WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., January 9, 2019 – The USTA today announced that former world No. 7 and Davis Cup veteran Mardy Fish has been named the new captain of the U.S. Davis Cup Team. He succeeds Jim Courier to become the 41st captain in the team’s 120-year history and will make his debut at the newly transformed Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Finals November 18-24 in Madrid, Spain.
“Ever since I started playing professionally and started understanding what the Davis Cup was and how special it was, even as a player, I wanted to be the Davis Cup Captain,” Fish said. “I just thought that position was so special – leading the guys and leading the team, building relationships and the team aspect around it. I’m a team-sport athlete stuck in an individual sport, and I love the team aspect of Davis Cup. To even be considered, let alone named the Captain, is incredibly humbling.”
In this new era of Davis Cup, the role of Captain will be expanded, with the position working more closely with USTA Player Development throughout the year, as well as traveling to multiple tournaments and camps to support American players, serving as a mentor for American pros and juniors. He will also ensure the U.S. Davis Cup team remains a strong platform to grow the game through the USTA’s Net Generation youth initiative.
“Mardy Fish embodies all of the qualities of a successful Davis Cup Captain and will be an invaluable asset to Team USA,” said USTA Chairman of the Board and President Patrick Galbraith. “His achievements as a player both on tour and in Davis Cup are renowned, and his acumen for the game is as strong as his relationships with our American players. There are few people in tennis as qualified to lead the U.S. Davis Cup Team into the next decade, and we cannot wait to see what that future has in store under Mardy’s leadership.”
Fish, 37, reached the singles quarterfinals at three of the four Grand Slams and won a combined 14 ATP titles (six singles, eight doubles) before retiring from playing at the 2015 US Open. He also produced a number of signature performances while representing his country, earning the singles silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics and writing his name in the U.S. Davis Cup record book.
Fish played in 11 Davis Cup ties for the U.S. from 2002-12 and is still the last U.S. Davis Cup player to win three live matches in a single tie, in a 3-1 World Group Playoff win in Colombia in 2010 that kept alive the U.S.’s now-record uninterrupted streak in the World Group. Fish’s two singles victories in that tie were five-setters, and he and Courier are the only U.S. Davis Cup players to win two five-set matches in the same tie. In his last Davis Cup playing appearance, Fish beat Stan Wawrinka in five sets and teamed with Mike Bryan to beat Wawrinka and Roger Federer in a 5-0 sweep of Switzerland in the 2012 First Round.
After retiring in 2015, Fish worked part-time as a coach with USTA Player Development, helping to guide young Americans on tour, including Taylor Fritz and Jared Donaldson, through 2017.
Americans Kudla, Johnson, and Donaldson Reach 2015 BB&T Atlanta Open Round 2 (Tuesday Recap) Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic
Kudla advances over Harrison
Tuesday at the 2015 BB&T Atlanta Open saw three American men book their spots into round 2, while four more in total were sent packing on a day in which all but one singles match featured at least one American player.
Denis Kudla narrowly survived Ryan Harrison 3-6 6-4 7-6(5), but all the same he continues his good form from Wimbledon and appeared happy to get the win coming from behind. Harrison got off to a strong start in the first set and was winning the baseline rallies with pace going 5-1 up before Kudla could start playing himself into the match.
Kudla started steadily improving as both players, but especially Kudla, who at times was rolling in 70 mph second serves, were leaving points to be won on rallies. The American rivals slapped the ball back and forth on the baseline, with Harrison mixing in the occasional 130+ mph plus serve when he could. Harrison was a fantastic counterpuncher on his best points of the match, lulling Kudla to sleep with his defensive slice and then delivering a stunning accelerating winner, but unfortunately he couldn’t maintain that level and had issues with his shot selection.
Given the difficult conditions it seemed both players were content to let their rival hold serve if they didn’t win the opening point of the service game as a returner. A pair of breaks in set 2 saw it go to 5-4 Kudla, and then Harrison was promptly broken under pressure to be forced into a third set 6-3 4-6.
The third set remained competitive and close, and though it went by quickly, Kudla had to save a break point and Harrison had to save two, as Kudla had a point to go 5-3 up in the third and serve for the match, but was quite unclutch in that moment. Eventually the match ground itself to a third set tiebreak and it was Kudla who was slightly steadier from the ground who won it.
Harrison’s footwork tended to be lacking and he slapped an easy forehand into the net on a crucial point as Kudla needed just 1 match point to close things out. All in both both players showed a relative lack of inventive shotmaking, and Harrison with his footwork troubles demonstrated why his ranking has slipped from where it used to be.
Steve Johnson played a sloppy second set tiebreak, but otherwise had the better of Lukas Lacko as he advanced 6-1 6-7(3) 6-2 in close to 2 hours. Johnson, who was effective with his serve, dominated a slow starting Lacko in the first set, going up 5-0 with minimal effort required before Lukas even woke up from his slumber. The talented but underachieving Lacko did wake up though, holding it together in set 2 after saving four break point chances at 2-2, and one more at 3-3 to eventually force a second set tiebreak. Johnson was tight and tense in that tiebreak, and Lacko forced a third set 7-3, after the tiebreak went to 3-3 even, the Slovak railed off four straight points.
Johnson serving against Lacko
Lacko, who hit some nice forehand winners, showed the ability to hit through and past Johnson, but Johnson was simply more consistent from both wings, as Lacko would hit a nice winner followed by multiple errors. The wheels really came off for Lacko at 2-3 in the third set, and he failed to win another game (though he had one more break point), as Johnson escaped what could have been a longer and more competitive battle.
Though pushed to three sets Kudla and Johnson both survived and advanced and appear to be in solid shape going into the next round.
This can also be said of Jared Donaldson, as the American teen moved his win streak to four matches in a row with a main draw win over Somdev Devvarman 6-1 3-6 6-4. Donaldson played incredible tennis in the first set against the steady but relatively weaponless Devvarman. The wheels came off for the Taylor Dent coached Californian in set 2, and he was dealing with cramping in the hot conditions, but in the end the fans seemed to pull him through. In the third set after a bunch of routine holds Donaldson had two match points from 15-40, Devvarman got lucky and saved one of them in incredible fashion with a defense to offense running forehand winner, but Donaldson won the next point, and earned a big win for his new career.
