2016 Mutua Madrid Open Day 4 Recap Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic
Day four of the Mutua Madrid Open saw two of the top seeds start their tournaments and Juan Martin Del Potro score the biggest win since his return this year.
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Del Potro defeats Thiem
It was arguably the pick of the round one matches as Del Potro defeated the in form Dominic Thiem in straight sets 7-6(5), 6-3. The Argentine missed numerous break points in the opening set but managed to squeeze out the tiebreak 7-5. Del Potro carried the momentum into the second set where he earned an early break. Thiem fought valiantly to try save the match in the final game, but Del Potro hung on to claim his biggest win since his return to the tour this year.
The former US Open Champion had wrist surgery and has been struggling to hit topspin backhands since his return due to the pain. However in this match he noticeably hit more than usual, something he commented on post match.
“I think I improved a lot since my last match in Munich.” Said Del Potro.
“Today I hit it really well. I’m growing up with my backhand. I’m getting confidence with my backhand, too.”
“I need more matches, more progress with these guys to improve that shot. I’m still calm. I can keep patient. I want to be hitting backhands in a good way. Maybe in the second part of the year would be nice for me.”
With Roger Federer’s withdrawal, the draw has potentially opened up for 27 year old who faces Jack Sock in the next. If he is able to get past the American, either Marcel Granollers or Joao Sousa will await him.
Del Potro is only choosing to think about the present though, and enjoying a big victory.
“It’s quite difficult because I was fighting one of the best opponents that I can have.” He added.
“I knew how well I was playing and my conditions these days, and I am missing a lot of what I need be to at the highest level, the level I want to be, because I’ve been through very difficult things in the past years.
“First of all, being in a competition like this, for me, it’s a lot of merit. If I’m able to win matches, even better. Even more emotional. That’s why sometimes it’s difficult to handle the emotions.
“But I think that today I have a lot of joy. I’m very happy. It’s because some great things are happening to me right now. I wasn’t crying because I had to leave or because my wrist were hurting or anything. I was just very happy about it.”
Nadal and others make it through
A packed crowd in Manolo Santana witnessed the successful return of Rafael Nadal to the Caja Magica as he was able to defeat Andrey Kuznetsov 6-3, 6-3.
An early break set the tone for Nadal who went through the match without dropping serve. One break was enough for the first set, then another two sealed the second for a rather comfortable straight sets victory.
Nadal highlighted his serve as an important factor in his win: “I served well in Monte-Carlo and in Barcelona. Here, as I said before, the altitude, perhaps it helps you a little bit so that your serve is a little bit more effective.
“The serve is — depending on which tournament it’s not so decisive, but in this tournament it is. Whoever serves well here is going to do well. I think I have been solid with my serve. I obtained a lot of results. I have to try to keep the percentage up. During the previous training sessions I also served well. This is important to have options to do good. I’m happy and delighted and hope I’ll be able to continue.”
Andy Murray was pushed by Radek Stepanek but the Brit found a way to come through in three sets 7-6,3-6, 6-1. The defending champion acknowledged the difficulty of the victory post match.
“Well, he played very well. I mean, it was not easy. He obviously started the match a little bit better than me. I was playing a little bit too flat, so I think he obviously likes it when it’s like that, when the ball is bouncing a bit lower.
“He was hitting the ball big up the lines. He hit a lot of lines the first set and a half to get himself in a good position.
“In the second set, the game where he broke me, I hit good second serves and he hit like four or five clean return winners in that game. Nothing you could do there. He was just going big and it was going in.
“Third set I started to play with a little bit more height. I was playing a little bit more spin, which made it harder for him. When I was getting the ball up high he started making a few more mistakes.
“Yeah, tough, tough match.”
Nick Kyrgios set up a mouth-watering clash with Stan Wawrinka by defeating Gaudio Pella 7-6, 6-4. Fabio Fognini was also in good form when he dispatched Bernard Tomic 6-2, 6-4.
It was a good day for the Americans as there were victories for Jack Sock and Denis Kudla. Both came from a set down to beat Benoit Paire and Ivo Karlovic respectively.
There were also victories in the men’s for Milos Raonic, Albert Ramos, Gael Monfils, Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreno-Busta, Borna Coric and Pablo Cuevas.
WTA Simona Halep began proceedings with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Karin Knapp on Manolo Santana. She was followed on court by Carla Suarez Navarro who defeated Sabine Lisicki 6-3, 6-2 despite not feeling well.
“I think I have a cold.” Said the eighth seed.
“But it’s true that when you go out there under the sun you can have a little bit of a headache when you have a cold. Also because all of the drugs that I had before going out there my stomach was hurting a little bit.”
When asked about whether she considered withdrawing, Suarez Navarro replied: “No, no. Here in Madrid I didn’t think about it. But it’s true that perhaps if I had been in another tournament I would’ve quit. I would’ve thought about it. Of course we are in a mandatory tournament, a very important tournament here at home. I would’ve thought about it for sure. At least say, Hey — ask me team, I don’t feel very well. What do you think, guys?
“Being here in Madrid I have never thought about that. It hasn’t come in my mind.”
There was an exit of another seed, only this time it was by default. Lucie Safarova pulled out of her match against Sam Stosur, as did Camila Giorgi. Timea Bacsinszky fought to win a tough three setter with Ekaterina Makarova. Dominika Cibulkova backed up her first round upset over Agnieszka Radwanska by coming from behind to defeat Caroline Garcia 0-6, 6-3, 6-4. Garcia was overwhelmed after suffering the defeat.
WTA Action Starts in Earnest at Mutua Madrid Open 2016 Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic
Our Tennis Atlantic journalist Niall Clarke has this report from his first day of on-site coverage in Madrid.
There was an early upset in the WTA side of the draw as second seed Angelique Kerber suffered a 6-4, 6-2 defeat to Barbora Strycova. The German made many uncharacteristic errors and cited fatigue as an issue post match.
“To Be honest I am really tired. I didn’t play my best tennis today and I made a lot of unforced errors. I tried in the second set to find my rhythm and come back, but I was not able to play my game today.”
Roberta Vinci was another upset victim after being dispatched by Danka Kovinic. The Montenegrin took the opening set 6-4 after a long game whilst serving it out. The second set was full of service breaks but Kovinic was able to claim it 6-2 to further shake up the top quarter after Sara Errani’s exit on Saturday.
There was no upsets for the Spanish number one and two as Garbine Muguruza and Carla Suarez Navarro both won on Manolo Santana court. Muguruza won in straight sets 6-2, 7-5, whilst Suarez Navarro came from behind to beat Timea Babos 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Karolina Pliskova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova raced to 6-2, 6-1 victories each at the start of the days play. The Czech will meet America’s Christina McHale in round two and the Russian will face Camila Giorgi. Defending champion Petra Kvitova also emerged victorious in straight sets as did Simona Halep.
