend, but I found it interesting.
Argentina might find a way to steal a point here, but look for France to emerge victorious.
Kazakhstan vs. Czech Republic (Astana, Indoor Clay)
Kazakhstan is what Davis Cup is all about. They don't have any big names on their team. For that matter, they don't even have anyone currently ranked in the top 150. And yet, they continue to find ways to win.
Pete Bodo of Tennis Magazine likes to say that the Kazakhs punch above their weight in Davis Cup and I couldn't agree more.
Quite frankly, the Czech Republic isn't much different. Sure, in Radek Stepanek they have an accomplished singles player and in Lukas Rosol they have a young up and comer, but just looking at this team, you wouldn't think they would be capable of winning the whole thing. And yet, they did in 2012.
All signs point toward the Czechs ending Kazakhstan's unlikely run, but keep in mind that Kazakhstan beat the Czech Republic just over two years ago in the World Group First Round.
With Argentina and France, I don't think the all-time numbers mean much. In the case of this tie, I think it does matter, though. In that tie two years ago, it was many of the same players involved. That win for Kazakhstan also served as their announcement that they were going to be players in Davis Cup.
I think the Czechs win this tie, but I have my doubts that Kazakhstan goes easily. Look for them to go down swinging.
Not only is it as exhilarating and intriguing as almost any other international competition, but generally speaking, we consistently get fantastic tennis from this event.
If the last round of play in early February is any indication, this year is going to be no exception. All we had last time were upsets, returns to prominence for historical tennis powers and the longest match in the storied history of Davis Cup.
It would be asking a lot of this round of play to stack up against that, but I'm anxiously awaiting what we will see over the weekend.
Okay, enough dawdling, on to the tie previews.
Canada vs. Italy (Vancouver, Indoor Hard Court)
The fact that I might be most excited to see this tie confirms the fact that I'm a huge tennis nerd. There aren't any real big names in this tie like there are in the others (although I will admit that Milos Raonic is getting close to that level) and neither of these teams strike you as teams that are going to ultimately come away with the Davis Cup in the end.
With all that being said, though, this tie is so completely unpredictable.
Canada obviously has a huge advantage thanks to Milos Raonic being by far the best singles player in this tie. If he plays like he's capable of in his matches, Canada will only need to eke out one more match win to clinch the team win.
On the other hand, Italy's top two players, Fabio Fognini and Andreas Seppi, are the type of grinders that might be able to frustrate Raonic. Fognini has the raw talent to play with anyone on tour and Seppi gives a good, honest effort every time he takes the court.
You also can't overlook the fact that Italy has the players to challenge Canada for the doubles point. Against most nations, Canada would all but have the doubles point wrapped up before the match even starts thanks to the presence of Daniel Nestor. But that's not the case against Italy. Fognini is an accomplished doubles player and Simon Bolelli gives him a solid partner.
Most intriguing of all for me is that this tie represents a fantastic opportunity for both nations. For Canada, it gives them a chance to show that they are now real players in the world of international tennis. For Italy, it gives them the chance get back to a place that had been very familiar at one point, the top of the tennis world.
This one is too close to call, but I guess I have to pick a winner. When in doubt, I like to go with the nation that has the best one player. For that reason, I'm picking Canada, but I think it's going to be close.
USA vs. Serbia (Boise, Indoor Hard Court)
I suppose if I were to be as excited for any one tie other than Canada/Italy it would be this one. I mean, I'm nothing if not a patriot, particularly when sports are involved.
I have to admit that I kind of like this new-look USA Davis Cup lineup. With Isner and Querrey leading the way, you have a better than average 1-2 punch in your singles lineup and the Bryans don't show any real signs of slipping from their perch at the top of doubles tennis.
I just wish that was going to matter more this weekend.
I don't have to tell you who leads the Serbian team. That would be none other than Novak Djokovic, arguably the best player on tour. Behind him, they have Viktor Troicki, a player that is easily overlooked but shouldn't be taken lightly. The Serbians also feature Nenad Zimonjic, a championship-level doubles player that will, at the very least, make the Bryans work to get the doubles point.