The composure that Donaldson showed in an ATP main draw match was not demonstrated by his fellow American teenager Frances Tiafoe, to the chagrin of Tiafoe’s many fans at Atlantic Station. Tiafoe fell to Sam Groth 7-6(3) 6-4 in a little under an hour and a half. As is to be expected Groth’s massive serve was present from the beginning of the match, and since it never left him, Tiafoe found himself frustrated and neutralized when returning. The D.C. area resident was solid on his own serve as Groth lacked much of a ground stroke game and moved poorly, but when it came down to crunch time Groth saved the only break point he faced serving 5-5 in the first set, and then slipped through the tiebreak.
Groth rocketed first serves past a stunned Tiafoe, while he used kick on his second serve to either finish points at the net, or force Tiafoe to concede an ace or reply with an error of a return. The 17 year old’s body language was awful, especially after losing the first set, he was slumping and moping about, and it was visible to everyone that his inability to mount any sort of a return game had infected his mind with doubts.
Tiafoe checked out in the second as he quickly went down 7-6 2-0 to Groth. He did avoid the double break and stayed in touch with Groth the rest of the match, but Groth appeared content to just hold serve like a silent assassin while Tiafoe, with his lost focus, slammed his racquet late in the second, and before you knew it it was Groth who was into round 2.
Groth vs. Tiafoe
Tiafoe showed promise with his abilities but he still has a lot to learn and improve upon in coming years, hopefully the challenger tour will help mold his game, including self-belief, and the mentality side of the pro game. His shot selection, with questionable drop shots, and his ability to pass a net-rusher like Groth also came accross as holes in his game.
Veterans Baghdatis, Sela Earn Wins
The match performance of the day goes to Marcos Baghdatis, the Cypriot veteran was given a noon time match, and it was clear he had little interest in staying on court for an extended period of time. Baghdatis comfortably went about his business dispatching qualifier Austin Krajicek 6-4 6-0. Krajicek simply lacked the weaponry to deal with a creative and aggressive shotmaker in Baghdatis. Marcos broke in the opening game with crafty play, and then held serve through the first set without facing a break point, even though he missed a chance to go up two breaks.
In the second Krajicek was broken in the opening game again, but had two break points to even things back up, he failed to do so, and from there it was routine one-way traffic for Baggy who had some great angles on his forehand and also played some quality drop shots.
Krajicek was forced to hit weak slices well behind the baseline as Baghdatis appears to be in great form for his next match. It’s also worth noting he appears to be fit, after previously lacking fitness in recent years, and he seems serious about playing tennis these days.
Baghdatis was in good spirits
Joining Baghdatis in round 2 is fellow veteran Benjamin Becker, Becker won the first set over Michael Berrer and then Berrer, who had spent the week in Bogota the week prior, retired 7-5 down. It appears that Becker is past the back injuries that were ailing him in recent weeks.
Last but certainly not least in Tuesday singles, Dudi Sela and Mardy Fish played the night session singles match, a match that would prove to be Fish’s final singles match in Atlanta as he lost 6-4 6-4. The defending finalist Sela was shaky at times in what was a sloppy error-strewn match from both players, but at the end of the day Fish, who hadn’t played an ATP match since March, was the rusty one.
Fish vs. Sela
The fan-favorite Fish found himself broken to go down 3-1 at the start, he broke back for 4-4, but then got broken once more as Sela held on to take the first 6-4. Very few rallies went longer than five shots as it was a serve+ short rally type of match with break points peppered throughout, as neither player featured a particularly strong serve, Fish simply rusty with his first serves, and Sela lacking weaponry.
Sela saved four break points in the second set in clutch fashion, while Fish saved two before again being broken late for 5-4 and then surrendering the match as he couldn’t break Sela in his final service game. Both players got ovations from the crowd post match, while Sela mused he wasn’t a big fan of the court conditions. It’s also worth noting Fish showed spark, even on his farewell tour, as he had a rather lengthy argument with the chair umpire during the second set.
Fish exchanged words with the chair
Pospisil/Sock Shocked in Doubles
In doubles, surprising results were the norm, the #4 seeds Pavic/Venus fell to Atlanta’s Young/Eubanks 6-2 3-6 10-5, Mannarino/Ebden were run out of the building by Butorac/Sitak 6-2 6-0, and the defending champion team of Pospisil/Sock were stunned by Fleming/Muller 6-4 4-6 10-6 as the draw opens up for that interesting pairing.
Pospisil to Feature on Wednesday in Singles, Big Servers Groth, Muller Return to Court
Matches on Wednesday include Vasek Pospisil against Rendy Lu in their first head to head meeting, Baghdatis against Groth in a battle of baseline attack against serve and volley, Ricardas Berankis and Tim Smyczek in a first round match, Chris Eubanks against Radek Stepanek in the other remaining round 1 match, Go Soeda, who appears to be rounding into form, against Adrian Mannarino, who may struggle in these conditions, and an in-form Gilles Muller against Jared Donaldson who may lack the ability to recover after four matches in four days this week.
A whole host of doubles matches will also take place as the first round gets going in earnest with the doubles draw as well.
Another scorching day in Atlanta was interrupted by afternoon rain showers, but they passed, and before 9 P.M. main draw singles and doubles play was completed, additionally final round qualies were completed and the qualifiers were placed into the bracket, setting up an exciting batch of matches for Tuesday.
Three main draw singles matches were complete on the day, the biggest of which was Go Soeda‘s 5-7 7-6(5) 6-3 victory over fan favorite Alex Dolgopolov. The match was interrupted by the rain in the first set, and after a lengthy delay after a pair of breaks of serve, both players returned to court and began holding their serves relatively easily.
Soeda, a defensive baseliner who feeds his opponents a steady diet of groundstrokes, lacked the weapons to bother Dolgopolov with his quick footwork, but Dolgopolov was struggling to keep his error count down, as he often does, and eventually on serve it went to 5-5. Dolgopolov would then save a key break point chance for Soeda and go up 6-5, and in the next game he broke on his second chance to do so in the game, and took the first set with a running start. .
