Sonya Kenin, Other Top Young American Women’s Players to Play in Central Coast Pro Tennis Open
Photo: Tournament
Templeton Tennis Ranch to Host First USTA Pro Circuit Tournament With $60,000 Prize Money and Valuable WTA Ranking Points Up For Grabs
TEMPLETON, Calif. (Sept. 21, 2017) – Young Americans Sonya Kenin and Louisa Chirico will headline a strong field of up-and-coming professional women’s tennis players when the first annual Central Coast Pro Tennis Open takes place at Templeton Tennis Ranch Sept. 24-Oct. 1.
The Central Coast Pro Tennis Open, a USTA women’s $60,000 Pro Circuit event, gives young promising WTA Tour players a chance to earn valuable ranking points. Players ranked from No. 97 to No. 225 will compete in a 32-player singles main draw, and a 16-team doubles event will also be contested.
Kenin, 18, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., recently turned heads at the US Open after beating Americans Lauren Davis and Sachia Vickery to advance to the third round. Playing a night match on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Kenin fell to Maria Sharapova. She is ranked No. 112 in the world and expected to be seeded No. 2 at Templeton.
Sofia Kenin 2017 (TennisAtlantic.com)
Currently ranked just outside the world top 150, Chirico has won three ITF singles and two doubles titles during her career. The 21-year-old from Morristown, N.J., is coached by the USTA’s Jay Gooding. Last October, Chirico reached career-high No. 58 world rankings.
Other top players include Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic (No. 106), Francoise Abanda (No. 122), and Great Britain’s Naomi Broady (No. 135).
Vickery, and former NCAA singles champions Jamie Loeb (Univ. of North Carolina, 2015) are also entered in the main draw, as are former college standouts Irina Falconi (Georgia Tech) and Danielle Lao (USC).
Another player to watch is 22-year-old Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia. Currently ranked No. 164 in the world, Schmiedlova has won 11 ITF singles and two WTA singles titles during her career. She reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 26 in the world in 2015, but has been beset by injuries.
In qualifying, Southern California juniors Ashley Kratzer and Claire Liu will compete. Newport Beach’s Kratzer won the USTA Hardcourt 18s Nationals in San Diego and played in the main draw of the US Open. Liu, from Thousand Oaks, won the Junior Girls’ Wimbledon title.
“This elite group of athletes, fresh off the courts at Arthur Ashe stadium at the US Open, are coming to Templeton Tennis Ranch to show us what world class talent looks like, up close and personal,” Templeton Tennis Ranch Director of Tennis Scott Cleere said. “The Central Coast Pro Tennis Open will alter the course of tennis in our area. We are so excited to be hosting this event and bringing this experience to tennis players, fans and our local communities. If you appreciate the finer things in life, you must attend. It will not disappoint.”
Qualifying begins Sunday, the 24th, and concludes on Tuesday, when main draw play also begins. Sunday will feature a free Kids Play Day starting at 5 p.m. A Pro-Am will take place Tuesday with Breast Cancer Awareness Day and a BBQ on Friday, the 29th, with the Doubles semi-finals matches beginning at 6 p.m. The doubles final will be Sunday, Oct. 1, at 1 p.m., followed by the singles final. In total 74 matches will be played over eight days.
Admission to watch the exciting pro tennis is free during the week’s early rounds. On Friday night, Saturday and Sunday for the semifinals and finals, tickets are just $10, or fans can purchase a three-day pass for $25. Children 12 and under are free.
Summer Recap: Best 2017 Tennis Tournament Improvement Was Rhinegeist Beer Balcony at Cincy Tennis Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic
Now that the hangover from the most interesting US open in years is over, it’s time to reflect on what we did this summer. While some memories are a little fuzzy, one thing is clear: there’s only one thing I love more than tennis and that’s craft beer. Craft beer’s introduction to the sports market has been slow and steady for the most part. Major League Baseball found success in serving local craft beer to baseball fans who then became fans of the suds. Most of the other major sports have followed suit in offering local creations to their fan base, but tennis has been too slow to the craft beer game. I was happy when Holy City Brewing of Charleston brewed a beer for the Volvo Car Open in Charleston, but I’d never seen a full-blown craft beer zone at a tournament until I stumbled into the Rhinegeist Brew Balcony. Alright, I didn’t stumble in.