The Americans have the depth to go toe-to-toe with Serbia, but when you are dealing with a player as good as Djokovic, I'm not sure depth matters as much. If he plays anywhere close to his best, he will be able to take care of Isner and Querrey in his matches and I'm betting that Troicki will upset one of those two, as that is just what Troicki does.
While we're here, let me mention how disappointed I am that the USTA decided to hold this tie in Boise, Idaho. I'm sure Boise is a nice enough city, but is it a tennis hotbed? Do they have a history of hosting major international competitions like this? Can we guarantee that the crowds won't end up being paltry because a heavy snowstorm moves in over the weekend? I don't have any definitive answers for those questions, but I'm guessing the answer is no in each case.
In conclusion, I hate to say it, but I think the Serbians are the safe bet here.
Argentina vs. France (Buenos Aires, Outdoor Clay)
Only one thing is for sure in this tie and that's that there are going to be literally hundreds of long, drawn out, stylish points played on the clay in Buenos Aires. That's just what these two teams do.
Beyond that, I don't see anything but domination on France's part in this tie.
The French are bringing their "A" team to Argentina. It doesn't get much better than Tsonga, Gasquet, Benneteau and Llodra.You know your team is good when Benneateau might not be able to get into a match unless he plays doubles.
Argentina has as close to an "A" team as they can get at this point.They are missing Juan Martin del Potro, but that's not all that surprising considered his estrangement from the Argentine Davis Cup team.
It's just that I don't think Argentina matches up well against France. In the first round, Argentina came up against a German team that was undermanned and was ill-fit for the surface they were playing on.
That won't be the case against France. The French team has better talent from top to bottom and they play well on clay. Their country's major tournament is played on that surface after all.
It's also worth noting that France is 5-0 all time against Argentina in Davis Cup play. That has little bearing on what will happen this weekend, but I found it interesting.
Argentina might find a way to steal a point here, but look for France to emerge victorious.
Kazakhstan vs. Czech Republic (Astana, Indoor Clay)
Kazakhstan is what Davis Cup is all about. They don't have any big names on their team. For that matter, they don't even have anyone currently ranked in the top 150. And yet, they continue to find ways to win.
Pete Bodo of Tennis Magazine likes to say that the Kazakhs punch above their weight in Davis Cup and I couldn't agree more.
Quite frankly, the Czech Republic isn't much different. Sure, in Radek Stepanek they have an accomplished singles player and in Lukas Rosol they have a young up and comer, but just looking at this team, you wouldn't think they would be capable of winning the whole thing. And yet, they did in 2012.
All signs point toward the Czechs ending Kazakhstan's unlikely run, but keep in mind that Kazakhstan beat the Czech Republic just over two years ago in the World Group First Round.
With Argentina and France, I don't think the all-time numbers mean much. In the case of this tie, I think it does matter, though. In that tie two years ago, it was many of the same players involved. That win for Kazakhstan also served as their announcement that they were going to be players in Davis Cup.
I think the Czechs win this tie, but I have my doubts that Kazakhstan goes easily. Look for them to go down swinging.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Early-Round Matches to Watch at the Sony Open
March is a fantastic time to be a tennis fan in this country.
First off, it's nice that the weather is again consistently nice enough that outdoor tournaments can be played. The events at Indian Wells and Miami, pardon me, the Sony Open, really are a sign that Spring is upon us.
Beyond that, Indian Wells and Miami are fantastic events.
This year is certainly no exception. Indian Wells was a star-studded event that may end up being looked back upon as the event where Rafael Nadal announced that he was completely "back."
Miami, with the notable exceptions of Roger Federer and Nadal, who is still playing it safe with his knee, looks to have almost as strong a field.
To get you ready for all of the action from Miami over the next week and a half, let's look at some of the early-round matches you should be looking out for.
Lleyton Hewitt vs. Gilles Simon - second round
This match would happen if Hewitt handles his business in the first round against Joao Sousa of Portugal. I'm pretty confident he'll get that done.
There's very little to not like about Hewitt's game. He grinds, he fights, he plays out every single point and every so often in a match, he'll give you a glimpse of what made him the top-ranked player in the world about a decade ago.