Even up a set Dolgopolov’s body language didn’t seem confident or promising at this point, and it was visible he may have been struggling in the hot conditions. Soeda was a bit of a brick wall, and generally is hard to break down as he returned ball after ball side to side. Dolgopolov had more shotmaking prowess, especially with running forehand winners but the second set held true to form, Soeda saving a lone break point serving 1-2 as it went all the way to a tiebreak without another break point dangled before either player. Soeda was under pressure having to serve behind all set, and Dolgopolov at times looked like he might put the match away, but when it got to the tiebreak Soeda was the steadier player and took it 7-5, even after Dolgopolov hit a fantastic winner 4-6 down in the breaker.
Soeda had the momentum at this point and remained unfazed and unrattled as Dolgopolov began to slow down. The Ukranian’s quick strike serve generated more aces, but Soeda eventually read Dolgo’s shots and angles, forcing his opponent to become increasingly reckless. The break came for 3-1 in set 3, and Soeda never looked back, Dolgo had to save another break point serving 1-4, and Soeda held on with relative ease for a 6-3 3rd set. It’s the first ATP main draw win for Soeda since April, as Dolgopolov again demonstrated why his ranking has fallen out of the top 70. He has the talent but mentally and physically he struggles to maintain a consistent level throughout an entire match.
Joning Soeda in round 2 is another player who has always enjoyed playing in Atlanta, Gilles Muller. Muller was totally dominant as Donald Young continued to struggle, slumping to a 6-2 6-1 defeat. The loss was particularly bad as the match only last an hour and Muller is normally a player who struggles to break his opponents serve. DY was plainly flat while Muller was happy to work quickly in the heat.
Yen-Hsun (Rendy) Lu had an interesting time of it against Malek Jaziri in the first main draw match, winning it 6-1 7-6(12). Jaziri stumbled badly out of the gate, and appeared listless. His serve and his groundstrokes weren’t effective at all, and he appeared totally out of shape. Lu, a steady counterpunching baseliner who is solid from both wings was happy to let Jaziri stumble through a breadstick in 24 minutes, but the Tunisian didn’t give up so easily in the second set.
Jaziri went up a break 3-2, and served for a third set at 5-4, but plainly choked, getting broken at love under the pressure. From 5 all they held serve and went into a tiebreak where Jaziri had six set points and couldn’t convert a single one, including from 6-4 up. Lu needed three match points, but finally he got into round 2, escaping his streaky opponent in the nick of time, as Jaziri clearly let his nerves get the best of him against such a steady opponent.
Americans Krajicek, Donaldson, and Kudla qualify for the main draw
All four final round qualifying matchups were rather routine affairs as the heat seemed to be limiting many of the player’s fighting spirit after they fell behind. Austin Krajicek blitzed Yuichi Sugita 6-2 6-1, as Sugita played much worse than expected. Denis Kudla sent the slumping Marinko Matosevic packing 7-5 6-2. Matosevic continues to struggle to return to ATP quality form, while Kudla extended his positive momentum from Wimbledon.
Jared Donaldson beat Guido Pella as the young gun American has made another ATP main draw as a teenager, Pella’s 6-2 7-6(6) defeat demonstrated why he prefers clay as the more aggressive Donaldson was able to rattle him. Indian Veteran Somdev Devvarman also reached the main draw with a 6-3 6-3 over Shuichi Sekiguchi in just under an hour and a half. Devvarman is also showing good form and all of the qualifiers certainly deserve their spots in the draw.
Those spots are Kudla against Ryan Harrison in an All-American battle where he should be the favorite, the winner to face American Jack Sock, the #3 seed, the veteran Devvarman against the teenager Donaldson, and Krajicek against the veteran Marcos Baghdatis as he will look to pull off a big win against the formerly top 10 #5 seed.
Tuesday in Atlanta will feature one of the retiring greats of American men’s tennis, Mardy Fish, in a night session match against defending finalist Dudi Sela, and prior to that, one of the most promising American teenagers Frances Tiafoe against the big serving Sam Groth as American players will have the spotlight put on them. Tiafoe played a Monday night exhibition against the retired Andy Roddick and lost 6-3 6-4, Roddick’s big serve, even as a retiree, foiled hm, and Groth is even better at those same tactics.
Besides those late matches, the aforementioned Baghdatis-Krajicek match will take place, as it will be interesting to see how Baghdatis adapts to the 90+ degree noontime conditions, given that his fitness has previously been in question throughout his career. At the same time Lukas Lacko will face Steve Johnson, with Kudla vs. Harrison, Devvarman vs. Donaldson, and also an all-German veteran battle between Michael Berrer and Benjamin Becker completing the schedule for singles.
In doubles the marquee nightcap on Stadium is Mate Pavic/Michael Venus against Atlanta’s Donald Young and Christopher Eubanks. Additionally, Matt Ebden/Adrian Mannarino will face Eric Butorac/Artem Sitak and prior to that the defending champion pairing of Vasek Pospisil/Jack Sock will face Colin Fleming and the in-form Gilles Muller.
Look for a report on those matches after Tuesday night or Wednesday morning!
The 2015 doubles field for the BB&T Atlanta Open is truly world class, as some of the best doubles teams in the world have entered this ATP 250 event. Atlanta tennis fans and recreational players love doubles, and clearly this high quality field is their reward for appreciating a lesser-recognized part of the pro game.
Bob and Mike Bryan headline top half
That starts of course with the Bryan Brothers, the greatest doubles team of all time and the #1 seeds. They haven’t had as strong of a season this year as previous ones but they still have three ATP titles (including the Miami and Monte Carlo Masters), and reached the Roland Garros final. The brotherly pair is now well past 30, but they continue to compete at the highest level and set records. In round 1 they will face the Aussie pairing of Sam Groth and Chris Guccione.
The lanky Gooch, and the big serving Groth are both likeable guys and Groth’s massive serve aids his double game. Groth recently helped Australia win their Davis Cup tie with a doubles win while Gooch has one ATP doubles title this year.