There were three British players in action, starting with Heather Watson who lost a grueling two set match to Daria Gavrilova. The Australian eventually pulled through 7-5, 6-4.
Watson said post match: “First of all, coming into this tournament I didn’t have the preparation I wanted, I have been injured, and I only practiced three days before the tournament so I was very happy to get through my first round (of qualification). It was a tough second round of qualies, I thought my opponent played really well. Today I thought I played better than the other matches, but I am just not match fit and I was too inconsistent. I had a lot of break point chances, and we had a lot of games that went to deuce and I struggled to close them out.”
Johanna Konta did not fare any better as she was forced to retire 6-4, 2-1 down to Caroline Garcia. Laura Robson put up a good effort but was overwhelmed by Victoria Azarenka 6-4,6-2.
It was also the last day of qualifying on the men’s side of the draw. Santiago Giraldo was the first to make it through with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Dusan Lajovic. Lucas Pouille joined the Colombian shortly after with a 6-3, (5) 6-7, 6-1 victory over Spain’s Adrian Menendez-Maceiras.
Dennis Kudla secured another American name into the draw with a dramatic three set victory over Benjamin Becker. Pierre Hughes Herbert and Radek Stepanek also qualified with straight set victories. Denis Istomin needed three sets to knockout Mikhail Kukushkin.
The main draw got under way with Fernando Verdasco’s clash with Juan Monaco. The Spaniard was down a break in the opening set but came back to take the match 7-5, 7-6(3). Alexandr Dolgopolov came from a set down to defeat Steve Johnson, 3-6, 6-3 7-6(4).
The WTA tour heads to Dubai for Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. With 470 points available for the winner, who will take the rankings climb this week?
After being launched as a men’s only tournament in 1993, it became a joint event in 2001 and one of the best stays on the tour. Justine Henin has the tournament record with four titles followed by Venus Williams with three. Other former champions include WTA superstars Lindsay Davenport, Elena Dementieva, Martina Hingis, Petra Kvitova, Amélie Mauresmo and Caroline Wozniacki.
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Tier: Premier
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Prize money: $1,734,900
Date: February 15th- February 20th
Top four seeds who receive a BYE (Ranking)
1. Simona Halep (3)
2. Garbine Muguruza (5)
3. Carla Suarez Navarro (8)
4. Petra Kvitova (9)
Maria Sharapova and Agnieszka Radwanska were both scheduled to compete but withdrew prior to the tournament.
Out of the all the opening round matches this one stands out the most. Ivanovic is coming in off the back of a disappointing loss to Roberta Vinci in St Petersburg whilst Gavrilova is playing for the first time since a good run in Melbourne.
The Aussie has won their only previous match in Rome last year coming through in three sets, so she has proven she is capable of upsetting the former world number one.
This one could go three sets and feature plenty of momentum shifts. Definitely one to look out for when the tournament kicks off.
Belinda Bencic (Photo: Christopher Levy @Tennis_Shots)
(5) Belinda Bencic vs Jelena Jankovic
Coming off yet another good run in St Petersburg, Bencic is one of the players to watch this year as she continues her climb towards the top of the game.
However the young Swiss star could be slightly fatigued in Dubai and faces a tough opener against the more experienced Jankovic.
Both play a more counter punching game and although Bencic is currently the better player, Jankovic always has the potential to reel back to the years where she made number one in the world.
The fifth seed leads the head to head 2-1 with them tied 1-1 on a hard court. Who will win the fourth meeting?
Andrea Petkovic, Life Member Eintracht USA
Camila Giorgi vs Andrea Petkovic:
With Petkovic vs Giorgi you have a classic style clash with the power of the Italian against the counter punching of the German.
Giorgi holds a 3-1 head to head lead over Petkovic despite being ranked 17 places below, including a victory in Dubai two years a go. The world number 23 won their last meeting however in Cincinnati last year.
Petkovic’s bad form and Giorgi’s general up and down style of play could make for a messy encounter but it is still one to watch as it could go either way.
Draw Analysis
Halep’s Quarter:
Halep will be looking to turn her season around after a poor start that saw her exit the Australian Open in the first round. The defending champion will be the tournament favourite, but there are some tricky roadblocks ahead. After an opening round Bye the Romanian will begin her tournament against the winner of Ivanovic and Gavrilova. It is a tough match for the out of form Halep that could see another early exit.
Svetlana Kuznetsova is the other seed in this section and has a tough opener of her own against Julia Goerges. Barbora Strycova will likely wait the winner in round two as the Czech has drawn a qualifier in her opening round. Kuznetsova vs Strycova could be a lengthy and dramatic affair that could go either way.
Suarez Navarro’s quarter:
Spain is well represented in the draw with their top two players both being seeded. Suarez Navarro, being the third seed, will receive an opening round BYE before meeting the winner of Caroline Garcia vs Anna Schmiedlova. Two different propositions with Garcia being the aggressor and Schmiedlova being a more defensive minded player. The Frenchwoman will be full of confidence after her Fed Cup exploits.
Bencic will be another player that comes into Dubai in good form after a good run in St Petersburg, but she faces a tough first rounder against Jankovic. It won’t get much easier in round two wither with Petkovic or Giorgi waiting in the wings. It’s a tough draw for the Swiss and with fatigue possibly a factor, don’t be surprised to see an upset.
Kvitova’s quarter:
The Czech took a wildcard into the tournament in order to gain some momentum after her ranking fell to ninth in the world. The two time Grand Slam champion has the extra time to prepare due to her seeding and will therefore meet the winner of Madison Brengle vs Ekaterina Makarova in round two. Makarova could be a very tricky test in a battle of the lefties.
Vinci, like Bencic, will come into Dubai off the back of a good run in St Petersburg. The Italian faces a qualifier in round one before meeting compatriot and former doubles partner Sara Errani in round two. Who will win the battle of the former doubles champions?
Muguruza’s quarter:
Muguruza has also not enjoyed the best start to 2015 and has struggled to find her best form whilst struggling with a foot injury. The Spaniard will open her tournament in round two against either a qualifier or Elina Svitolina in round two. A match against the Ukrainian will be an interesting one between two of the tour’s best young talents.
Like Kvitova, Karolina Pliskova took a wildcard into the event and might fancy her chances at taking the title. The Czech will have a big serving battle against Coco Vandeweghe before meeting the winner of Kristina Mladenovic vs Lesia Tsurenko.
2016 WTA Sydney Preview and Predictions Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic
Australian Open preparations conclude with two tournaments a week before the first grand slam of the season in Sydney and Hobart. With the Premier status of the Sydney International, many of the top players elect to play here as they attempt to get some momentum behind them for the Australian Open.
The Sydney International is one of the oldest tournaments on the calendar dating back to 1885. In 2000 it moved to its current home, the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre.