You can't even really get upset about his demeanor anymore. When he was first bursting onto the scene, tennis lifers bristled at his on-court snarl and the way he yelled "Come on!" after big points. Now, those two traits make him just one of literally hundreds of players on tour that snarl and yell on the court.
Simon is the type of player that frustrates you to no end if you are a fan of his. Often times, he seems content to just push the ball around the court and extend points until one player or the other can make a circus shot.
But up against a grinder like Hewitt, that style can make for a fun match.
I like Hewitt if this match comes to fruition. The Aussie is going to struggle from here on out in his career against the biggest hitters on tour, but against a guy like Simon that is going to let him hang around, he can get the job done.
Ryan Harrison vs. James Blake - first round
Here we have a match between two American players whose careers are passing like ships in the night.
James Blake has spent the last few years battling injuries and inconsistency. As much as I would like to see it, it's getting really tough to imagine a scenario where Blake battles his way back into the top-50 or so.
Every so often, though, he is able to put it all together and give us an inspired performance.
Harrison is undoubtedly on the upswing of his career, but some are beginning to get impatient with his development. He clearly has the game, but sometimes he struggles with the mental side of the sport. There are no questions about his hunger, though, and I think that will ultimately serve him well.
In this one, I expect to see some of the best of both players. Blake will be looking to show the younger generation of players that the old guard is still a factor and Harrison will be looking to show that he is both the future and present of American tennis.
In a related note, Harrison finally has a manageable draw. He has had such bad luck with draws at big events. He often finds himself up against one of the giants of the game in the first or second round. In Miami, if the draw holds, he will have winnable matches against Julien Benneteau and Juan Monaco before having to face Juan Martin del Potro.
Philipp Kohlschreiber vs. David Goffin - second round
For this to happen, Goffin would have to beat Robin Haase in the first round. That's a solid opponent, but I'm confident in Goffin.
Kohlschreiber has a way of sneaking up in events like this. The German has a good game for these hard courts and he's due for one of those deep runs that few see coming.
After bursting onto the scene last year, Goffin has yet to take the next step in his development and force his way into a seed in events like this.
If Goffin is going to make a move like that, Kohlschreiber is an opponent he can get that run started against. On the other hand, Kohlschreiber is the type of guy that can give a young player lots of trouble. He isn't going to beat himself and he is going to force his opponent to play a sound match.
Either player would be disappointed with a loss in this round and both would have to chalk this up as a good win.
Andy Murray vs. Bernard Tomic - second round
We would get this match if Tomic wins his first round match against Marc Gicquel. The fact that that's not a given illustrates exactly why this match would be exciting.
No outcome for Bernard Tomic would be a surprise. Just as he could drop his first round match to Gicquel, he could come out on fire and beat Andy Murray.
It's also just about time that we see a move from Tomic. So far in his career, he's the type of player that crumbles under pressure and thrives when no one is expecting anything from him.
It will also be interesting to see what kind of form Murray is in. He has, by design, played few events since the Australian Open. Then, at Indian Wells, he was upset in the quarters against del Potro and wasn't even all that competitive in the last two sets.
Robby Ginepri vs. Yen-Hsun Lu - first round
Okay, so I picked this match pretty much solely because I'm a sucker for nostalgia. It's easy to forget that Ginepri once made the semifinals of the US Open and was considered one of the real up and comers in American tennis.
He never again reached that pinnacle and he quickly fell behind others in the pecking order of American players, but it speaks well of him that he's still plugging away at it as hard as ever.
For that, he has my support and my attention when he takes the court.
First off, it's nice that the weather is again consistently nice enough that outdoor tournaments can be played. The events at Indian Wells and Miami, pardon me, the Sony Open, really are a sign that Spring is upon us.
Beyond that, Indian Wells and Miami are fantastic events.
This year is certainly no exception. Indian Wells was a star-studded event that may end up being looked back upon as the event where Rafael Nadal announced that he was completely "back."
Miami, with the notable exceptions of Roger Federer and Nadal, who is still playing it safe with his knee, looks to have almost as strong a field.
To get you ready for all of the action from Miami over the next week and a half, let's look at some of the early-round matches you should be looking out for.