The winner of the Bryans vs. the Aussies will take on either Treat Huey/Steve Johnson or Fabrice Martin/Purav Raja. Huey is a doubles specialist and former University of Virgina product, while Martin/Raja are a full time professional doubles pairing, Johnson of course a singles player looking to get som practice in. From this section it’s likely the Bryans will win both their matches to reach the semifinals.
The #4 seed is the pairing of Mate Pavic/Michael Venus. Venus is a former LSU product from New Zealand who has gravitated towards being a doubles specialist while the tall Pavic, just 22, has been in great form as of late on the doubles circuit. They come off of the final in Bogota as a pairing, and Pavic reached the Newport final prior to that, Venus/Pavic also won the title in Nice on clay back in the spring. Pavic/Venus will face local favorites Donald Young/Christopher Eubanks in the opening round, Eubanks from Georgia Tech, and Young of course an Atlanta native.
The winner of Pavic/Venus vs. Eubanks/Young could face doubles specialists Marcus Daniell (another New Zealander)/Marcelo Demoliner or Americans Nick Monroe/Austin Krajicek. The veteran Monroe has reached two ATP doubles finals this year (Bucharest and Newport), and the American team should be slight favorites to advance on home soil, while Pavic/Venus are the favorites in the section. Krajicek has shown clear interested in excelling in both doubles and singles as the rising American is in the top 130 in singles, and the top 80 in doubles.
Pospisil/Sock in bottom half as #2 seeds, Fish/Roddick to say farewell
The fan favorite and talented pairing of Vasek Pospisil/Jack Sock, who were in the top 5 in the world in doubles as recently as April (4 titles together including Wimbledon and Atlanta in 2014 and Indian Wells in 2015) are back together again and playing in Atlanta as the #2 seeds. They tend to perform at their best on North American hard courts, as evidenced by their back to back finals in Indian Wells and Miami this year, and the title in Indian Wells, as Sock was returning from hip surgery, and both have been on the rise in singles as well (Pospisil making a run at Wimbledon and Sock generally having a solid season including his first ATP title).
“Popsock” will open with Gilles Muller/Colin Fleming in a tough round 1 match as they seek to defend their title. Muller is a big server who enjoys playing in Atlanta, while Fleming is a veteran Scottish doubles specialist though he’s struggled this year besides one ATP doubles final. It’s likely the young North Americans will get through though and setup a meeting with either Benjamin Becker/Lukas Lacko or Marcos Baghdatis/Malek Jaziri. Both are singles players who are playing doubles this time, and Baghdatis/Jaziri are a pair of talented veteran shotmakers. Regardless of who wins that, Pospisil/Sock should be favorites to at least reach the semis.
The #3 seeds are the veteran pairing of Artem Sitak/Eric Butorac, Sitak, the third Kiwi in the draw reached a career high this year in doubles at #39 in the world. He’s transitioned to a doubles specialist and appears to be succeeding at it, with an ATP title and two finals this year. Butorac is 34 and a long term doubles specialist, he’s struggled this season though and Matt Ebden/Adrian Mannarino will have their chances in the opening round. Ebden has had success in Atlanta in doubles before while Mannarino’s funky game is good for the discipline, they both focus on singles but it’s an open draw if they catch fire.
One of the two teams remaining to discuss are Jonathan Marray/Rendy Lu with the doubles specialist and former Wimbledon doubles champ Marray coming off of a title in Newport. Previously Lu and Marray took the title in Chennai at the start of the season. Last but certainly not least are the very popular farewell pairing of Andy Roddick/Mardy Fish.
Roddick came out of retirement only to play ATP doubles, as a special favor to his good friend Fish, and Fish is of course on his farewell tour during the Emirates Airlines US Open Series this summer, in both singles and doubles. Given their rust, it’s hard to tell how well they will play, but they will certainly have a good time and treat fans to some exciting matches for as long as they last.
All in all it promises to be an exciting doubles tournament in Atlanta, and the matches are absolutely worth checking out as we should be treated to some great semifinals and perhaps a star studded final in Atlanta.
2015 ATP Atlanta (@BBTAtlantaOpen) Preview and Prediction Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic
Tennis Atlantic is pleased to have live coverage all week from the BB&T Atlanta Open, the first stop on the Emirates Airlines US Open Series, and an ATP 250 hard court event located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia at the live/work/play community of Atlantic Station. This American heavy field features young guns, and a variety of accomplished veterans all looking for an ATP title, ranking points, and prize money. Here is a preview
2015 BB&T Atlanta Open Preview
BB&T Atlanta Open
ATP World Tour 250
Atlanta, GA, USA
July 27-August 2, 2015
Prize Money: $585,870
Top 4 seeds (who all recieve first round byes) (ATP ranking in parentheses)
1: John Isner (19)
2: Vasek Pospisil (29)
3: Adrian Mannarino (27)
4: Jack Sock (35)
One top 20 player in what should be a rather wide open week with a lot of hard court specialists in the draw.
Mardy Fish has officially announced he will retire at the 2015 US Open after a lengthy absence from the ATP tour due to both a heart condition and anxiety disorder. Atlanta is the first tournament on his summer goodbye to American fans on US soil, and his first match in Atlanta, where he won the first two titles (2010 and 2011) will come against defending finalist Dudi Sela, a fellow veteran.
Fish played an exciting and long three setter in Indian Wells, losing to Ryan Harrison in a third set tiebreak, but otherwise hasn’t played an ATP singles match since 2013. Sela qualified for ATP Nottingham and won a challenger some time ago, but otherwise has been playing a light schedule, and may be rusty. Both players are comfortable here, and Fish will certainly have a shot to get out of the first round if Sela comes into this match unprepared.
(8)Benjamin Becker vs. Michael Berrer
Two Germans will battle, and both are well past 30 and nearing the end of their careers. Becker, 34, has a 2-1 h2h edge over his 35 year old rival though he’s in poor form since injuring his back at Roland Garros (where he reached the third round). Besides third round results at the AO and French, Becker has had a rough season, as his powerful serve and forehand baseline game may well be declining with age after having a great 2014, which included a semifinal in Atlanta.