Marissa Beck is Director of Strategic Partnerships for Rhinegeist Brewing, which means she ensures that Cincy’s biggest craft brewer gets its products in the hands of sport fans and event attendees. “It’s one of those things,” she said. “We really wanted to give tennis fans a place where they can go and try a lot of our really good local beers.” The Truth IPA is their flagship brand, but they had 6 other choices waiting for you. At a tennis tournament!
To drink a Peach Gose at a Masters 1000 was heaven on earth. Among the other fantastic choices, Bubbles Rosé Ale with peaches and cranberries was perfect for the heat and humidity of Cincinnati and the Randy Radler beer mixed with grapefruit juice did the trick as well.
Rhinegeist Brew Balcony
If you wanted to hit some balls at the tournament, you could’ve tried the tennis-themed ping-pong tables. Ping-pong is huge at the mother ship brewery.
“The tournament is known for its food, so we want to make sure we can live up to our Cincinnati standards,” Beck said. “We’re from Cincinnati. This is where our brewery is. And there are so many people who come from out of town, so let’s give them a taste of real Cincy beer.”
Nadal Practices Below the Beer Balcony
The brewery, located downtown in Over-The-Rhine, is a massive facility with a rooftop deck and an impressive view. I visited the brewery on a Saturday night and I can tell you that the view from the Rhinegeist Brew Balcony was even better. It overlooked Practice Court 6 at the Western & Southern Open, better known as the practice “show court”. Rafael Nadal held hits there as well as Dominic Thiem and Sascha Zverev. While hundreds stood by court side or climbed to the top of the grandstand bleachers to catch a glimpse of the action, Rhinegeist visitors got the best view of all without having to leave their table or their brew.
“We’ve got a lot of people who are stopping in here and then going downtown to check out the brewery,” Beck said. “We’re trying to get our delicious suds out any way we can.” Well played, Rheingeist. Well played.
Rafael Nadal Claims US Open Title #3 With Routine Victory Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic
Rafael Nadal is well on track for his highest win total since 2013, as the Spaniard improved his mark for 2017 to 56-9 with 5 titles (2 Grand Slams) after taking the 2017 US Open title over first time finalist Kevin Anderson. The South African had a great run but was no match for Rafa in the final. Nadal claiming his 16th Grand Slam overall, and his 3rd in New York. Nadal beat Anderson 6-3 6-3 6-4 as Anderson’s serve let him down, and Rafa was sharp on both serve and return in every set.
The 31 year old Spaniard started his journey at the national tennis center by defeating Dusan Lajovic, he defeated Taro Daniel and Leonardo Mayer in 4 sets, Alexandr Dolgopolov in straights, Andrey Rublev by the same measure, and an exhausted Juan Martin Del Potro in 4 sets, after Del Potro had played magical tennis in victories over Dominic Thiem (from 2 sets down), and Roger Federer in 4 sets, Federer failing to face Nadal yet again at the US Open, and concluding a disappointing run in the quarterfinals. Nadal’s movement and moxie were unmatched this tournament.
The 31 year old South African Anderson took advantage of a weak bottom half of the draw. He had a big serve, but also a much improved return game as he defeated JC Aragone, Ernests Gulbis, Borna Coric, Paolo Lorenzi, Sam Querrey, and Pablo Carreno Busta to reach the final. The win against Querrey was his best, as he won in 4 close sets, never facing a decisive 5th set this week. Unlike American women, American men couldn’t capitalize on an open draw in their home slam. Time will tell whether Anderson is here to stay as a threat on tour, or if he’ll return to his above average status, below the tour’s elite.
Carreno Busta broke through to a semifinal, and didn’t drop a set en route. His best win came against Canadian wonderkid Denis Shapovalov. Once a clay court specialist, PCB has cemented himself as a top 20 player who can threaten on hard courts as well. He won’t be chronically underappreciated much longer, as he’s surpassed other Spaniards on tour as the clear #2 or #3 Spaniard with Nadal, and Roberto Bautista Agut ranked with him.
Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau defeated the Lopez brothers, Feliciano and Marc, denying Spain both of the men’s titles this US Open. Rojer and Tecau have won 2 Grand Slams together.
Shelby Rogers (Photo: Tony Callaio, Tennis Atlantic)
Shelby Rogers Defeats Daria Gavrilova in Longest-Ever US Open Women’s Match
August 31, 2017 — Shelby Rogers, of Charleston, S.C., defeated 25th-seeded Daria Gavrilova, of Australia, 7-6(6), 4-6, 7-6(5), in a second-round match that took 3 hours, 33 minutes, setting a record for the longest women’s match in US Open history.