Lleyton Hewitt vs. Gilles Simon - second round
This match would happen if Hewitt handles his business in the first round against Joao Sousa of Portugal. I'm pretty confident he'll get that done.
There's very little to not like about Hewitt's game. He grinds, he fights, he plays out every single point and every so often in a match, he'll give you a glimpse of what made him the top-ranked player in the world about a decade ago.
You can't even really get upset about his demeanor anymore. When he was first bursting onto the scene, tennis lifers bristled at his on-court snarl and the way he yelled "Come on!" after big points. Now, those two traits make him just one of literally hundreds of players on tour that snarl and yell on the court.
Simon is the type of player that frustrates you to no end if you are a fan of his. Often times, he seems content to just push the ball around the court and extend points until one player or the other can make a circus shot.
But up against a grinder like Hewitt, that style can make for a fun match.
I like Hewitt if this match comes to fruition. The Aussie is going to struggle from here on out in his career against the biggest hitters on tour, but against a guy like Simon that is going to let him hang around, he can get the job done.
Ryan Harrison vs. James Blake - first round
Here we have a match between two American players whose careers are passing like ships in the night.
James Blake has spent the last few years battling injuries and inconsistency. As much as I would like to see it, it's getting really tough to imagine a scenario where Blake battles his way back into the top-50 or so.
Every so often, though, he is able to put it all together and give us an inspired performance.
Harrison is undoubtedly on the upswing of his career, but some are beginning to get impatient with his development. He clearly has the game, but sometimes he struggles with the mental side of the sport. There are no questions about his hunger, though, and I think that will ultimately serve him well.
In this one, I expect to see some of the best of both players. Blake will be looking to show the younger generation of players that the old guard is still a factor and Harrison will be looking to show that he is both the future and present of American tennis.
In a related note, Harrison finally has a manageable draw. He has had such bad luck with draws at big events. He often finds himself up against one of the giants of the game in the first or second round. In Miami, if the draw holds, he will have winnable matches against Julien Benneteau and Juan Monaco before having to face Juan Martin del Potro.
Philipp Kohlschreiber vs. David Goffin - second round
For this to happen, Goffin would have to beat Robin Haase in the first round. That's a solid opponent, but I'm confident in Goffin.
Kohlschreiber has a way of sneaking up in events like this. The German has a good game for these hard courts and he's due for one of those deep runs that few see coming.
After bursting onto the scene last year, Goffin has yet to take the next step in his development and force his way into a seed in events like this.
If Goffin is going to make a move like that, Kohlschreiber is an opponent he can get that run started against. On the other hand, Kohlschreiber is the type of guy that can give a young player lots of trouble. He isn't going to beat himself and he is going to force his opponent to play a sound match.
Either player would be disappointed with a loss in this round and both would have to chalk this up as a good win.
Andy Murray vs. Bernard Tomic - second round
We would get this match if Tomic wins his first round match against Marc Gicquel. The fact that that's not a given illustrates exactly why this match would be exciting.
No outcome for Bernard Tomic would be a surprise. Just as he could drop his first round match to Gicquel, he could come out on fire and beat Andy Murray.
It's also just about time that we see a move from Tomic. So far in his career, he's the type of player that crumbles under pressure and thrives when no one is expecting anything from him.
It will also be interesting to see what kind of form Murray is in. He has, by design, played few events since the Australian Open. Then, at Indian Wells, he was upset in the quarters against del Potro and wasn't even all that competitive in the last two sets.
Robby Ginepri vs. Yen-Hsun Lu - first round
Okay, so I picked this match pretty much solely because I'm a sucker for nostalgia. It's easy to forget that Ginepri once made the semifinals of the US Open and was considered one of the real up and comers in American tennis.
He never again reached that pinnacle and he quickly fell behind others in the pecking order of American players, but it speaks well of him that he's still plugging away at it as hard as ever.
For that, he has my support and my attention when he takes the court.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
BNP Paribas Open: Early Round Matches to Watch
After a month of few meaningful matches, with the notable exception of Rafael Nadal's matches on his comeback trail, we finally get into the swing of the Spring season with the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
As usual, most of the big names are here, including Rafael Nadal in his first tournament of the season off of clay.