Berrer is retiring at the end of the year but has had a great send off season. The German is 33-16 in tournament matches and comes off the semifinals in Bogota where he played great serve and volley tennis. He also upset Rafael Nadal in Doha this year, the win of his life, and appears to be playing with joy and passion in his final season. Berrer should be the favorite, pending Becker’s health, but he had to put in effort in Bogota and given the altitude difference and condition changes, he may be dealing with fatigue.
(7)Gilles Muller vs. Donald Young
Former Atlanta finalist Gilles Muller will face Atlanta native Donald Young in what should prove to be an interesting Monday evening match. Muller has had a solid season at 32 years of age. The big serving veteran has two ATP semis (Sydney and Den Bosch) along with four ATP quarterfinals on his resume this year, and has proven himself across the surfaces, though his serve and volley game excels on quick ones. This is his first tournament since Wimbledon, but he seems to enjoy Atlanta and I expect his form to be good entering the tournament.
Young is in poor form as he returns home, the European portion of the season was tough on his spirits and he hasn’t won an ATP main draw match since Indian Wells. The talent has always been there for DY, but I’m not sure playing at home particularly improves his game, and thus Muller is a strong favorite to advance into round 2.
Sam Groth vs. (WC)Frances Tiafoe
Formerly top junior, and now an ATP young gun on future star watch, Frances Tiafoe gets a deserved wild card on US soil for a hard court tournament. Tiafoe turned pro in the spring at 17 and promptly went on to earn the USTA French Open Wild card. Since his stint on clay he hasn’t played a ton of matches and his form hasn’t been great, but he should be pumped up and have his game face on for a match against big serving ATP regular Sam Groth.
Groth has risen into the top 70 and has had a fantastic ATP season, he has helped Australia reach the Davis Cup semis, has two ATP quarterfinals on his record, and also a solid challenger tour record with a couple of titles. His serve is massive and he’s improved other parts of his game as he’s still a serve and volleyer by style. Tiafoe has a lot of talent and has a bright future ahead, but Groth’s rocket of a serve should dent his hopes of winning this match, as the more experienced Aussie is likely to get through.
Tiafoe prepping for Atlanta weather early
Top Half:
2x defending champion John Isner gets a bye, and he’ll face the winner of Christopher Eubanks/Radek Stepanek in round 2. Eubanks is a star on the Georgia Tech tennis team and gets a wild card for his local ATP event. He’s a big player size wise and may well have an ATP future ahead of him while Stepanek comes off the quarterfinals in Bogota (and doubles final) but has struggled since returning from injury this year. The Czech veteran plays an effective serve and volley style, and he likely gets past Eubanks, but Isner should prove to be too much for him in the next round. He had a decent grass court season (quarterfinal at Queens and Wimbledon third round) and always enjoys coming back to the US to play on hard courts. He’s had some bad losses this year but he’s still a top 20 player.
An All-American quarterfinal is likely for Isner, as #6 seed Steve Johnson is in a section that slates him to face Lukas Lacko round 1, and Ricardas Berankis/Tim Smyczek round 2 Johnson beat Lacko at Wimbledon as the Slovak is in poor form, and Stevie J is clearly happy to be back on North American hard courts, his best surface where he has posted three ATP quarterfinals already this season. Smyczek who had a good start to the year has been in awful form as of late and will be looking to improve his play here, Berankis comes off of a challenger final, and may be fatigued, thus this section plays into Johnson’s racquet.
Stevie J on the move
#3 seed Jack Sock gets a bye and will face Ryan Harrison or a qualifier in round 2, Sock with his big forehand captured the ATP title in Houston this year and also comes off the semis in Newport. He’s excelled since returning from hip surgery this season and will have a solid chance to repeat his run to the semifinals. Harrison has been stuck in the challenger trap most of this season though he had a rare run of form to the semis in Acapulco back in the spring. He recently reached a challenger semifinal in Winnetka, but Sock will be a clear favorite against the former young gun American, as their careers have diverged in recent years.
Sela/Fish and Berrer/Becker is the section below Sock, Berrer is likely a slight favorite unless fatigue gets him down, Becker’s health remains a question, and Sela/Fish will have rust, but Fish with his talent level could actually reach the quarters. Regardless Sock is a strong favorite to reach the semis out of his section, as his abilities far outweight any of the alternatives.
Wimbledon quarterfinalist Vasek Pospisil is playing his first tournament since his shocking run there, as the Canadian with his big serve and aggressive game hasn’t had a particularly strong season, but Wimbledon was a revitalization for his career, and we may be seeing Vasek 2.0 in Atlanta, The Canadian will open with the Malek Jaziri/Rendy Lu winner as those two streaky baseliners will battle. Jaziri reached the quarters in Bogota while Lu reached the quarters in Nottingham for his best result as of late. Lu will likely deal better with the hot, difficult conditions, and if he catches form he could also trouble Pospisil, though Vasek is the favorite.
Groth/Tiafoe, likely Groth, will face Marcos Baghdatis or a qualifier in round 2. The 30 year old Baghdatis has been fighting hard to stay in shape and build up his game back to what was top 15 level tennis with his quick strike offensive baselining. That said, he struggled in a loss in Bogota to an unknown Colombia and hasn’t posted good results on hard courts as of late, though he greatly enjoyed the short grass court season. Baghdatis could struggle in these conditions and don’t count a qualifier out, I have Groth upsetting him in round 2 with his steady serve to fill another quarterfinal sport.
Bogota finalist Adrian Mannarino is in terrific form (19-8 on hard courts in 2015), and hasn’t lost an opening round match since London Queens, that said the Bogota matches likely wore him down with his finesse game and he’s extremely vulnerable to an upset by Go Soeda, a defensive Japanese baseliner, or more likely the talented shotmaker and speedy magician Alexandr Dolgopolov. Soeda isn’t in great form, while Dolgopolov has two quarterfinals, and one ATP semifinal this year, as he continues to demonstrate his streaky talent. A fresh Mannarino could well take this title, but on paper Dolgopolov has the advantage, pending his fitness and acclimation to the sport at its top levels. His ranking of 76 severely undersells his ability to play top 20 tennis at its peak.
