2014 Davis Cup Semifinals Preview, Predictions Jeff McMillan, Tennis East Coast
Gasquet
Czech Republic @ France
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris
Surface: Outdoor Red Clay
Rubber 1: Thomas Berdych vs Richard Gasquet
Rubber 2: Lukas Rosol vs Jo-Wilfired Tsonga
Rubber 3: Radek Stepnaek/Jiri Vesely vs Julian Benneteau/Gael Monfils
Rubber 4: Thomas Berdych vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Rubber 5: Lukas Rosol vs Richard Gasquet
France selected clay in an attempt to neutralize Rosol and Berdych, both of whom play their weakest tennis on the red dirt. The French have many advantages here: the home crowd, the surface and the form of their players. However, team captain Arnaud Clement has made the controversial decision to play Gasquet in singles instead of Gael Monfils, who is certainly in better form, arguably the stronger player on clay and more embracing of a wild crowd like the ones that the Davis Cup bring. The selection of Gasquet will make this tie a closer affair and give the Czechs a fighting chance of going into Paris and getting the upset. Berdych should defeat Gasquet in the opening match. Barring a truly inspired display from Rosol, Tsonga will then even the tie at 1-1 heading into day 2. The remaining matches are all a slight edge to France, meaning they should take 2 of the 3 to beat the Czech Republic 3-2.
Italy @ Switzerland
Venue: Palexpo, Geneva
Surface: Indoor Hard
Rubber 1: Simone Bolelli vs Roger Federer
Rubber 2: Fabio Fognini vs Stanislas Wawrinka
Rubber 3: Paolo Lorenzi/Andreas Seppi vs Roger Federer/Stanislas Wawrinka
Rubber 4: Fabio Fognini vs Roger Federer
Rubber 5: Simone Bolelli vs Stanislas Wawrinka
Switzerland looks to continue their march to a maiden Davis Cup title and Federer looks to add the elusive Davis Cup title to his immense resume. For Italy, they are trying to extend an already impressive Davis Cup run that included Fabio Fognini routining Andy Murray in Napoli to send Italy into the semis. Fognini will need to produce an even more magnificent display of tennis and get plenty of help from Simone Bolelli, who has been preferred to Andrea Seppi in singles, if Italy is to pull off a massive upset in Geneva. Switzerland is the heavy favorite in all 5 ties and should roll at home to the final.
INTERNATIONAL TENNIS FEDERATION JUNIOR TOURNAMENT TO RETURN TO JUNIOR TENNIS CHAMPIONS CENTER IN AUGUST
Prince George’s County Announced as Official Title Sponsor
Marika Akkerman, 2012 ITF Prince George’s County, Maryland
(College Park, MD) July 15, 2014 — Today the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) announced that Prince George’s County will become the official title sponsor of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Grade 1 Junior Tournament, which returns to College Park, Md. for the third consecutive year. The Prince George’s County International Junior Tennis Championships will take place at the College Park Tennis Club.
“Hosting a premier international junior sporting event for the third straight year is consistent with the Junior Tennis Champions Center’s pursuit of excellence” said JTCC Chief Executive Officer, Ray Benton. “We are thrilled to be able to showcase our stellar facility and again serve as the North American host venue.”
The tournament will take place two weeks prior to the junior US Open tournament, and will attract the finest male and female junior players from around the world. Some of the players who will be competing in this event are top world ranked juniors: Francis Tiafoe, Usue Arconada and Raveena Kingsley. The Prince George’s County International Junior Tennis Championships is slated to begin with the local wildcard qualifying tournament from Aug. 11 to Aug. 13, which will lead into the Qualifying tournament from Aug. 16 to Aug 17. The main draw will kick off on Aug. 18 and conclude on Aug. 24.
“Prince George’s County is quickly becoming known throughout the world as Tennis County USA, thanks to the amazing work of the Junior Tennis Champions Center,” said Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III. “We are proud to support one of the United States Tennis Association’s premier tennis tournament and we welcome this year’s cadre of players from around the world to College Park. This tournament is another example of why Prince George’s County is the place to be!”
Additional sponsors of the Prince George’s County International Junior Tennis Championships include the United States Tennis Association (USTA), International Tennis Federation (ITF), Laurel Springs School and Holiday Inn of College Park.
Lindsay Davenport, Nick Bollettieri Among Five Elected to International Tennis Hall of Fame
NEWPORT, R.I., March 3, 2014– Former world No. 1 and 6-time Grand Slam tournament champion Lindsay Davenport has been elected to receive the highest honor in the sport of tennis-enshrinement in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Joining Davenport in the Class of 2014 will be 5-time Paralympic medalist Chantal Vandierendonck, who was the first ITF World Champion for wheelchair tennis. Additionally, three individuals have been elected in recognition of their tremendous dedication toward the growth and development of the sport-legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, who has guided 10 players to world No. 1 status; Jane Brown Grimes, who has held executive leadership roles with the WTA, USTA, and the International Tennis Hall of Fame; and British tennis broadcaster and author John Barrett.