With this being the case, we are often treated to some Grand Slam-level matches at this event. Before we even get that deep into the tournament, though, there are some early-round matches that are worth your time.
The ones that I'm looking forward to are as follows:
Mardy Fish vs. Whoever he ends up playing first
Because Mardy still has enough points left over from when he was playing, he was able to be seeded 32nd in this draw. That puts him through to the second round automatically where he will play the winner of a first-round match between Benjamin Becker and a qualifier.
Honestly, the player that ends up facing off against Mardy isn't all that important. If Mardy is anywhere close to the player he was before his long hiatus, he will win the match. But if he is the same player we saw just before he decided to shut it down last season, he's going to get beat.
I'm really rooting for Mardy. His comeback story of a couple of years ago was fantastic and I've always loved his game. But I fear that if he suffers another setback, he might end up face to face with the prospect of hanging it up for good. That's how serious his health concerns are.
James Blake vs. Robin Haase
James Blake is another American that has had his career threatened by injuries. You are left wondering what his peak would have been had he not missed significant time with various ailments. And now that he is relatively healthy, he doesn't have game like he used to.
That's not to say that he can't still have a successful last ride through the ATP Tour. He still plays well in spurts and he loves hard courts in his home country. Keeping that in mind, I wouldn't be shocked if he puts together some good tennis over these next couple of weeks.
Haase is the type of player that Blake is going to have to be able to beat if he is going to find his way back into the top 100 and into the main draw of majors. Haase is a solid top-50 or 75 player that is consistently having the type of seasons that you would hope for Blake to be able to have in these last years of his career.
Sam Querrey vs. Jack Sock
In order for this match to take place, Sock would have to win his first round match against a qualifier, but I think he will manage to do that.
Sam needs a good week and I think he can accomplish that if he avoids the early-round loss that can sometimes plague him. If the draw holds, he would end up facing Juan Monaco in the third round. Monaco doesn't play all that well on hard courts and he has been terrible so far this season. From there, he would likely face Novak Djokovic, but getting that far and fighting hard against Djokovic should be taken as a positive result.
It's getting past Sock that might be the problem. Sock has the game to win just about any match he is in and, similar to a young Andy Roddick, he has the belief that he's among the best in the game, even though he's not there yet.
This match also represents a big opportunity for Sock. It is assumed that Ryan Harrison leads the pack when it comes to young American players, but his development is taking a bit longer than some would have hoped. With a big win over arguably the top American on tour right now, there might start to be some rumblings that Sock is the young American to watch.
Lleyton Hewitt vs. Lukas Rosol
In tennis, few things are more fun than a classic contrast of styles and that's what we have here in this first round match.
There are no secrets about what Hewitt is going to bring to the table. He is going to fight and scrap for every point. If Rosol isn't on his game, Hewitt is going to make him miserable.
The downside of that style is that Hewitt doesn't have the firepower to really dominate a match. Even if his opponent is not at the top of his game, Hewitt's style will allow the player to hang around a little bit.
When it's all said and done, it's hard to bet against a battler like Hewitt, though.
Kevin Anderson vs. Victor Hanescu
I have long been bullish on the potential of the big South African Kevin Anderson and after a breakthrough performance at the Australian Open, it looks like I'm finally being rewarded for that faith.
To really take the next step in his development, though, he will have to put away opponents like Hanescu routinely. Hanescu is a solid but unspectacular player that guys the caliber of Anderson should be beating with regularity.
In the past, Anderson has been up and down against these types of players in early-round matches and that has to stop if he is going to consistently keep his ranking around the top 30.
As usual, most of the big names are here, including Rafael Nadal in his first tournament of the season off of clay.
With this being the case, we are often treated to some Grand Slam-level matches at this event. Before we even get that deep into the tournament, though, there are some early-round matches that are worth your time.
The ones that I'm looking forward to are as follows:
Mardy Fish vs. Whoever he ends up playing first
Because Mardy still has enough points left over from when he was playing, he was able to be seeded 32nd in this draw. That puts him through to the second round automatically where he will play the winner of a first-round match between Benjamin Becker and a qualifier.