Muller/Young or a qualifier will await Dolgopolov/Mannarino in the quarters, Muller have a great shot at reaching the semis as either opponent looks beatable and Dolgo is vulnerable to big servers who can match his aggression.
Predictions
Quarters:
Isner d. Johnson
Sock d. Berrer
Muller d. Dolgopolov
Pospisil d. Groth
Isner is 3-1 against Johnson and all of their meetings have come since 2014, both have been in only somewhat decent form but Isner in Atlanta tends to rise up to some of his best tennis, and thus I have him through
A fresher Sock should advantage over a tired Berrer, and Muller likely has an edge consistency wise with his serve against Dolgopolov, who can lose momentum quickly. Overall it’s an open field but experienced and steady seeds will have the advantage to go deep into the week.
Isner beat Sock in Atlanta last year and has a 4-1 overall h2h edge, both have talent, and Sock is likely the future American #1, but h2h Isner’s huge serve and consistent blows seem to bother Sock and throw him off his game.
Muller is 2-0 against Pospisil in the h2h and won a great match against him this year on grass in Den Bosch, it went to a third set tiebreak, but Muller held his nerve, and given his previous Atlanta results I have a feeling he will do the same to setup an all big serving final.
If this is the final we get, there is some h2h history as Isner beat Muller Twice in Atlanta, both times in three sets, and one more time in Memphis before Muller beat Isner this year at the AO (3-1 h2h). Atlanta tends to favor big servers, and tall players normally feature in the final, thus former champ and defending champ Isner, and former finalist Muller are realistic picks. Isner simply loves Atlanta and always finds the energy to do well during the key summer hard court season, with that in mind I’m going with him to win his third tournament in a row in Atlanta.
Player Field for 2015 BB&T Atlanta Open Rolled Out on Media Day Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic
On a hot summer day at Atlantic Station in the heart of downtown Atlanta, the 2015 BB&T Atlanta Open, led by tournament director Eddie Gonzalez, held court for media day and announced nearly the entire player field for the upcoming edition of the tournament, held July 25-August 2nd at Atlantic Station, where it has been held since 2012, with new things being added to the location each year.
Before getting to the player field it’s worth mentioning that various dignitaries were on hand from BB&T Atlanta Open sponsors BB&T, Lexus, Prince Tennis. This was along with official charity partner the YMCA, and stalwarts in support of tennis in the southeast and in Atlanta from both the USTA southern section, and the recreational Atlanta Lawn Tennis association (ALTA).
Tournament Director Eddie Gonzalez talks about the 2015 Open at Atlantic Station
Lexus is bringing in the fuzzy ball SUV, a Lexus NX wrapped in the felt of a tennis ball, for this years tournament, along with sponsoring the perfect serve display, where fans can test the power of their serves much like the pitching machines you see at baseball games. Prince is the official sponsor of the sport court, a 36 foot court designed to encourage especially the youngest fans at the BB&T Atlanta Open, and Atlantic Station to get in the game and enjoy themselves with a hitaround.
As for the players who will be testing their own serves and taking to a larger court, Georgia Tech head men’s tennis coach Kenny Thorne was on hand and pleased with the fact that his own singles #1 Christopher Eubanks, a 6-7 Atlanta native who just completed his first year with the Yellow Jackets men’s tennis team, will have the honor of starring in college night on Tuesday evening as he has been selected as one of the main draw wild cards. Eubanks is currently in Halle, Germany working as a hitting partner with Donald Young, and will be training with DY over the summer on the road to Atlanta and the Emirates US Open Series in July.
Along with Eubanks, another young American talent, the celebrated Marylander Frances Tiafoe is the recipient of a main draw wild card, Tiafoe, who recently turned pro this spring as a 17 year old, won the USTA French Open wild card due to his strong play on the pro circuit, and now he is sure to feature on the US Open Series, hoping to score a big upset or two.
Besides Eubanks and Tiafoe, pretty much the entire American men’s tennis contingent will be taking part in the 2015 Open, including young American Jack Sock, Steve Johnson, Ryan Harrison, Tim Smyczek, the aforementioned Young, two-time and defending champion John Isner, a local favorite, and Mardy Fish, who will once again attempt a comeback, now age 33. The world #1 doubles team the Bryan Brothers will be the top seeds of a very strong doubles field that should also include recent French Open doubles champion Ivan Dodig.
2011 Singles Champion Mardy Fish
Fish, like Isner, is a two-time champion in Atlanta, and the other big announcement today was the fact that himself, and his good friend Andy Roddick, another former Atlanta Open champion, and long time American #1 will be taking a one-off wild card to compete in the doubles tournament this year. Roddick will also face Tiafoe in an exhibition of the most notable representative of American tennis recent past, and a player of its promising future. Last year Fish and Roddick had similar plans in the summer, but they were prevented from following through as Roddick hadn’t re-entered the drug testing program after retirement within enough time to be sanctioned to play ATP tennis again. Given the popularity of both Americans they are sure to fill the stands for their doubles match.
Roddick!
The international contingent that has made plans to take part in the Open hails from as close as our neighbors to the north, as Canadian Vasek Pospisil will look to excel in singles, and also in doubles with his aforementioned partner Sock, and as far away as Cyprus and Israel, as ATP veterans Marcos Baghdatis, a former slam finalist, and Dudi Sela, the defending finalist and Israeli #1 are both taking part.
Other veterans besides the ones mentioned above include Gilles Muller, a former finalist in Atlanta, Janko Tipsarevic, a former top 10 player on the comeback trail from injury, serve and volley specialist Radek Stepanek, and Benjamin Becker, a German who played his college tennis at Baylor and has strong American ties.