Former champions include: Jennifer Capriati, Kim Clijsters, Lindsay Davenport, Chris Evert, Justine Henin, Martina Hingis, Amélie Mauresmo, Gabriela Sabatini, Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario, Monica Seles and Petra Kvitova. Evonne Goolagong and Martina Navratilova share the Open Era tournament record with four titles each.
The Apia Sydney International
Tier: Premier
Location: Sydney, Australia
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $687,900
Date: January 10th-16th 2016
Kerber will be looking to put the results of the Brisbane final behind her this week as she attempts to win the Sydney crown.
The German was been drawn a tough round one against rising youngster Svitolina. The Ukrainian played well in her country’s run to the Hopman Cup final and is certainly a player to watch out for this season.
Expect long rallies between two counter punchers and do not be surprised to see an upset for the fourth seed. It will be interesting to see how Svitolina’s best shot, the backhand, holds up against the leftie forehand of Kerber.
(5) Karolina Pliskova vs Ana Ivanovic
Karolina Pliskova will be playing her first WTA event of the season as she attempts to push on from an excellent 2015. The Czech excelled in these events last season and was a runner up last time out.
Ivanovic took a top 20 wildcard into the event after a shock loss to Naomi Broady last week. The Serbian is in need of wins but will find that tough against Pliskova.
The fifth seed has won their previous two meetings both on a hard court. Her serve and effortless power have proven difficult for Ivanovic to handle in the past, will she have the answer in their rubber match?
Outside of the seeds there is an interesting all French clash on the cards in the opening round. Garcia and Mladenovic have elected to play doubles together this year with the Olympics in mind, but they will first be pitted against each other in Sydney.
Both are young and talented but have question marks about their mental approach to the game. There will be some good points and bad points as neither girl is consistent, and Halep will be a keen observer as she will meet the winner in round two.
Draw Analysis
First Quarter: Top seed Halep withdrew from Brisbane last week so there will be questions as to whether she will be up to play in Sydney. The Romanian is entered however, and will have extra time to prepare due to her opening round bye. The second round will be interesting as she will meet a talented Frenchwoman in round two. Will it be Garcia or Mladenovic that opposes the world number two?
Pliskova will love to start 2016 similar to the way she started 2015, with a good run here in Sydney. She has been drawn a tough round one against Ivanovic but will take confidence from the 2-0 head to head lead she holds against the Serbian. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or a qualifier will await the winner.
Second Quarter: Kvitova is another player who withdrew in the opening week so there are question marks over the defending champions fitness. Lisicki is not a player you want to face early on as she does not give you much rhythm. A heavy hitting contest there. Svetlana Kuznetsova or wildcard Tammi Patterson will meet the winner.
Suarez Navarro’s 2015 season was a tale of two halves. She has a lot to defend in the opening few months, can she maintain her ranking? Sara Errani will contest her in round one which will likely be a lengthy battle. Coco Vandweghe or Jelena Jankovic will meet the winner in the second round.
Third quarter: Kerber vs Svitolina might be the match of the opening round and it falls in this section. The winner will fancy themselves for the quarter finals given Ekaterina Makarova is out of form and she meets a qualifier in round two.
Bencic will be kicking herself after a shock loss to Samantha Crawford last week prevented a deep Brisbane run. The 18 year old will be looking to bounce back in Sydney where she opens against a qualifier. Lesia Tsurenko or Tsvetana Pironkova will await in round two.
Fourth Quarter: Agnieszka Radwanska will be looking to continue her winning streak after claiming the Shenzhen open last week. The Pole’s seeding means she has time to rest up as she gets a bye into the second round. She will have a tough round two against Roberta Vinci or Sam Stosur.
Bacsinszky will be looking to put her opening week disappointment behind her when she takes to the courts of Sydney. Anna Schmiedlova is a tough opening round with the potential of facing Daria Gavrilova in round two. It is a tough section for the Swiss.
It is a hard tournament to predict with many players likely to try and conserve themselves for the Australian Open. Pliskova made the final here last season so she knows what it takes and that’s why i have gone for the Czech.
Djokovic edges Ferrer, Isner shocks Nishikori Miami Open Thursday Recap Esam Taha for Tennis Atlantic
Photo Credit: Esam Taha
The two men’s quarterfinal matches on Thursday in Miami drew plenty of attention, as the world number 1 Novak Djokovic advanced, and John Isner posted his best result of the season with a huge upset over Kei Nishikori.
Novak Djokovic d. David Ferrer 7-5 7-5
The Miami crowd was treated to a heavyweight matchup in the Miami Open Quarterfinal night session. The world #1 had had quite the bumpy ride so far including a comeback effort against Dolgopolov in the previous round. Novak has won his last 7 meetings with Ferrer, his last loss dating back to the 2011 ATP WTF. The Serb was favorited going into this matchup but it wasn’t to expect to be a cakewalk especially with the way he’s been playing in Miami. Meanwhile David Ferrer hasn’t dropped a set so far in the tournament, knocking out Delbonis, Rosol, and Simon in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th rounds respectively. Ferrer is having an excellent season so far only losing 2 matches and already with 3 titles under his belt, it was also his 33rd birthday today.
Ferrer would kick off proceedings with a solid hold, he looked focused and ready for the challenge with the way he was stroking the ball early. Meanwhile Djokovic looked a bit sloppy to start things off, quickly falling to a 0-40 hole on his serve. A double fault later and all of the sudden the Serb would find himself down a break with Ferrer serving to take a 3-0 lead. The Serb’s returns looked uncharacteristically tame on center court, putting little pressure on David’s serve. Just like that the world #1 would find himself serving out of a 0-3 hole. Novak would start to slowly get into the game as he stroked a beautiful looking DTL backhand winner to finally get on the board. Ferrer was defending with purpose, forcing Novak to hit that one extra shot. The Serb missed a volley as Ferrer held and went up 4-1. Once again, the frustration seemed to be getting the best of the defending champion, shades of the Dolgo match.
Ferrer started well (photo credit: Esam Taha)
Those in the Miami crowd that enjoy long rallies and endless groundstrokes were getting their money’s worth, both players seemed content with playing from the baseline up to that point. This game became more and more crucial as it kept swinging back and forth at deuce, Ferrer looked for the double break lead while Novak looked to get even on serve. Ferrer would splendidly save a breakpoint with a slick half volley pick up to the crowd’s delight. Novak however was the slight aggressor in that game and eventually came out with break after a grueling game. He’d hold to square things up at 4-4 in the 1st. Even though Djokovic was starting to play better he was still letting frustration get to him as he let out a rather audible scream when he missed a DTL forehand. Both players would hold to take the set to 5-5, however Ferrer was starting to rack up the UEs. That would carry on to a crucial service game as he sent 3 forehands long to get broken after going up 40-15, a backbreaker for the Spaniard. Novak would easily hold to take the 1st set 7-5, it was a poor end to the set from David.