Shelby Rogers, 2017 Volvo Car Open (Photo: Tony Callaio, Tennis Atlantic)
The previous record was 3 hours, 23 minutes, set when Johanna Konta defeated Garbine Muguruza in the 2015 second round, 7-6, 6-7, 6-2.
A 24-year old currently ranked No. 62, Rogers — whose best result at a Grand Slam came by reaching the quarterfinals at the 2016 French Open — will play fourth-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina in the third round.
We have reached the Big Apple for the final grand slam of the year and there is not only the US Open to fight for, but also the world number one ranking.
128 will enter Flushing Meadows, but only one woman will be crowned champion at the end of the fortnight. Here is a rundown of the draw for the 2017 US Open.
Top Quarter
Karolina Pliskova, 2017 US Open
World number one Karolina Pliskova has finals points to defend here and it is likely she will have to make that stage again if she is to keep the top spot. The Czech has a good draw ahead of her though with the first seeded player being Shuai Zhang. Kristina Mladenovic is projected for the fourth round, but the Frenchwoman’s lack of form and fitness issues may lead to another early exit. Look for Barbora Strycova to take advantage and possibly meet her compatriot in the round of 16.
The bottom half of this quarter seems more stacked and closely contested than the top half. Svetlana Kuznetsova is the highest seed and should be good enough for the third round at least. From there, it could get interesting with Anett Kontaveit, Lucie Safarova or Cici Bellis waiting in the wings. Agnieszka Radwanska is yet to break her Grand Slam curse, and if she is to do so here she will do it as the tenth seed. Coco Vandeweghe is her biggest test before a potential fourth round against Kuznetsova.
Second Quarter
Madison Keys, 2017 US Open
Elina Svitolina is one of the tournament favourites for the US Open as she looks to claim her first Grand Slam title. The Ukrainian has a tough opener against Katerina Siniakova, but the third round clash with the in form Daria Gavrilova could be her toughest first week opponent. Round four is projected to be Madison Keys, but she has a tough first round against Elise Mertens to worry about first. Elena Vesnina is the first seeded opponent for the American.
Angelique Kerber is the defending champion here, which is hard to believe given how underwhelming she has been in 2017. The German faces big hitting youngster Naomi Osaka in one of the picks of the opening round matches. Lesia Tsurenko is the first seeded opponent she will face, but things get really interesting in round four as Kerber could face French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has also landed in this section alongside dangerous unseeded player Daria Kasatkina.
Third Quarter Garbine Muguruza has been in good form since Wimbledon and is in many people’s mind the favourite to go the distance in New York. The Spaniard has a good draw to the second week with Magdalena Rybarikova being the toughest opponent before round four. Petra Kvitova is projected to face Muguruza at this point, but her inconsistency could open the door for Caroline Garcia to make the second week of a third straight slam.
The US Open might be Caroline Wozniacki’s best shot at winning a maiden Grand Slam crown, and with the openness of the draw, she could very well go all the way. The Dane has some dangerous players in her section such as Ekaterina Makarova and Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. Venus Williams has an outside shot of claiming the number one ranking if results go her way, and given her form this year you can not rule out the elder Williams sister prevailing. Venus plays Kiki Bertens in round three, her toughest opponent before the potential Wozniacki clash.
Bottom Quarter
The bottom quarter of this draw features the headline match of the opening round as Maria Sharapova faces second seed Simona Halep. It is not an ideal draw for either player, but it is the pick of the round one matches for the fans. Outside of the opening round, the draw looks good for the winner. Sevastova is the trickiest player in the section and is projected for the fourth round.
Johanna Konta has not had the best preparation for the US Open, but the Brit is still among the outside favourites for the title. Konta’s toughest match in the first week comes in the form of Germany’s Julia Goerges, a big hitter who has resurged somewhat this season. Dominika Cibulkova will be hoping for a good grand slam run at Flushing Meadows, but she has some tough matches including Sloane Stephens in round two and Ana Konjuh in round three.
For the most part I believe the seeds will hold up. There are many players capable of upsets, but they are so inconsistent, it is hard to back them. The only non top eight seed I have predicted to make the quarter finals is Venus, but that could easily be wrong too.
These two matches can go either way but I have favoured the fourth and third seeds to get the job done. Pliskova will feel the pressure of keeping her ranking whilst Muguruza has a good record against Halep.