The 2014 enshrinees were announced today as part of World Tennis Day, which is being marked by tennis events and celebrations around the globe. Complementing today’s announcement, the newly elected enshrinees are participating in the tennis festivities around the world today as well. Bollettieri and Brown Grimes will be honored this evening at the BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison Square Garden, while Barrett and Vandierendonck will participate in the World Tennis Day Showdown at Earl’s Court in London, where tennis legends Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl, and Pat Cash will be playing in an exhibition match. Meanwhile, Davenport will be taking part in Tennis Channel’s coverage of the festivities.
“I’m so honored by this incredible recognition. I feel very blessed to have had a wonderful tennis career, and now, to be recognized in the Hall of Fame alongside the great champions who have always inspired me is just a tremendous honor,” commented Davenport. “I look forward to celebrating with the other members of the Class of 2014 in Newport this summer.”
Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2014, the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of tennis and honoring its greatest champions and leaders. The Hall of Fame offers an extensive museum that chronicles the history of the sport and honors the game’s greatest legends. Over the past 60 years, the honor of enshrinement in the International Tennis Hall of Fame has been presented to just 235 people representing 20 countries.
“Lindsay Davenport had a lengthy, successful career in which she reached the pinnacle of our sport as a competitor-world No. 1 and a Grand Slam champion. This summer, we look forward to celebrating her many accomplishments and contributions to tennis by presenting her with the sport’s highest honor-enshrinement in the International Tennis Hall of Fame,” commented Hall of Fame President Stan Smith.
Smith, who also serves as chairman of the Enshrinee Nominating Committee, also commented, “At the Hall of Fame, our goal is to celebrate the history of tennis and to honor those individuals who have built that storied history, and so this year we are proud to honor three of the sport’s greatest contributors. Through extraordinary coaching and his keen ability to inspire greatness, Nick Bollettieri is the person we can all thank for helping create some of the sport’s greatest champions and therefore, most memorable moments. Jane Brown Grimes’ selfless dedication to our sport has resulted in incredible growth on all levels, from U.S. tennis to international competitions to the development of women’s pro tennis, and so much more. We are also delighted to welcome John Barrett to the Hall of Fame, joining his wife, former world No. 1 Angela Mortimer Barrett, among the legends of our sport. A leader on many levels, John’s lifelong passion for the sport resulted in some of its finest journalism, most compelling story-telling, and therefore, some of the most important works dedicated to preserving tennis history.
“Last but not least, I extend my congratulations to Chantal Vandierendonck, who is the first female wheelchair tennis player to be enshrined. A 5-time Paralympic medalist, she was both a top competitor and a trailblazer in wheelchair tennis, and we are delighted to recognize her accomplishments and contributions.”
The Class of 2014 Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony will be held on Saturday, July 12, 2014. The ceremony will be a highlight of the Rolex Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend, which will also feature the unveiling of museum tribute exhibits for the new Hall of Famers, celebratory parties and special events, and an exhibition match featuring great tennis legends. The ceremony and festivities will be held in conjunction with the annual Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, an ATP World Tour event. Tickets for the ceremony and tournament are available now on HallofFameTennisChampionships.com or by phone at 401-849-6053.
2014 ATP @BrisbaneTennis Preview & Picks Steen Kirby, Tennis East Coast
Brisbane Official Site
The 2014 ATP season will fire up with a strong trio of ATP 250 events, all on hard courts, in Brisbane, Doha and Chennai, most of the top players will be in action and it is a fresh start to the year for everyone, here is to a tremendous year of tennis in 2014!
ATP Brisbane Brisbane International Presented by Suncorp
ATP World Tour 250
Brisbane, Australia
December 29-January 5, 2014
Prize Money: $452,670
Top 4 seeds (who all receive first round byes) (ATP ranking in parentheses)
1: Roger Federer (6)
2: Kei Nishikori (17)
3: Gilles Simon (19)
4: Kevin Anderson (20)
4 top 20 players and a seed cutoff at 34 gives Brisbane a quality field, though perhaps not as strong as earlier years. This is a joint event with the WTA.