Photo Credit: Esam Taha
Ferrer seemed to shake off that disappointing conclusion of the opening set as he came out firing with a convincing hold. Novak would follow that with a solid hold of his own, showing his soft hands with a perfectly executed half volley. Ferrer would bring the crowd to their feet the next game with an incredible display of reflexes at the net, which Novak acknowledged as well. It all went downhill from there for the Spaniard as he committed back to back double faults to get broken early in the 2nd. The Serb was now controlling court position, doing a better job of stepping up and punishing Ferrer’s conservative court positioning. At 1-3 Ferrer had to regain his composure to avoid finding himself staring at a double break deficit. After getting it to 30-30 Djokovic bailed the world #7 out with a couple of FH UEs. Both players would continue to trade holds but Ferrer wasn’t putting any pressure of Novak’s serve. At 3-5 Ferrer felt some pressure as he served to stay in the match. A brutal netcord would help Novak jump up 0-30 in the game. Ferrer battled back to 30-30 while a cheeky drop shot from Novak just missed to take the set to 5-4.
Novak would have to do the dirty work himself. The world #1 showed some nerves as he double faulted to go 30-30. Ferrer then overcooks a forehand to setup a match point for Novak. The Serb would get tight once again sending the backhand to the bottom of the net. The crowd would go ballistic as an incredible rally ended with Ferrer on top to break and even things up at 5-5 after facing match-point. The Serb would bounce back quickly breaking David right back as the drama intensified. This time Novak would quickly jump to 30-0 and not look back, closing the set out to claim the match 7-5 7-5. The defending champion booked himself a spot in the semifinal to face big John Isner, who’s been on a tear beating Dimitrov, Raonic, and Nishikori back to back to back.
Isner outhits Nishikori, Suarez Navarro, Serena setup WTA final
John Isner scored his second top 10 win of the week as he took out the favorite Kei Nishikori 6-4 6-3 to reach the semis in Miami, his best result of the 2015 season. The scoreline is a bit misleading, as Isner took control of the match early on, and also broke early in the second set. Nishikori failed to challenge him as a returner, and Isner won a remarkable number of return points himself, in fact putting up one of the best return performances of his career, against a quality ballstriker in Nishikori. Nishikori had dominated all of his opponents in the previous tournament matches, but today he no answer for the brute force and excellent shot placement that Isner put together. Nishikori thought he played well per his post-match presser, but Isner put up a textbook performance for a slow moving big server.
Carla Suarez Navarro pulled off a remarkable feat as she upset Andrea Petkovic 6-3 6-3 to reach her first ever Premier level final. It was a sloppy match with players putting up a large number of errors, but in the end CSN continues to improve and cement herself as a top 10 player. Serena Williams battled past Simona Halep to complete the WTA final lineup 6-2 4-6 7-5. Williams power proved too much for defensively oriented Halep, and she could have taken the match in straight sets perhaps, but was forced into a long third set.
Pospisil/Sock, Bryans will star in the doubles final
Vasek Pospisil/Jack Sock and the Bryan Brothers will face off in the ATP doubles final. Vasek and Jack beat Melo/Soares 6-4 3-6 10-7 and Bob and Mike Bryan beat Isner and Querrey 7-6 7-5.
Djokovic fends off Dolgopolov challenge on Tuesday @MiamiOpenTennis (Miami Open Day 8 Recap) Esam Taha for Tennis Atlantic
Photo Credit: Esam Taha
The men’s round of 16 sorted itself out on Tuesday as Novak Djokovic was biggest the story. The world number 1 was a set and a break down, facing more break points in the second set, but came to fend off a tough challenge from Alex Dolgopolov. Besides that match, Milos Raonic and Venus Williams
were upset, and Dominic Thiem reached his first ever Masters level quarterfinal.
Novak Djokovic d. Alex Dolgopolov 6-7(3) 7-5 6-0
The world #1 has not exactly had a smooth ride to get to the 4th round in Miami, dropping a set to Martin Klizan and having to fend off a Steve Darcis comeback effort. It wouldn’t get smoother for the Serb today as he faced an opponent that has taken a set from him 3 out of their last 4 meetings. That opponent, the Ukranian Alexander Dolgopolov is coming off 2 tight wins against veteran Tommy Robredo and a Miami crowd favorite Thomaz Bellucci. Alex has put up good fights against the world #1 in the past and today would be no different.
Dolgo came out absolutely firing on all cylinders to start off the 1st set. The talented shotmaker was taking the ball on the rise and taking time away from Djokovic in the rallies, clearly frustrating him. Meanwhile Novak was out of sorts, being impatient, and easily frustrated out on center court.Alex took an early 4-1 lead in the 1st, which included Djokovic smashing his racket to the chorus of boos from the Miami crowd. The Serb would also be cited for a couple of code violations which cost him a point penalty. However despite the mental battle the Serb was fighting he would come back to even things up at 5-5 and eventually force a tiebreak. It seemed that Novak had righted the ship and was on his way to assume control, however the Ukrainian had something to say about it. The tiebreak began with a little help from the netcord for Alex to get the minibreak right off the bat, needless to say Novak was fuming. He’d let that get to his head as he quickly fell to a 0-4 hole in the TB. Dolgo wouldn’t look back as he kept his calm to take the TB 7-3 and yet again for the 4th time in 5 meetings take a set from the Serb.
Dologopolov was firing serves against Djokovic (Photo Credit: Esam Taha)
The 2nd set began with Alex holding with ease, Novak still looked completely dejected on the court. It would carry on to his service game as Dolgo riped an inside out forehand to set up triple break point. On the 3rd attempt the Ukranian would smoke a DTL backhand return winner to go up 2-0 and really put Novak on the ropes. Despite Novak not playing his best, Dolgo had a lot to do with it as he played lights out tennis, he brimmed with confidence. The Ukrainian is known to have the tendency to display top 10 and below top 100 level simultaneously in the same match.
Top 10 Dolgo was on full force so far as he went up 3-0 in the 2nd. The next game would prove to be a pivotal point of the match. Dolgo continued to simply out-groudstroke Novak to set up a double breakpoint, an opportunity to go up a double break and tighten his grip on the match. However after a marathon of a rally Novak would come out on top to save the 2nd breakpoint, followed by a couple of UEs from Alex to hold and avoid going down 0-4. The Miami crowd could feel a hint of the tide turning. Alex would stumble the next game falling 0-30 but eventually regain his composure and hold to maintain the single break lead at 4-1. That tough hold seemed to get Novak’s mind back into the match as he produced sharper groundstrokes pinning Dolgo deep. Preventing Dolgo from getting superior court position would work as Novak finally broke to even things up at 4-4. Dolgo would elevate his level once more with some incredible shotmaking, he’d rip multiple winners on both sides of the court to hold, not easy to do against Djokovic especially on these courts. At 4-5 Nole would show his composure as he successfully held to stay in the match. Dolgo would then play a horrible service game to get broken followed by a Novak hold to take the 2nd. It seemed like Dolgo might’ve gotten hurt, the trainer would come out to tape his feet. It was unclear what sort of injury it was exactly but it seemed to be affecting his ankle. It would sadly prove to be the virtual end to the match as the Ukranian won only 3 points out of the next 27, practically immobile out there, losing the deciding set 0-6. Djokovic had successfully escaped another dicey match 6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-0.