Final:
Muguruza def. Svitolina
I have predicted this final before at the French Open and somehow I have done it again. The draw can go either way, but Muguruza’s form should carry her far and the Spaniard seems to step up in the latter stages. That is why I have gone for her to win the final and take the crown. She seems much better at handling pressure after winning Wimbledon, and she can do well here despite her poor record.
2017 US Open Men’s Preview and Predictions Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic
US Open
Grand Slam
August 28-September 10, 2017
New York, NY, USA
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $24,193,400
Top 8 seeds (ATP ranking in parentheses)
1: Rafael Nadal (1)
2: Andy Murray*(2)
3: Roger Federer (3)
4: Alexander Zverev (6)
5: Marin Cilic (7)
6: Dominic Thiem (8)
7: Grigor Dimitrov (9)
8: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (12)
The US Open has had a ton of top players withdrawing. Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori, and Milos Raonic are all not playing, leaving just Nadal, Federer, Cilic, and Juan Martin Del Potro as former champions.
*Withdrew
First round matches to watch:
Jan-Lennard Struff vs. Alexandr Dolgopolov
Dolgopolov is a dangerous shotmaker, but Struff has been in better form (coming off semis in Winston-Salem), and is arguably better than his current ranking. If Struff can keep his mindset clear he’ll win this match.
(15)Tomas Berdych vs. Ryan Harrison
Both players could be in better form but have shown some solid form overall this season. Berdych is a bigger hitter, but if Harrison dials up his serve and defends well he has an outside shot in this one. I’ll back the veteran Czech to prevail.
Donald Young vs. (Q)Max Marterer
The 22 year old qualifier Marterer is rising quickly up the rankings, Young has home court advantage but has not been impressive this summer. Despite his edge in experience, I don’t see Young winning this match. Look for the young German to pull off a slight upset.
Fernando Verdasco vs. Vasek Pospisil
Two players with aggressive games that can fly wildly if their form is off. Neither player is performing well right now, which makes for what should be a sloppy, desperate match. The veteran Verdasco has more success at this level than Pospisil and probably nabs it, perhaps in five sets.
(31)Feliciano Lopez vs. Andrey Kuznetsov
Lopez has never lost to Kuznetsov, but the Spanish veteran is in terrible form. With his serve and volley game not clicking, look for Kuznetsov to find some momentum and win points from the baseline to pull off an upset.
Ivo Karlovic vs. (WC)Bjorn Fratangelo
Fratangelo has earned a wild card and he has a punchers chance against the big server Karlovic. The veteran has been in decline this season, but his serve is still hard to break. Karlovic probably wins but Fratangelo is still one to watch.
(17)Sam Querrey vs. Gilles Simon
Querrey trails in the h2h but is in the best form of his tennis career, Simon tends to fluke solid slam results but he’s been in a marked decline this Summer. Querrey should have too much power to lose to Simon the pusher.
(19)Gilles Muller vs. Bernard Tomic
Tomic hasn’t played since Wimbledon after a crisis of faith and confidence in his desire to play tennis. Muller, a steady veteran, has been playing well this year and on hard courts his serve is most lethal. Look for Muller to keep the pressure on Tomic and grab the win in this one.
Daniil Medvedev vs. (Q)Denis Shapovalov
Shapovalov’s stock is rapidly rising, and he looks like the next great ATP star after his run at the Rogers Cup, where he made the semifinals. Medvedev reached the quarters in Washington but has struggled since. The young Russian is a talent, but the form favors the Canadian to win this one rather easily.
(32)Robin Haase vs. Kyle Edmund
Both Edmund and Haase have reached a pair of semifinals this Summer, Edmund on hard courts is probably the better player though. Haase is a talent but he’s underachieved his whole career, the young British player should prevail in a match that should feature great ball striking.
Jared Donaldson vs. Nikoloz Basilashvili
Donaldson just beat Basilashvili in Cincy and has had a fantastic summer. The young American broke through with eight wins on North American hard courts this summer and looks primed for a strong run at the US Open. Basilashvili is a good ball striker who can frustrate his opposition though, and he’s improved a lot in his own right.