Rounding out the field are highlight generating players Adrian Mannarino, and Alex Dolgopolov, who have unique styles of play, and former finalist Kevin Anderson, who might as well be an honorary American given his ties to college tennis and more, though he hails from South Africa by birth. Mannarino is currently having a career year, as he beat French Open champion Stan Wawrinka in Miami this year, while Dolgopolov is looking to recapture the form that saw him become a threat to the game’s elite in years gone by.
One more main draw wild card is still hanging out there, and other changes could take place in the singles and doubles field of the ATP 250 event, but one thing is for sure, the BB&T Atlanta Open will offer world class tennis, and world class funJuly 25-August 2nd at Atlantic Station. The Open is the first stop on the Emirates US Open Series as well and for more information, including how to purchase your tickets please visit http://www.bbtatlantaopen.com
Courtside Videocast Episode 6 by Tennis Atlantic and The Grandstand, Indian Wells ATP/WTA Midway Discussion Staff, Tennis Atlantic
On episode 6 of the Courtside Videocast, Steen Kirby, Courtney Massey, Joe Craven and Niall Clarke of Tennis Atlantic got together to talk about the midway point of the 2015 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Both the ATP and WTA results thus far were discussed, and major topics included revisions to the hawkeye challenger system, Ernests Gulbis recent struggles, American men’s players strong showings (Steve Johnson, Jack Sock, Donald Young), and the results of the Aussie contingent as well (Thanasi Kokkinakis, Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios). On the WTA side Flavia Pennetta, and the upsets in the draw by the likes of Timea Bacsinzsky and Caroline Garcia were reviewed.
We hope you enjoy this edition of the show, and as usual feedback is encouraged!
The last pit stop on the US Open series is Winston-Salem in what is also the final tune-up before the US Open. This preview is a bit late being posted because I was waiting to see if any players would withdraw, as often happens here.
Winston-Salem Open
ATP World Tour 250
Winston-Salem, NC, USA
August 18-August 24, 2013
Prize money: $575,250
Top 8 seeds (Top 16 receive first round byes)
1: Tomas Berdych
2: Andreas Seppi
3: John Isner
4: Tommy Robredo
5: Benoit Paire
6: Sam Querrey
7: Fernando Verdasco
8: Juan Monaco
It’s only a 250 but it is one of the best 250 fields around.
First round matchups to watch:
Evgeny Donskoy vs. (wc) Mardy Fish
Fish
Donskoy has been struggling and has mainly played challengers this summer, while Fish, who has seen his ranking careen out of the top 100, is still getting his feet wet. He’s 2-2 since his comeback, but at least all the matches were at the ATP level. Fish has a great chance to do well here in front of American fans and he should be the favorite, but Donskoy is streaky.
James Blake vs. Rhyne Williams
Old America vs. New America in this one. Blake is as streaky as ever, as he knocked off Jerzy Janowicz in Cincy before meekly losing in Round 2, while Williams has been disappointing this summer. Heading into the USO, he has just 1 qualifying win and 1 ATP main draw win to his name. Regardless, he is up to a career high ranking inside the top 115. This one could go either way, but I’ll give Blake a slight edge.
Top Half:
Berdych
Tomas Berdych, the Cincy semifinalist, will play Kenny De Schepper or a struggling Ricardas Berankis. There was talk of him pulling out from this event as recently as yesterday. He is still in the draw with play starting today, but I almost suspect he could go out earlier here to get himself to New York quicker.
The 3rd round opponent for one of those 3 players will be one of 14 seed Martin Klizan, a qualifier, or Roberto Bautista-Agut. Klizan has struggled all year.
Sam Querrey could use some match wins, as he has also struggled over the summer. He faces Grega Zemlja or Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in a match he should win, then Donskoy/Fish or Jarkko Nieminen in Round 3. Depending on the form of Fish, this can be a tough or weak section for Sam.
Cincinnati finalist John Isner is hightailing it down to Winston-Salem for his home tournament as he bids for a 3rd straight title. He’ll start off against Alex Bogomolov or Victor Hanescu. In Round 3, the options are a qualifier, Jack Sock, or Dmitry Tursunov (who has had a quality year and did well in Cincy, making the Quarterfinals as a qualifier).
Benoit Paire, who was upset by Nikolay Davydenko in Cincy Round 1, will open against Williams/Blake in a winnable match for the underdog. The Round 3 opponent for the winner should be Igor Sijsling, if the semi-struggling Dutchman can beat a qualifier and then the seeded-but-way-out-of-form Jurgen Melzer
Bottom Half:
Andreas Seppi, who went out in Cincy Round 1 and is 1-2 this summer, will play Bobby Reynolds or a qualifier and then Pablo Andujar, Yen-Hsun Lu or Romain Bogaerts, a Wake Forest transfer who got a main draw wild card.
Juan Monaco will play an atrocious-form Nicolas Mahut or Lukasz Kubot in a match both players wished took place on grass. Meanwhile, the slumping-all-year Alex Dolgopolov, Daniel Gimeno-Traver or Edouard Roger-Vasselin await in Round 3.
Cincy 3rd Rounder Tommy Robredo opens with Denis Istomin, assuming Istomin beats Guillaume Rufin. The winner of that could get Gael Monfils in his comeback, if Monfils beats Leo Mayer/Guido Pella. This is an intriguing section.
Fernando Verdasco debuts on summer hardcourts just before the US Open. His opponent will be Michael Russell or Tim Smyczek, with Robin Haase/Adrian Mannarino/Lukas Rosol awaiting in Round 3. Mannarino has a nice shot at Round 3 here with Haase being beatable and Rosol unable to win a match.
Dark Horse: Denis Istomin
Istomin
With such a large and varied field, darkhorses such as Monfils, Bautista-Agut and Roger-Vasselin abound, but Istomin is the primary pick this week as I have him in the final. Excluding a Round 1 Cincy loss, he has been mostly consistent on US Hard Courts, and after Rufin and clay courter Robredo, the unpredictable Monfils and most likely Verdasco are his route to the semis. In those semis, Monaco/Seppi or Roger-Vasselin are the most likely opponent in what is a weak section of the draw.