Dolgo hurt himself going into the third set (Photo Credit: Esam Taha)
Djokovic won a hard fought match (photo credit: Esam Taha)
The Serb was available at the post-match press conference to reflection the bumpy start to the Miami Open and also weigh in on approaching Rafa’s 141 consecutive weeks at #1
Murray received a cake to celebrate his 500th win (photo credit: Esam Taha)
Andy Murray scored his 500th career ATP Main Draw win with a 6-4 3-6 6-3 result over Kevin Anderson, Murray continued his solid season thus far, as he put up a positive winner/unforced error ratio and returned incredibly well in the third set when it counted against the big serving South African.
Kei Nishikori was better in every department compared to David Goffin as that match was a 6-1 6-2 blowout. The Japanese #1 has not been challenged all tournament.
John Isner upset Milos Raonic 6-7(3) 7-6(6) 7-6(5) in as many tiebreaks as were to be expected, both players served well and Isner continued the trend of being clutch when it matters, as he won the final two tiebreaks to win the match from a set down.
Fernando Verdasco posted 34 errors, and wasted a break lead in the second set to fall to Juan Monaco 6-3 6-3. Young gun Dominic Thiem posted his best result of the season, and his best ever masters result with a 7-6 4-6 7-5 win in a nailbiter over Adrian Mannarino. Thiem was down a break in the third and came back against a solid Mannarino. His backhand proving to be an effective weapon.
Tomas Berdych won over Gael Monfils fell and injured himself 6-3 3-2 ret. and David Ferrer beat a listless Gilles Simon 7-6 6-0.
Andrea Petkovic dominated Karolina Pliskova 6-4 6-2 and Carla Suarez Navarro upset Venus Williasm 0-6 6-1 7-5 in a remarkable comeback after a bagel, as they both reached the semifinals.
Babos/Mladenovic, Hingis/Mirza and Niculescu/Panova won in doubles, as did Pospisil/Sock, and Melo/Soares.
2015 WTA Antwerp (@WTAdiamondgames) and Pattaya City Previews and Predictions Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic
The WTA tour took a week long break following the conclusion of the Australian Open, so the first round of the Fed Cup could be played. And after an exciting weekend of nationalistic action, the tour is back with visits to Belgium and Thailand, both are hard court events with Antwerp indoors and Pattaya City outdoors.
WTA Antwerp
2015 WTA Antwerp Preview
The tour returns to Antwerp for the first time since 2008 for the BNP Paribas Fortis Diamond games. The tournament director is none other than Belgian tennis legend Kim Clijsters, who won this title 11 years ago. Other previous champions include former grand slam champions: Venus Williams, Justine Henin, and Amelie Mauresmo. So who will join them on the honours list this year?
BNP Paribas Fortis Diamond Games
WTA Premier Series
Antwerp, Belgium
Feb 9-Feb 15, 2015
Prize Money: $731,000
Top 4 seeds (Who receive first round byes) (WTA ranking in parentheses)
Four top 15 players get byes into the second round making it a fairly strong field.
First round matches to watch:
(5)Carla Suarez Navarro vs. Camila Giorgi
These two met in Katowice last year, and it was the big hitting Italian who came out on top 7-6,6-4. Despite that, Suarez Navarro will head into this match as the bookies favourite as she’s the higher ranked player and more experienced of the two. The Spaniard is a rare player in that she plays with a single handed backhand. It’s a shot that will be crucial if she is to overcome Giorgi as the Italian is one of the biggest hitters on tour. The 23 year old will look to dictate from the baseline with her powerful ground strokes, whilst on the other side of the net, Suarez Navarro will look to use her variety to move Giorgi around the court and not let her slip into any rhythm. A contrast of form, and style here, so this should be an interesting match the follow.
(7)Alize Cornet vs. Belinda Bencic
Bencic hasn’t had the best of starts to 2015. In fact she has yet to win a single set so far this year, but don’t let that stat fool you; the girl is still very talented. The world number 37 faces world number 19 Alize Cornet in the opening round in Antwerp. Cornet has lost 2 tour matches this year to Agnieszka Radwanska and Dominika Cibulkova, but unlike her opponent she has also won two matches, both of which at the Australian Open. The two met in the Fed Cup last year with Cornet coming out on top, but the landscape has changed since then. Bencic has improved, meaning this match has potential to be a good one, if the Swiss’ form has improved of course.
Top Half:
The number one seed Eugenie Bouchard has the fortune of a bye to the second round. She will meet either Mona Barthel or a qualifier in her first match under new coach Sam Sumyk. It will be too early to see any improvements, but it’s still interesting to see where the Canadian’s form lies after the Australian Open. Barthel can be dangerous, especially from the backhand side, but she’s still finding form after an injury. In the second section of this quarter, Cornet will be the bookies favourite, but there’s a lot of talent who could send the Frenchwoman packing. Belinda Bencic is in terrible form, so it’s hard to back her against the 7th seed, Cornet. Awaiting her will be the winner of Yania Wickmayer and Barbora Zahalova Strycova. The Belgian is in good form after making the fourth round in Melbourne, and will no doubt have the backing of the crowd. Strycova is the better player overall however, and has made a positive start to the season. With the home crowd behind her, I can see Wickmayer defeating her higher ranked opponent in the first round. But the Belgians will be disappointed to see her lose to Cornet in round two. Bouchard should make the quarter finals without much trouble to face the Frenchwoman for a semi final spot. Power players seem to give Bouchard the most trouble, but Cornet isn’t a big hitter. I feel Bouchard will make the semi final from this quarter.
Third seed Andrea Petkovic headlines the second quarter, and like Bouchard, The German has a bye to the second round. She will face either wildcard Alison Van Uytvanck or Magdalena Rybarikova in round two in a match the 27 year old should expect herself to win, no matter who she faces. Sixth seed Dominika Cibulkova is the other seeded player in this section. The 2014 Australian Open runner up will face a qualifier in round one before likely meeting Tsevtana Pironkova in round two. The Bulgarian met Cibulkova at the Australian Open, but unfortunately it was rather a blowout for the Slovak. 6-2,6-0 was the final result, so I will favour Cibulkova to make the quarter finals here. The German leads the head to head 2-1, with their last two meetings ending in straight sets wins for Petkovic. But Cibulkova is in far better form at the moment, so I feel she should make the semi finals.