Honestly, the player that ends up facing off against Mardy isn't all that important. If Mardy is anywhere close to the player he was before his long hiatus, he will win the match. But if he is the same player we saw just before he decided to shut it down last season, he's going to get beat.
I'm really rooting for Mardy. His comeback story of a couple of years ago was fantastic and I've always loved his game. But I fear that if he suffers another setback, he might end up face to face with the prospect of hanging it up for good. That's how serious his health concerns are.
James Blake vs. Robin Haase
James Blake is another American that has had his career threatened by injuries. You are left wondering what his peak would have been had he not missed significant time with various ailments. And now that he is relatively healthy, he doesn't have game like he used to.
That's not to say that he can't still have a successful last ride through the ATP Tour. He still plays well in spurts and he loves hard courts in his home country. Keeping that in mind, I wouldn't be shocked if he puts together some good tennis over these next couple of weeks.
Haase is the type of player that Blake is going to have to be able to beat if he is going to find his way back into the top 100 and into the main draw of majors. Haase is a solid top-50 or 75 player that is consistently having the type of seasons that you would hope for Blake to be able to have in these last years of his career.
Sam Querrey vs. Jack Sock
In order for this match to take place, Sock would have to win his first round match against a qualifier, but I think he will manage to do that.
Sam needs a good week and I think he can accomplish that if he avoids the early-round loss that can sometimes plague him. If the draw holds, he would end up facing Juan Monaco in the third round. Monaco doesn't play all that well on hard courts and he has been terrible so far this season. From there, he would likely face Novak Djokovic, but getting that far and fighting hard against Djokovic should be taken as a positive result.
It's getting past Sock that might be the problem. Sock has the game to win just about any match he is in and, similar to a young Andy Roddick, he has the belief that he's among the best in the game, even though he's not there yet.
This match also represents a big opportunity for Sock. It is assumed that Ryan Harrison leads the pack when it comes to young American players, but his development is taking a bit longer than some would have hoped. With a big win over arguably the top American on tour right now, there might start to be some rumblings that Sock is the young American to watch.
Lleyton Hewitt vs. Lukas Rosol
In tennis, few things are more fun than a classic contrast of styles and that's what we have here in this first round match.
There are no secrets about what Hewitt is going to bring to the table. He is going to fight and scrap for every point. If Rosol isn't on his game, Hewitt is going to make him miserable.
The downside of that style is that Hewitt doesn't have the firepower to really dominate a match. Even if his opponent is not at the top of his game, Hewitt's style will allow the player to hang around a little bit.
When it's all said and done, it's hard to bet against a battler like Hewitt, though.
Kevin Anderson vs. Victor Hanescu
I have long been bullish on the potential of the big South African Kevin Anderson and after a breakthrough performance at the Australian Open, it looks like I'm finally being rewarded for that faith.
To really take the next step in his development, though, he will have to put away opponents like Hanescu routinely. Hanescu is a solid but unspectacular player that guys the caliber of Anderson should be beating with regularity.
In the past, Anderson has been up and down against these types of players in early-round matches and that has to stop if he is going to consistently keep his ranking around the top 30.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Give College Tennis a Try
If you're anything like me, you love professional tennis but wish it was more accessible on a regular basis.
Sure, we are blessed to have the Tennis Channel, an outlet that does a fantastic job of covering the sport from all angles, but sometimes you just really want to see the game live.
The guys on tour are so talented that it can look easy on television. Watching live and in person reminds a person of just how fast and talented they are. Plus, you get a better feel for tension building with the match when you are there live.
The problem is that most people don't live anywhere near an ATP event. That's only becoming more true as time goes on. The tournaments in Los Angeles and San Jose have recently been moved to international locales and as tennis becomes even more of an international game, that's only going to continue.
Heck, even if you do live in a place that has a tournament, you only get to see the sport up close for one or two weeks a year.
This is precisely why I would suggest that all tennis fans go out and watch college tennis during the spring season.