First round matchups to watch:
(WC)James Duckworth vs. Jarkko Nieminen
The player the Aussies affectionately call ‘Ducky’ gets a wild card here, as he had a quality 2013 and is close to his career high ranking (132). He went 3-7 at the ATP level last year and had some good results in challengers. This test against Jarkko the Flying Finn Nieminen will not be easy though, as Nemo generally plays well on Australian hard courts and won the last event he played in 2013, a challenger in November. All of this means good vibes for 2014, as he is now 32 and a wily veteran. I expect Nieminen to win this, perhaps in straights, as he routined Duckworth 2 and 2 in Sydney on hard courts in 2012. However, Ducky could surprise and get revenge for that, as his game has improved since then.
Marinko Matosevic vs. Julien Benneteau
Marinko Matosevic had a poor 2013, going an abysmal 18-25 at the ATP level and dropping out of the ATP top 60, but he did get a h2h win against Julien Benneteau last year and he has a chance to make up points at home in Australia during the month of January. Benneteau remained in the top 40 and went 27-25 in 2013 at the ATP level, but he struggled at the end of the year and at 32 it remains to be seen if his level of play will drop with age. This match could go either way as they both traditionally play well on Australian hard courts, but I will go with Matosevic to grab the win.
(7)Dmitry Tursunov vs. Sam Querrey
Dmitry Tursunov was one of the best comeback stories of 2013 as the Russian posted a tremendous 31-21 ATP record and returned to the top 30. His match against Querrey will, in my opinion, be the most interesting first round match in Brisbane as Querrey went in the opposite direction in 2013, barely hanging on to a top 50 ranking and suffering an abdominal injury during the Asian swing that ended his year on a sour note. Whether he will come back roaring or stumble into the year remains to be seen and though they haven’t met since 2008, Tursunov has a 2-1 h2h edge, with all their meetings on hard courts. I’ll tip Tursunov to advance. At least Querrey is in great shape and form, and the Russian is not.
Marin Cilic vs. Denis Istomin
Marin Cilic will be under a lot of pressure in 2014 as a controversial doping suspension and subsequent appeal ruined the entire second half of his tennis year as he only played once after Wimbledon, losing in the second round of the Paris Masters. Denis Istomin remained in the top 50, going 32-30 with streaks of quality play followed by slumps. If Cilic is not too rusty and is prepared well, he should win this, but Istomin played well last year during the Australian swing and he has points to defend here, meaning his motivation should be strong, I’ll go with Cilic, but this is another hard to pick matchup.
(WC)Nick Kyrgios vs. Matt Ebden
The young Aussie hope Nick Kyrgios will be sure to attract a lot of fanfare in Brisbane, but his compatriot Matt Ebden played tremendously at the end of 2013, catching fire and rolling on the challenger circuit after a rough early 2013. Kyrgios is now in the top 200 while the more experienced Ebden is just inside the top 70 and both have flashes of talent. Clearly, Kyrgios has more potential for career growth and could be a future top 10 player but it remains to be seen if he is at that level yet, making this another hard match to predict.
Top Half:
Roger Federer has changed racquets, hired Stefan Edberg as his coach, and his wife has another child on the way. Thus, a lot has changed in the offseason, as the Swiss maestro suffered one of his worst years ever in 2013 which featured some shockingly bad losses and struggles across all surfaces and in the big slam and masters events. He also dropped out of the top 5. His comeback effort starts in Brisbane, against the Nieminen/Duckworth winner in what should be a good match and he will meet one of Querrey/Tursunov/Matosevic/Benneteau in the quarters, another match I expect him to get out of. I do think his form will be improved and he has a renewed serious focus to his tennis.
Kevin Anderson had a great 2013, going a tremendous 37-23 and establishing himself as a top 20 player. The South African plays well on hard courts and he will seek to recover after a terrible second half of the year where he seemingly ran out of gas, winning just 3 of his final 11 tournament matches. He will open with wild card Sam Groth or a qualifier and meet one of Igor Sijsling/Nicolas Mahut/Adrian Mannarino/Jeremy Chardy in the quarters, most likely Sijsling in my opinion. Anderson has a relatively easy draw. That and good form should allow him to reach the semis without much difficulty.
Bottom Half:
Kei Nishikori flirted with the top 10 in 2013 and went a very nice 36-19 on the ATP level with 1 ATP title. He also plays well on Australian hard courts, but his year was plagued by streaks of inconsistent play and his opening match against Kyrgios/Ebden does have a bit of upset potential, though unlikely. Assuming he gets past that, he should most likely face a test against Grigor Dimitrov, the defending finalist from Brisbane. The Bulgarian has to beat Robin Haase and Istomin/Cilic to reach the quarters and Nishikori beat him indoors in Shanghai last year, but I myself think Dimitrov is the favorite to reach the semis from this section. Grisha is pushing for the top 20 and went 37-23 with 1 title on the ATP tour in 2013.