Predictions
Quarters:
Fish d. Bautista-Agut
Isner d. Paire
Istomin d. Verdasco
Monaco d. Seppi
I have a good feeling about Mardy Fish in this tournament as it seems like things are coming together. Even a tired Isner ought to drag himself to the semis at home. He has further motivation. Since he lost at Cincinnati today, he has to win some matches here to win the US Open Series bonus money.
I will pick Istomin over a cold Verdasco. Monaco is slightly better than Seppi in a match neither should dominate with the career H2H being 2-2 and hard court H2H at 1-1. Verdasco is 2-0 against Istomin career.
Semis:
Isner d. Fish
Istomin d. Monaco
I’m sure the tournament organizers would be pumped to have an All-American semifinal like Isner-Fish and I’ll go with Isner, and Istomin over a really not in-form Monaco in a surprise.
Final:
Isner d. Istomin
Even tired, Isner has an almost easy route to the final and the title, without Berdych being an expected factor. He still has the motivation with this being his hometown event, the US Open Series money, and the three-peat title crown. I will make him the favorite. Istomin did beat Isner in Memphis this year, but I don’t expect a repeat of that. The overall H2H is 2-1 Istomin and 1-1 on hard courts.
BB&TAtlanta Open Day 5: Hewitt Outlasts Williams; Falla, Karlovic Suffer Bogota Hangover; Dodig Dogged Over Berankis; Blake, Russell Advance
Atlanta, July 24, 2013—Lleyton Hewitt outgritted Rhyne Williams 7-6, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals of the BB&T Atlanta Open. Rusty Hewitt went up early 5-3, but Rhyne would rely on his serve and power baselining to bring him back to 6-all. In the tiebreak, he went up 6-2 but Rusty fought back, as he always does, eventually taking it 8-6. He was helped by a Williams double fault along the way. In the 2nd set, Rhyno didn’t let up though, continuing to remain focused and hammering away. Just like his match yesterday, Hewitt broke in the final game of the match after a bit of hassle and took it 6-4.
I also will point out Rhyne’s much improved on court attitude. After having developed a reputation for self-beratement and broken racquets, he literally made almost no non-tennis ball hitting sounds on court today or in his match against Denis Kudla. He’s remained calm and focused, even when broken or when making a technical mistake. A+ for attitude.
Ivo
The Bogota finalists both suffered losses today. Ivo Karlovic was downright sleep-inducing against Matt Ebden. He was broken twice, against all odds, and just couldn’t do it today. Karlo called the trainer, who checked his heartbeat, and he retired at the end of the set to advance the Aussie qualifier to Round 2.
Harrison Post Match
Alejandro Falla played a longer match, but also was upset, losing in 3 sets to Christian Harrison, for Harrison’s first career ATP main draw match win 6-1, 6-7, 6-2. The younger Harrison sprinted out to a strong lead, but the Colombian would play a cleaner, more competitive second set. Midway into that set, however, he called the trainer and got his legs stretched out. The tiebreak and the games proceeding it were incredibly close, with multiple games going to deuce, but the Colombian survived before running out of gas in Set 3 and allowing a fresher Harrison to push his way over the hump.
Harrison carries around a great attitude on and off court, and especially today. He was incredibly courteous interacting with fans and took plenty of time to do so. This seems to be his modus operandi and he is a great up and coming ambassador for the pro game.
Ivan Dodig was dogged against a bipolar Ricardas Berankis 6-1, 6-7, 6-3. Rycka was atrocious in the first set, similar to his start against Zverev the day before, but somehow finished differently and played to his talent level in the 2nd set. He came up with some incredible shots to keep the match alive and take the 2nd set. The problem is that he once again could not maintain that level of play. His typical form would be an amazing moving winner followed by a limp drop shot into the net and a shanked forehand. The passing shots were dynamic between the pair and the match ended on a great volley point/incredible drop shot by Dodig. The Croatian was so pleased with his win after the match that he gave his wristband to a young fan, who was originally just seeking an autograph.
Blake Chats With A Baby
James Blake won in 3 tight sets over Tim Smyczek, who tried being tenacious but just wasn’t quite as good, Blake winning 7-6, 4-6, 7-6. Michael Russell did the same, finishing up a comeback win over Comeback Kid Mardy Fish 4-6, 6-2, 7-5. Fish did not play poorly at all It was just Russell who played extremely well and believe me, they battled. Both of them would have beaten a lot of ATP regulars in their current form today.
In doubles, Guccione/Hewitt got by Gonzalez/Lipsky 3-6 7-6 10-2, Ram/Skupski beat Inglot/Moser 6-4 6-4 and Blake/Sock edged Demoliner/Sa 7-5, 7-6, 10-6.
Atlanta, July 22, 2013– Day 4 in Atlanta! The first big day of main draw action will be headlined by a pair of stadium court matches starting at 4 PM.
Edouard Roger-Vasselin will face Lleyton Hewitt. Then, in the first night session match, Mardy Fish returns to the ATP tour against fellow American Michael Russell. Fish/Russell will be followed on stadium by qualifier Tim Smyczek vs. James Blake, and preceded by a doubles match between the Harrison Brothers and Ivan Dodig/Marcelo Melo.
Fish Sharp in Practice
Fish has been spotted around the grounds in a jovial mood, and from what I’ve seen of him on the practice courts, he looks to be playing well. He won a practice set against Ryan Harrison 6-4 on Sunday, and won a practice set against Lleyton Hewitt on Monday. Russell also seems to be in good spirits, for what it’s worth. Hewitt, meanwhile, has the kids with him again this week.
In outer court action, which starts at 2 and 3 p.m., Ricardas Berankis, who was at the USTA autograph tent on Monday night, will face qualifier Zverev on Court 3 followed by Rajeev Ram vs. Evgeny Donskoy, and Erlich/Andy Ram vs. Lu/Matosevic.
On the Grandstand, it will be Rendy Lu vs. qualifier King, Jack Sock vs. Santiago Giraldo and Lukas Lacko vs. Denis Istomin in that order.
Sock was checking out the Smyczek-Young match from the suite on Monday, and seemed to be in a good mood, working with USTA coach Jay Berger this week and enjoying a frozen lemonade.
Tennis Atlantic 