College tennis at the highest levels gives you everything you love about the sport. These kids might not be Federer or Nadal, but they are very, very good. Most of them were blue chip recruits out of high school or highly-ranked junior players in their home countries.
You are guaranteed to see blistering serves, long rallies and fantastic doubles play. And because these kids might not be as adept at constructing long points as the pros are, you will likely see a lot more serve and volley. I take that as a positive as well.
The best part in my mind, though, is that it takes the things I love about tennis and combines them with the things I love about the more traditional team sports.
The players are competing with the players standing across the net from them, but the point gained from each individual win adds to their team total to help them beat the opposing team in what they call the dual match that pits the two teams against each other.
With this team aspect, the players get really into rooting for their teammates. When a dual match comes down to one final match between two players, it's not uncommon for the players from each team to huddle around the court and act like fans themselves. By this point, the actual fans in the stands will also have congregated around this one court, making what might have started off as a sparse crowd look like a much larger crowd.
Chances are, you have a Division I NCAA tennis program near you. They are littered all over the country. Some programs don't charge admission to get in and watch and even if they do, it will be at a fraction of the cost of attending a pro tournament or really any pro sport, for that matter.
Do yourself, and the sport, a favor. Find the college program nearest you and attend a match there. You will be glad you did and college tennis, dwarfed by the money sports of football and basketball, needs the support.
Sure, we are blessed to have the Tennis Channel, an outlet that does a fantastic job of covering the sport from all angles, but sometimes you just really want to see the game live.
The guys on tour are so talented that it can look easy on television. Watching live and in person reminds a person of just how fast and talented they are. Plus, you get a better feel for tension building with the match when you are there live.
The problem is that most people don't live anywhere near an ATP event. That's only becoming more true as time goes on. The tournaments in Los Angeles and San Jose have recently been moved to international locales and as tennis becomes even more of an international game, that's only going to continue.
Heck, even if you do live in a place that has a tournament, you only get to see the sport up close for one or two weeks a year.
This is precisely why I would suggest that all tennis fans go out and watch college tennis during the spring season.
College tennis at the highest levels gives you everything you love about the sport. These kids might not be Federer or Nadal, but they are very, very good. Most of them were blue chip recruits out of high school or highly-ranked junior players in their home countries.
You are guaranteed to see blistering serves, long rallies and fantastic doubles play. And because these kids might not be as adept at constructing long points as the pros are, you will likely see a lot more serve and volley. I take that as a positive as well.
The best part in my mind, though, is that it takes the things I love about tennis and combines them with the things I love about the more traditional team sports.
The players are competing with the players standing across the net from them, but the point gained from each individual win adds to their team total to help them beat the opposing team in what they call the dual match that pits the two teams against each other.
With this team aspect, the players get really into rooting for their teammates. When a dual match comes down to one final match between two players, it's not uncommon for the players from each team to huddle around the court and act like fans themselves. By this point, the actual fans in the stands will also have congregated around this one court, making what might have started off as a sparse crowd look like a much larger crowd.
Chances are, you have a Division I NCAA tennis program near you. They are littered all over the country. Some programs don't charge admission to get in and watch and even if they do, it will be at a fraction of the cost of attending a pro tournament or really any pro sport, for that matter.
Do yourself, and the sport, a favor. Find the college program nearest you and attend a match there. You will be glad you did and college tennis, dwarfed by the money sports of football and basketball, needs the support.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Horacio Zeballos Rains on Nadal Parade
Few returns have been as eagerly anticipated as Rafael Nadal's return to the ATP this past week at a clay court tournament in Chile.
Although there have been some fantastic happenings in tennis since his injury occurred, his absence has certainly been felt. There's just no other way to describe it.
Coming into this relatively minor tournament, optimism about Nadal's return was guarded. I think most figured he would have some success in Chile, but I think we all expected him to not quite look like his old self.
The guarded part of that optimism, however, went right out the door as soon as he took the court.
In doubles, he and partner Juan Monaco looked like favorites to win the title. In singles, against relatively soft competition, I will admit, he looked fantastic.