Bottom half:
Second seed Angelique Kerber is the only other top 10 player in the draw, and the German receives a bye into round two. Klara Koukalova will likely await the world number nine there, as the Czech faces a qualifier in round one. Koukalova has only won one match in 2014, and with Kerber being overall the stronger player, the German should make the quarter finals without much fuss. Fifth seed Carla Suarez Navarro finds herself in this quarter, and has a tough round one prospect in Camila Giorgi. The Italian is in the better form, and won their last meeting so I can see the Spaniard taking an early exit. Belgium will pin their hopes on former Wimbledon semi finalist, Kirsten Flipkens to take the title in Antwerp, but she faces crafty Romanian Monica Niculescu in round one. Only two places separate them in the rankings, but with the head to head 2-0 in favour of the Belgian I will go with Flipkens to make round two with the home crowd backing her. Giorgi vs Flipkens will be interesting, as the Belgian has the fans and the head to head on her side. In good form, Giorgi is just very powerful and dangerous so I will predict the Italian to make the Quarter Finals. That will set up the first meeting between Camila Giorgi and Angelique Kerber. This match will be the classic big hitter vs counter puncher encounter and therefore it will be interesting to see which style wins. I think this one has three sets written all over it, and I will predict a come from behind win for Kerber. Something we have come to expect from the German recently.
Number four seed Lucie Safarova receives a bye into round two where she’ll face either Kristina Mladenovic or Silvia Soler-Espinosa. Mladenovic shouldn’t have many problems dispatching her Spanish opponent to meet Safarova in round two. Safarova lost to Yaroslava Shvedova in Melbourne so isn’t in great form, but she should have enough about her to power through the Frenchwoman and reach the quarter finals. Rising star Karolina Pliskova will look to make it a great two weeks for the family. Her sister Kristyna won the Glasgow ITF event this week, and Karolina will look to do the same in Antwerp. The 8th seed faces experienced Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the opening round. If Pliskova can show the form that lead her to the Sydney final then she shouldn’t have much trouble making the quarter finals. It will likely be Annika Beck in the second round, who is a good solid player, but the German doesn’t really have many weapons to trouble the Czech. I believe we will see an all Czech quarterfinal, which will undoubtedly be a big hitting contest. My prediction will be Pliskova because she showed better form in Australia, and Safarova is very inconsistent.
Semis: Cibulkova d. Bouchard in 3 sets
Kerber d. Pliskova in 3
Cibulkova showed good form at the Australian Open, and I expect her to continue her good play here. Cibulkova hits the ball hard and Bouchard has shown she can be prone to players who can over-power her.
Pliskova defeated Kerber in Sydney, but I can’t see that performance being replicated here. The likely outcome is that the German grinds down the Czech for a three set win.
Final:
Kerber d. Cibulkova in 3
This is a good chance for Kerber to win her first title of the season, and I believe she will take it. The German lost early in Melbourne, so she’ll use this tournament to put herself back on track.
the Thailand open has grown in stature since its debut on tour in 1991. In 2009 the event was upgraded to an International from a tier IV tournament. Previous champions include the likes of Cochita Martinez, Daniela Hantuchova, and Vera Zvonareva. Last years edition was won by Ekaterina Makarova.
PTT Thailand Open WTA International Series
Pattaya City, Thailand
Feb 9-Feb 15. 2015
Prize Money: $250,000
(3)Zarina Diyas vs. Daniela Hantuchova
Third seed Zarina Diyas could have hardly asked for a tougher draw in round one than Daniela Hantuchova. The pair met in Hobart, and Diyas was victorious in straight sets, however Hantuchova’s form has improved since, and she’s a former champion here, so this one should be a closer encounter. Diyas has stagnated since making a climb up the rankings last year, with her main issue being her incapability to beat higher ranked opponents. The young Kazakh is fairly good at handling lower ranked players though, so I think she’ll win yet again, but it will be harder than last time.
(2)Elina Svitolina vs. Kimiko Date-Krumm Not all matches to watch are on the basis on how competitive they are. The story of Date-Krumm just keeps going on and on, just like her career. The Japanese start turns 45 this year, and yet she is still playing in the main draws at WTA events. Her opponent Elina Svitolina is young enough to be her daughter, and the Ukrainian leads the head to head 1-0. Svitolina should win this comfortably on her title quest, but it’s always great to see Date-Krumm on court.
Top Half:
Headlining the top half of the draw will be world number 21 Shuai Peng. The 29 year old should have no problems reaching the quarter finals, as none of her potential opponents before that stage should offer any problems. The other seeded player in this quarter is young gun Monica Puig. The number seven seed showed some promise in 2014, but like Diyas, hasn’t kicked on since. The Puerto Rican has a tough round one against talented Swiss Stephanie Voegele. The head to head is 2-1 in the favour of Puig, so it’s hard not to back her here. A Voegele win wouldn’t be any sort of surprise however. The likely round two opponent will be Elena Vesnina, who has fallen down the rankings since reaching a career high 21 in 2013. Puig is currently the better player, so I expect her to reach the quarter finals. I don’t see the young star going any further though, as she’ll likely fall to top seed Peng in the quarter finals.
Fourth seed Kurumi Nara will start her tournament against local wildcard Nicha Lertpitaksinchai. I predict Yulia Putintseva to meet the Japanese in round two, where I’d expect Nara to be too good for the Kazakh. Jarmila Gadjosova is the sixth seed and will face a qualifier in round one. Facing a qualifier is always a lottery because there are a lot of dangerous players who are lower ranked on the WTA tour, but I am not sure there are many who could beat the Aussie. Ajla Tomljanovic wil be her probable round two opponent. This will be interesting as it’s an all Aussie clash, and there’s a fair chance of an ‘upset’ here. Either way both like to strike the ball hard, and it should be a tight battle. I believe the winner would beat Nara, who has a steady game but lacks real weapons. If I had to predict a winner from this quarter I will go for Gadjosova, as she is in good form after the Fed Cup.
Bottom Half:
Second seed Elina Svitolina is the favourite for the title in many people’s eyes. She should beat 44 year old Kimiko Date-Krumm in the opening round without too much trouble. In the second round I believe she’ll face Marina Erakovic. The New Zealander won their last meeting in 2013, but Svitolina is much improved since then so I expect the young Ukrainian to make the quarter finals at least. The other seed in this section is Shuai Zhang. She’ll face an out of sorts Donna Vekic in the opening round, and with the Croatians recent form at the Fed cup, I predict Zhang to win comfortably. Former Wimbledon finalist Vera Zvonareva has received a Wildcard into the main draw, and she hasn’t got a bad draw. I’d actually make her the favourite to reach the quarter finals where she will likely loose to the consistent Elina Svitolina.