29 year old Gilles Simon was a decent 36-24 at the ATP level with 1 title in 2013, but he didn’t have any break through showings and was consistent more than anything. He has quarterfinal points to defend here as he opens with a qualifier, and then a big test should come against the fighting Aussie Lleyton Hewitt, who played great for parts of 2013 and has already said he has no plans to retire in 2014. Hewitt opens with a qualifier and then Feliciano Lopez/Mikhail Kukushkin, and assuming he can win both those matches, he has a nice shot at upsetting Simon and reaching the semis. However, Simon will be the favorite because he beat Hewitt twice in 2013 and is 4-0 career against him, and match-wise, his pushing game is a great style against the counterpunching Hewitt.
Dark Horse: Marin Cilic
It is unusual for an established player like Marin Cilic to be a dark horse in an ATP 250 event, but after a wacky 2013 and no clue on his form, along with being unseeded and having a tough draw, he qualifies. He could come out roaring trying to prove the critics and doubters wrong if he can beat Istomin, Dimitrov and most likely Nishikori in order to make the semis. Against Hewitt/Simon in the semis, he would also have a good shot.
Predictions
Semis:
Federer d. Anderson
Dimitrov d. Hewitt
Federer beat Anderson in their only head to head meeting in Paris this past year and I think he will come out strong and make his way to the final.
Dimitrov, who lost his only meeting with Hewitt last year, on grass, will also be ready to roll in 2014 and I also have him tipped to make the final to match up against the player he is compared to most often, Roger Federer.
Final:
Federer d. Dimitrov
Big Fed vs the player formerly known as Baby Fed. Their only head to head meeting came in Basel this past year with Federer winning a competitive match. I expect the same result here.
World’s Top Tennis Stars and Past Champions Dominate D.C. Tournament
WASHINGTON—June 27, 2013— The Citi Open, the nation’s capital tennis tradition, will once again host the world’s best, treating Washington-area fans with the highest level of competitive tennis.
In just one month, ATP and WTA stars will come to Washington, D.C., July 27-August 4 to compete for the championship and a combined $1.8 million in prize money. Both the men’s and women’s tournaments will be held at the William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park (16th and Kennedy Streets NW).
Tsonga
World No. 7 Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and No. 11 Kei Nishikori of Japan lead the strong men’s field that features an impressive 17 players in the top 50 of the Emirates ATP Rankings. Four of the tournament’s past champions will also return—defending champion Alexandr Dolgopolov (2012), Radek Stepanek (2011), Lleyton Hewitt (2004), and James Blake (2002). Four past finalists will also compete in this year’s tournament, including Tommy Haas (2012), Gael Monfils (2011), Marcos Baghdatis (2010), and John Isner (2007). The men’s main draw also includes some of the sport’s rising young stars—Milos Raonic, Grigor Dimitrov, Bernard Tomic, Ryan Harrison—and returning fan favorites Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey.
Whoopee Wickmayer to make first ever DC appearance
The women’s field boasts 11 players in the top 50 of the WTA Rankings, including the tournament’s past two champions—world No. 16 Nadia Petrova (2011) and defending champion Magdalena Rybarikova (2012)—as well as American superstar Sloane Stephens. The main draw also lists former world No. 9 Andrea Petkovic; top three Romanians Sorana Cirstea, Simona Halep and Monica Niculescu; international stars Ekaterina Makarova, Alize Cornet, Mona Barthel, Kaia Kanepi, and Yanina Wickmayer. Rising young stars Madison Keys, Heather Watson, Christina McHale, and Eugenie Bouchard—who defeated the 12th seed at Wimbledon this week to reach the third round—are also listed in the main draw. International Tennis Federation 2012 Junior World Champion Taylor Townsend will compete as a wild card entrant.
The remaining spots will be filled with the winners of the qualifying tournament on July 27-28 and wild cards. Main draw play will begin Monday, July 29. Players are subject to change due to injury or other unforeseen circumstances.
The Citi Open is one of only 11 elite ATP World Tour 500-level events worldwide and the only one held in the United States. The event is also part of the prestigious Emirates Airline US Open Series, the five-week summer tennis season that links nine North American hard-court tournaments to the final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open. In addition, the Citi Open features a WTA International Tournament which provides fans the opportunity to watch simultaneous competitions of both world-class men’s and women’s tennis throughout the nine-day event. The tournament features 48 men’s singles players and 16 doubles teams, 32 women’s singles players and 16 doubles teams.
The tournament’s owner and beneficiary, the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (WTEF), provides underserved children in the D.C. area with a safe environment to learn critical life skills both on and off the courts through academic and athletic enrichment.
Ticket pricing and package details plus a full listing of the player fields are now available at www.citiopentennis.com, or by phone at 202-721-9500. Daily and single session tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