Nadal’s Quarter:
World #1 again with two career US Open titles, Rafael Nadal begins his journey against Dusan Lajovic. American Tommy Paul has a great shot at upsetting Taro Daniel before falling to Nadal in round 2. Richard Gasquet hasn’t been fit but his path to round 3 is just Leonardo Mayer, and Yuichi Sugita or wild card Geoffrey Blancaneaux, who is making his main draw Grand Slam debut. Sugita has had some good runs this season, but Gasquet should be good enough to reach round 3 before getting dumped out by Nadal. Fabio Fognini should beat his countryman, qualifier Stefano Travaglia, then Viktor Troicki or Norbert Gombos. Tomas Berdych will face Struff/Dolgopolov in round 2 after Harrison. Struff could be a dark horse, but Berdych over Fognini is the sensible pick in round 3.
David Goffin is struggling and should be on upset alert against pesky veteran Julien Benneteau, Steve Darcis will be favored against Guido Pella, but an underdog against his countryman Goffin in round 2. Gael Monfils, if healthy, should beat Jeremy Chardy and the Young/Marterer winner, then Goffin in round 3 to reach the second week. Grigor Dimitrov has an easy path to the second week. The Cincy champ opens with Vaclav Safranek, a qualifier, Aljaz Bedene or Andrey Rublev will be next, with Winston-Salem finalist Damir Dzumhur likely next in round 3. Dzumhur faces Pablo Cuevas, who is poor on hard courts, and either Nicolas Kicker or qualifier Cedrik-Marcel Stebe.
Federer’s Quarter:
Roger Federer has five US Open titles and he’s the favorite for title #6 this US Open. Federer should beat American Frances Tiafoe to start his US Open journey, Mikhail Youzhny faces Blaz Kavcic before Federer in round 2. I have Andrey Kuznetsov beating Lopez, then Verdasco/Pospisil before falling to Federer in round 3. Philipp Kohlschreiber hasn’t been healthy, he opens with qualifier Tim Smyczek, Santiago Giraldo should beat qualifier Vincent Millot. Nick Kyrgios opens with John Millman, then should defeat Malek Jaziri/Thiago Monteiro in round 2. Kyrgios has the talent to reach the second week, only a mentality issue (or failing fitness) will keep him from making the round of 16.
Winston-Salem champion Roberto Bautista Agut faces veteran Andreas Seppi, Dustin Brown will take on fellow big hitter Thomaz Bellucci in round 2. Former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro faces Henri Laaksonen, Adrian Menendez-Maceiras faces wild card Patrick Kypson. Del Potro should reach the third round, but I back RBA’s form to defeat the Argentine fan favorite at that stage. American young gun Taylor Fritz is in good form, but facing Dominic Thiem in round 2 will be a tough task. Thiem should dispatch Alex De Minaur, Fritz opens with the fading Marcos Baghdatis in round 2 to setup that match. I have Thiem reaching round 3. Adrian Mannarino is 7-3 in his last three tournaments, he should extend that great form and defeat Ricardas Berankis, then Karlovic or Fratangelo. Thiem over Mannarino is my pick in round 3.
Zverev’s Quarter:
Russia’s Karen Khachanov should defeat Rendy Lu then Ernesto Escobedo or Radu Albot before falling to Sam Querrey in round 3. Querrey faces Dudi Sela or Chris Eubanks in round 2 after defeating Simon. Mischa Zverev has not been in good form since early in the season, he’s the favorite against Thai-Son Kwiatkowski, then Lukas Lacko or Benoit Paire in round 2. John Isner is the clear favorite in this section, Isner will need to get past big server Pierre-Hugues Herbert, then rising young gun Hyeon Chung (or Horacio Zeballos). Chung is a possible dark horse, but Isner has the experience and he’s playing at home. Look for him to beat Zverev in round 3 to reach week 2.
Jack Sock is a heavy favorite to reach week 2, he should defeat Jordan Thompson, a pesky competitor who lacks the power that Sock has in his game. Sock should then defeat Thomas Fabbiano or J.P. Smith before facing Gilles Muller in round 3. After Tomic, Muller will face Joao Sousa or Paolo Lorenzi in round 2. Sock over Muller is the sensible pick in round 3, Sock has a crisper game, but could fall victim to the upset. Alexander Zverev claimed two titles this summer and has a great chance to win the US Open with so many other players missing from the draw. Zverev faces Darian King, a qualifier from Barbados, Zverev will then face Borna Coric or Jiri Vesely in round 2. Zverev will then face Kevin Anderson in round 3. Anderson is playing well but he’s never beaten Zverev. Anderson faces J.C. Aragone, an inspirational story, then Ernests Gulbis or Alessandro Giannessi in round 2. Zverev should be too much in the third round.