Zarina Diyas is the third seed here, and the favourite to advance from her quarter, but there is some tough competition for her in this section. Firstly the Kazakh must work her way through Daniela Hantuchova. As I touched on in my matches to watch section, this should be closer than their previous meeting, but I expect Diyas to be too consistent for the Slovak. Sasai Zheng will await in the second round. Zhang played well in Shenzhen, even defeating Diyas in the quarter finals. The Chinese player hasn’t won a match since however. Their last match was close, so I will go with Diyas in three to make the quarter finals. There I predict her to meet fifth seed Yaroslava Shvedova. The talented Kazakh is one of the most dangerous players on tour, and recently had a decent run in Melbourne. In this all Kazakh clash we will see a mix of styles as Shvedova looks to be aggressive whilst Diyas will look to be consistent and counter Slava. With Shvedova’s recent form I believe she will have enough about her to beat Diyas on this occasion.
Semis
Gadjosova d. Peng in 2
Svitolina d. Shvedova in 3
Gadjosova pushed the Germans to their limits in the Fed Cup, so comes into this tournament in good form. Peng is consistent, but Gadjosova possesses the bigger weapons so I will predict the Aussie to win in 2 sets. Shvedova vs Svitolina will likely be a close battle, but with Shvedova’s tendency to struggle to close matches out from winning positions, I expect the Ukrainian to prevail from a set down.
2015 WTA Sydney Preview andPredictions Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic
2015 WTA Sydney Preview
WTA Sydney
The WTA continues its tour down under with a trip to the beautiful city of Sydney for the APIA International tournament. The event is one of the oldest in the world, dating back to 1885. In 2000, the event moved to the Sydney Olympic park tennis centre, which also hosted the Olympic tennis event that year. The Sydney International is a joint event with the ATP hosted a week before the Australian Open. Previous champions include the likes of Victoria Azarenka, Aga Radwanska and Grand Slam champions Chris Evert, Kim Clijsters, Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, and Martina Navratilova.
In 2014 Tsvetana Pironkova defeated Angelique Kerber in straight sets to claim the Sydney crown. The Qualifier also defeated seeds, Sara Errani and Petra Kvitova on her way to the title.
Apia Sydney International WTA Premier Series Sydney, Australia January 11-January 16, 2015
Prize Money: $731,000
Top 2 Seeds (Who receive first round byes) (WTA ranking in parentheses)
1: Simona Halep (3)
2: Petra Kvitova (4)
Two top 4 players headline Sydney, and receive byes to the next round. All the 8 seeds are within the top 20, so a strong field in the build up to the Australian Open.
First round matchups to watch:
(3)Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Alize Cornet These two met in Perth during the Hopman cup, and it was Alize Cornet who managed get the win on that occasion in 3 sets. The Frenchwomen will be looking to do the same in the first round at Sydney. Agnieszka Radwanska however will be looking for revenge, and with that in mind this is one of the tastiest first round matches this week. Both players are known more for their technique rather than power, so we may see plenty of long rallies and tense points. Will we see another upset, or will Aga reign supreme this time?
Lucie Safarova vs. Sam Stosur
Big hitting Czech Lucie Safarova will be looking to silence the home crowd by vanquishing Australia’s Sam Stosur. Safarova played well in the Hopman Cup, winning two out of three singles matches. Stosur didn’t kick off the year in good style as she lost in 3 sets to Varvara Lepchenko in Brisbane round 1. It’s even worse when you consider, Stosur led 5-1 in the final set and still managed to lose. A lot of fans may be looking at this, and thinking ‘How could this be a match to look out for with their head to head record?’ Of course, 9-2 in favour of the Czech is lopsided, but you never know in the WTA. Lucie is hot right now and the obvious favourite, but you never know what a home crowd can do for a player. Stosur could rally and get her first win over the Czech in nearly 3 years.
Elina Svitolina vs. Ekaterina Makarova 20 year old, Elina Svitolina will be looking to carry her Brisbane form into Sydney, where she faces new top 10 player Ekaterina Makarova in the first round. The Ukrainian made the quarter finals last week, but was dumped out by eventual winner Maria Sharapova. Makarova decided to have an extra week’s preparation, and will kick off her 2015 campaign in Sydney. Svitolina is a good mover across the court, which will benefit her against the powerful left handers of the Russian. Makarova will look to overpower the youngster and kick off 2015 the same way she finished 2014. The big question is how rusty will Makarova be? If she isn’t match ready, she could very well get caught off guard by the young Ukrainian.
Number one seed Simona Halep headlines a stacked top half of the draw that features eight top 20 players and a former Grand Slam finalist. The Romanian will receive a bye into the second round because of her seeding. She will face either big serving Czech Karolina Pliskova or a qualifier in round two. Pliskova will be the likely opponent even with the dangerous qualifiers in the draw. This is where it will get interesting for Halep, who has a bit of a dilemma. The Romanian won in Shenzen last week, and with the Australian Open coming, will she want to risk not being 100% for the first grand slam of the year and go all out in Sydney? Look for a potential upset in that one. The other seed in Halep’s quarter is Ekaterina Makarova. The Russian will play her first match of the season against 20 year old Elina Svitolina. With Makarova being potentially rusty, she could get caught out by the inform Ukranian, but the number six seed will be favourite to advance. Awaiting the winner will be Carla Suarez Navarro, and 2013 Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki. Lisicki has shown in the past she can beat anyone with her powerful serve and ground strokes. The German holds the world record for the fastest womens serve in history. She hit a 131 mph serve in Stanford last year. This isn’t grass however, and the Spaniard should expect herself to advance.
The third seed is 2015 Hopman cup champion, Agnieszka Radwanska. The Pole will be in her first WTA competition In Sydney, and faces a tough round one match against Alize Cornet. The Pole will expect herself to extract revenge on the player who defeated her in Perth, but an upset wouldn’t be surprising at all. Their potential round two opponents are Garbine Muguruza and Sara Errani. Muguruza is dangerous, but withdrew from Brisbane with an ankle injury, so there are big questions on her fitness. Errani will be looking to take advantage of the Spaniards problem and take out the 21 year old. If Muguruza is fit however, you would expect her to overpower the Italian. Angelique Kerber is the number five seed and will face a qualifier in round one; a match you would expect her to win. From there you would expect her to face highly touted youngster Belinda Bencic. The 17 year old is destined to be one of the world’s best players, but she faces a tough test against Angelique Kerber. This potential second round clash is no doubt one of the most anticipated matches of week. How will the youngster handle the tests that Kerber will bring to the court?