He quickly dispatched Federico Delbonis in his first match and countryman Daniel Gimeno-Traver didn't fare much better in Nadal's second match, the tournament quarterfinals. It was in the semifinals that he really turned it on, though. In that match, he took down Jeremy Chardy, one of the hotter players on tour so far this season by the score of 6-2, 6-2.
It looked like it was smooth sailing from there as he was set to take on little-known Horacio Zeballos in the final.
But then it wasn't.
After taking the first set in a tiebreaker, a set in which most were impressed that Zeballos had just stayed close, Nadal dropped the last two sets to lose the title.
The reaction from the tennis Twitterverse, the real barometer for these types of things in this day and age, was nothing short of shock and awe and why shouldn't it have been?
According to The Tennis Abstract, Nadal had not lost a match to someone outside the top-50 on clay since 2004, before Rafael Nadal was Rafael Nadal, an all-time great.
After stepping back, though, you can see why we might be overreacting to this loss.
For starters, Zeballos isn't bad. He's ranked 73rd in the world, which isn't great, but it's not like this guy is some kid in his first top-level tournament with a ranking in the 200s. He's also coming off something of a high, as he and partner David Nalbandian clinched Argentina's Davis Cup tie two weekends ago against Germany with a win in their doubles rubber.
Physically, Nadal probably isn't quite there yet, either. He admitted as much in the lead up to this event. He was not shy about admitted that his knee isn't 100 percent and that he won't know if the surgery he had truly did the job until weeks later.
It speaks to how good Nadal is on clay that he was able to get as far as he did this week even though he is still battling his body.
Overall, it's hard to have anything but positive things to say about Nadal's return in Chile. He won some matches, he played like his old self in patches and he didn't have any real setbacks.
Most of all, I think he showed us that given time to fully get back into match shape, he's going to get back to his usual level of play, at least on clay.
For me, that's good enough for his first week back.
Although there have been some fantastic happenings in tennis since his injury occurred, his absence has certainly been felt. There's just no other way to describe it.
Coming into this relatively minor tournament, optimism about Nadal's return was guarded. I think most figured he would have some success in Chile, but I think we all expected him to not quite look like his old self.
The guarded part of that optimism, however, went right out the door as soon as he took the court.
In doubles, he and partner Juan Monaco looked like favorites to win the title. In singles, against relatively soft competition, I will admit, he looked fantastic.
He quickly dispatched Federico Delbonis in his first match and countryman Daniel Gimeno-Traver didn't fare much better in Nadal's second match, the tournament quarterfinals. It was in the semifinals that he really turned it on, though. In that match, he took down Jeremy Chardy, one of the hotter players on tour so far this season by the score of 6-2, 6-2.
It looked like it was smooth sailing from there as he was set to take on little-known Horacio Zeballos in the final.
But then it wasn't.
After taking the first set in a tiebreaker, a set in which most were impressed that Zeballos had just stayed close, Nadal dropped the last two sets to lose the title.
The reaction from the tennis Twitterverse, the real barometer for these types of things in this day and age, was nothing short of shock and awe and why shouldn't it have been?
According to The Tennis Abstract, Nadal had not lost a match to someone outside the top-50 on clay since 2004, before Rafael Nadal was Rafael Nadal, an all-time great.
After stepping back, though, you can see why we might be overreacting to this loss.
For starters, Zeballos isn't bad. He's ranked 73rd in the world, which isn't great, but it's not like this guy is some kid in his first top-level tournament with a ranking in the 200s. He's also coming off something of a high, as he and partner David Nalbandian clinched Argentina's Davis Cup tie two weekends ago against Germany with a win in their doubles rubber.
Physically, Nadal probably isn't quite there yet, either. He admitted as much in the lead up to this event. He was not shy about admitted that his knee isn't 100 percent and that he won't know if the surgery he had truly did the job until weeks later.
It speaks to how good Nadal is on clay that he was able to get as far as he did this week even though he is still battling his body.
Overall, it's hard to have anything but positive things to say about Nadal's return in Chile. He won some matches, he played like his old self in patches and he didn't have any real setbacks.
Most of all, I think he showed us that given time to fully get back into match shape, he's going to get back to his usual level of play, at least on clay.
For me, that's good enough for his first week back.
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