Cilic’s Quarter:
Former US Open champ Marin Cilic opens with improving American Tennys Sandgren, Cilic will then face Rogerio Dutra Silva or Florian Mayer in round 2. Thanasi Kokkinakis faces Diego Schwartzman or Carlos Berlocq after defeating Janko Tipsarevic in the opening round. Cilic and Kokkinakis should face off in round 3, Cilic has not been fit this summer and hasn’t played matches. Kokkinakis is getting better and better off a long injury layoff, I have him upsetting Cilic and reaching the second week. Veteran David Ferrer opens with qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin, Evgeny Donskoy or Andreas Haider-Maurer will follow. I have the Spanish grinder defeating Jared Donaldson in round 3 after Donaldson beats Nikoloz Basilashvili and either Ruben Bemelmans or a struggling Lucas Pouille. It’s a great opportunity for Donaldson, but Ferrer finds a way to win matches.
In the weakest section of the draw, Pablo Carreno Busta should defeat qualifier Evan King, Dmitry Tursunov/Cameron Norrie and either Nicolas Mahut or Albert Ramos in round 3. I have Mahut beating Marton Fucsovics, then Ramos (or Denis Istomin) in round 2 before falling to PCB. The Shapovalov/Medvedev winner faces Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Marius Copil. Denis Shapovalov is in better form and should upset Tsonga. Look for Kyle Edmund to defeat Haase, then Steve Johnson or Nicolas Almagro in round 2. Johnson is a home favorite, but Edmund is in better form and I tip him to advance to round 3. I have Shapovalov reaching week 2.
Dark Horse (one for each section of the draw): Jan-Lennard Struff, Taylor Fritz, Hyeon Chung, Denis Shapovalov
All four of these players, three of them young guns, are very talented, but they will need to step up on a big stage to make deep runs. Struff would need to upset Berdych and Fognini to reach week 2. Fritz needs to get past Dominic Thiem to reach at least the round of 16, Chung would need to upset big server John Isner. I have Shapovalov making the deepest run, and I also feel he’s the most talented of the bunch, the draw sets up the best for him in terms of reaching the second week as Tsonga is not in good form.
Predictions
Round of 16 Nadal d. Berdych
Dimitrov d. Monfils
Federer d. Kyrgios
Thiem d. Bautista Agut
Querrey d. Isner
Zverev d. Sock
Shapovalov d. Carreno Busta
Ferrer d. Kokkinakis
Nadal has a clear edge on Berdych, Dimitrov will be the favorite against Monfils despite the Frenchman’s skill level. Federer could be upset by Kyrgios but it seems unlikely. Thiem vs Bautista Agut is an interesting matchup, Thiem has more talent but RBA is more consistent. Querrey should beat his friend Isner, Zverev is the favorite against the American #1 Sock, I have Ferrer edging Kokkinakis, and Shapovalov in, at least, the quarterfinals.
Quarters Nadal d. Dimitrov
Federer d. Thiem
Zverev d. Querrey
Shapovalov d. Ferrer
A Nadal vs Federer semifinal seems likely, despite Dimitrov and Thiem’s ability to upset the apple cart. Zverev should also reach the semis given his good form, I have Shapovalov making a storybook run and beating Ferrer.
Semis Federer d. Nadal
Zverev d. Shapovalov
Federer and Zverev will be favorites for a reason.
Final Federer d. Zverev
Federer should win another slam, this time against an opponent playing in his first slam final.
Bautista Agut Takes Second ATP Title of the Season in Winston-Salem Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic
Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut took his second title of 2017 with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Damir Dzumhur, where he twice took decisive leads in the match, only for Dzumhur to claw back from the dead and make each set competitive. The Spaniard is 39-15 on the season and has again matched his season high for ATP titles with 2 for the year, and there is still some tournaments left to go for him to get to #3.
Dzumhur, who won 20 matches at the tour level last year, is already at 18 match wins for the season (plus a solid challenger record). The 25 year old Bosnian is a rising competitor as he made his third final overall this season (first at the ATP level), Dzumhur is 12-3 over his last three tournaments. In Winston-Salem he defeated Denis Istomin, Gilles Simon, Horacio Zeballos, Hyeon Chung, and Kyle Edmund.
RBA defeated Dusan Lajovic, Marcos Baghdatis, Taylor Fritz, and J.L. Struff to reach the final . Rojer/Tecau beat Peralta/Zeballos in the doubles final.