Bottom half:
The number two seed is Czech powerhouse Petra Kvitova. Like Halep, Kvitova will receive a bye into the second round. She will face Shuai Peng, or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. You would expect the Wimbledon champion to make the quarter finals with that draw if she decides to be play hundred percent. The other seed in her quarter is Dominika Cibulkova. The Australian open drew lucky and will face a qualifier in the first round, so you would expect her to make the second round at least. She will likely face Andrea Petkovic in the second round, which will no doubt be tricky for the number seven seed. The winner of that match will really fancy themselves to make the semi-finals, with Kvitova’s commitment in question, with the Australian Open just round the corner.
In the other quarter, we have a stacked group of players with a lot of possible semi-finalists. The number four seed is former world number one, Caroline Wozniacki. The Dane will open her tournament against Barbora Zahalova-Strycova. A potential banana skin for Wozniacki, as Strycova showed good form last season. You would expect Wozniacki to squeeze past the Czech, but an upset wouldn’t be shocking at all. The winner will face Lucie Safarova or Sam Stosur, and given their head to head and current form it will likely be the Czech. Safarova is a potential title winner in Sydney, with a lot of the top seed’s commitment in doubt. Lucie is in good form, and will no doubt see this as a good chance to win another WTA title. The number eight seed, Flavia Pennetta will be another player gunning for the crown. The Italian will face a qualifier (it’s a pattern isn’t it?) in round one, and you would expect Pennetta to make it through. Flava will face either Svetlana Kuznetsova or Madison Keys. This is one of those interesting round one matches that didn’t make my three to see. It’s another one of those ‘youth vs experience’ battles that will be a theme of the WTA throughout 2015. If I would be forced to choose, I say Keys makes it through to face Pennetta, and the Italian makes the Quarter finals
Predictions
Semis: Kerber d. Suarez Navarro
Safarova d. Petkovic
With a lot of the top seeds potentially playing safe with the Australian Open in mind, these 4 players will stand out from the rest of the pack and make the semifinals. In the first semifinal, Kerber will narrowly defeat Carla Suarez Navarro in 3 sets. This match will be tight, as they are 2-2 in the head to head, but Kerber I believe will find a way to win. In the second semi final, I expect Lucie Safarova to continue her good form and defeat Andrea Petkovic to make the final. The Czech will be 100% focused here, with the title being a big possibility., and I think she’ll better the German this time around despite the head to head being 4-2 in favour of Petkovic.
Final: Kerber d. Safarova
Angelique Kerber will be the 2015 Sydney champion after weathering the Safarova storm. In this final, I expect the Czech to make the better start and race to an easy one set lead. The German will keep retrieving and errors will finally start leaking from Safarova’s side of the court, allowing Kerber to turn the match on it’s head and win the title in Sydney.
Weekend @PortugalOpen: Carla Suarez Navarro Wins Women’s Event, Berdych & Berlocq Fight For Men’s Title
Manuel Traquete, Tennis East Coast
The Women’s Champion of the 2014 Portugal Open is Carla Suarez Navarro after a titanic battle on center court, which saw her come back from 4-1 down in the decider to beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4 in the third set to win her first ever career title and go up to #14 in the WTA rankings. It turned out to be one of the best finals of the event since it started in 1998.
On the men’s side, Tomas Berdych dispatched Victor Hanescu with the expected ease, overpowering him from the very first game on his way to a 6-2 6-2 win. His opponent in the last match of the tournament will be Carlos Berlocq, who after a very tight first set against Gimeno-Traver where he won 8-6 in the tiebreak and comfortably won 6-2 in the second set to reach his 3rd career final.
On paper, everything points to another comfortable Berdych win in the final. He’s superior to Berlocq in every aspect of the game. They have played three times with Berdych winning all of them in quite routine fashion and the Czech has much more experience in matches like this one.
It’d be a considerable surprise if Berdych wasn’t the one hoisting the trophy at the end of the match, picking up some steam for the battles ahead in the clay Masters and Roland Garros.
Men’s Semifinals and Women’s Final Set @PortugalOpen Manuel Traquete, Tennis East Coast
The final Saturday of the Portugal Open will feature the women’s final and the men’s semifinals, all on center court. The day will open with Svetlana Kuznetsova facing the #1 of the tournament Carla Suarez Navarro in the final. Kuznetsova is far past her best days, but has played a very good week in Portugal, showing why she is a former Roland Garros champion (2009). Her game has proved too powerful and solid for the field so far on the slow Oeiras clay.
Still, it’d be perhaps fair to claim she will enter the final as the slight underdog – albeit one with good chances – against Carla Suarez Navarro, one of the best clay courters and a player who’s often praised and got the Portuguese crowd on her side due to her beautiful technique and game. The head to head is 3-1 for the Russian, but the only time they met on clay was back in 2008, when Suarez Navarro was still young and not established as a top player. In any case, it should be a great final to conclude another very good Portugal Open edition on the women’s side.
On the men’s side, the #1 seed Tomas Berdych survived a very good performance from Mayer to book a spot in the semifinals, even from a break down in the deciding set. His opponent will be Victor Hanescu, who beat the last Portuguese player standing in Gastão Elias. On paper, Berdych is the overwhelming favorite to reach the final since when both play at their usual level the Czech does pretty much everything better than Hanescu, with better technique, more power and more consistency. It’ll take a strong performance from Hanescu and a less than stellar one by Berdych for any other outcome other than Berdych playing the final on Sunday.
The Czech should be very eager to win his 10th ATP level title, as well as to gain some momentum ahead of Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros, tournaments where he aims to perform well and maybe even win.
The other semifinal might look weak on paper, but both Carlos Berlocq and Daniel Gimeno-Traver have been playing great tennis this week and haven’t even dropped a set on their way, although they’ve done it mostly on the outside courts in matches that were not broadcast on TV/stream. Yesterday, Berlocq secured his first ever win over a top 10 player in Milos Raonic, with one of his best ever performances, dominating Raonic from the baseline and doing a more than decent job returning his booming serve. Making an ATP final is not a chance that comes around every day for a player of Berlocq’s level/ranking, especially when the semifinal is against a player he has a positive H2H of 4-1 against, so it’s doubtful that he will be satisfied with simply recording his first ever top 10 scalp knowing that a chance (albeit small, with Berdych still in the draw) for a second ATP title in Bastaad last year is there. Gimeno-Traver also played amazingly yesterday, easily disposing of his countryman Marcel Granollers 6-1 6-2 on Centralito, firing winners of both wings at will, even off his usually unreliable backhand. If he can sustain that level, you have to imagine that there’s not much Berlocq can do despite the H2H. Despite his inconsistency, when in form, Gimeno-Traver has a very big serve and one of the best forehands on tour, capable of hitting winners from anywhere in the court. On paper, he also stands a better chance in a potential final with Berdych due to having a higher peak level of play.
All that said, this is a very unusual matchup for an ATP level semifinal. Berlocq has merely reached two finals in his career (won one), while Gimeno-Traver has never reached an ATP level final – both players are bound to be both excited and nervous before this unique opportunity, which might affect the quality of play.
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