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It’s Hardware Sunday at @CitiOpen

Posted by Admin on August 8, 2021
Posted in: ATP, Citi Open, Washington. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
Citi Open, Credit: Ryan Loco

It’s Hardware Sunday at Citi Open

Steve Fogleman in Washington

Sunday caps off one of the most exciting years yet for the 52-year-old Citi Open in Washington, as a week of frenetic play under pristine August weather comes to a close with hardware handed out for singles and doubles champions and finalists. In a perfect world, Rafael Nadal would appear at tonight’s singles final and bite the winner’s trophy to guarantee its authenticity, but it is not to be.

(Photo by Peter Staples)

Jannik Sinner and Mackenzie McDonald have both played a high level of tennis all week long and deserve to be on the stage today. Sinner’s the prohibitive -380 favorite in Vegas, but McDonald is far and away the sentimental favorite.

McDonald’s press conference gave us a peek into the troughs of pro tennis. After 2019 injuries and COVID-19 sidelined and then isolated him, he could put no positive spin on it. “No. Honestly, it was a really painful time, really super tough,” he said forlornly. “It was really rough. I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know. I was away from family, too. I was lucky. My girlfriend’s father was able to spend time with me, he’s retired, and helped me. I couldn’t walk and drive myself and do anything”, he continued. “I had an apartment on the third floor and no elevator. It was pretty shitty. So, yeah, I didn’t know where I was going to be two years later. Like I said, I have always worked hard, always put in the work. A little bit older, too, and it’s helping.”

You just don’t hear real-life stories like that every day. He’s playing for his first ATP tour level title with his heart on his sleeve. Meanwhile, Sinner vies for his biggest trophy to date, having notched 250 titles in Sofia and Melbourne Park. Given the emotion that McDonald’s playing with like house money and the stingy odds on Sinner, the only punt to make today is for the American.

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Semifinals Saturday Arrives at @VolvoCarOpen with A Surprising Field

Posted by Admin on April 10, 2021
Posted in: Charleston, Volvo Car Open, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 1 Comment
Paula Badosa (Chris Smith for Volvo Car Open

Semifinals Saturday Arrives at Volvo Car Open with A Surprising Field

In 10 years of covering the WTA Charleston event, I haven’t seen so many upsets over the course of a week. Gone are the days when Serena Williams would come through and pencil in a spot in the final. Even World #1 Ashleigh Barty couldn’t take advantage of the gaping holes in the field as she fell to Paula Badosa yesterday, 6-3, 6-3. A resurgent Sloane Stephens sputtered against Victoria Kudermetova, 6-3, 6-4. After beating #3 seed Petra Kvitova the day before, Danka Kovinic found a way to advance against the plucky and lucky Yulia Putintseva, 6-7(2), 7-5, 6-1. Ons Jabeur (#12) was the highest-seeded player left in the tournament before stunning a sluggish Coco Gauff, 6-3, 6-3.

Danka Kovinic (Credit: Chris Simon, Volvo Car Open)

That sets up four players who have never won a WTA tour level title and yet are this close to taking home the most impressive trophies of their collective careers. If you looked at this field before the tournament began, you’d have plenty of educated guesses on who would hoist the hardware, from Kvitova, Barty, Stephens, Kenin, Muguruza, Keys, Bencic, Mertens or Bertens. But no.

(Credit: Chris Simon, Volvo Car Open)

Instead, you’ve got a semifinal field that could pose for a couple of Charleston qualifying finals just a few years back. Still, you’ve got to believe that Ons Jabeur’s experience and momentum will propel her to a berth in the final when she steps on court against Danka Kovinic later today. She’s a deserved -239 favorite, and even though the unimaginable has already happened this week, the green clay dust of uncertainty will certainly settle today.

The match between Badosa and Kudermetova is a little more unpredictable.

Victoria Kudermetova, (Credit: Chris Simon, Volvo Car Open)

Although the Russian owns a 2-0 head to head against Badosa, the lower-ranked Spaniard has beaten the better players this week and is the tournament’s leader in aces with 24. It’s also Kudermetova’s first semifinal on clay. I’m going with Badosa, a +110 underdog in this match.

The parlay: Jabeur (-239) & Badosa (+110) for a +197 payout

2020 @AustralianOpen Week 1 Men’s Preview, Predictions, Long Shot R1 Picks

Posted by Admin on January 19, 2020
Posted in: ATP, Australian Open. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Nicolas Mahut nicomahut • Instagram photos and videos

2020 @AustralianOpen Week 1 Men’s Preview, Predictions, Long Shot R1 Picks
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

It’s a new year with the same pressing question: Will a Young Gun will snatch a major from the Big Three? It’s never felt more in their grasp, and yet it still feels like Groundhog Day. Like floodgates after a massive storm, you know that when the day comes when a young’un lifts that fat hardware, it will become a regular occurrence.

Embed from Getty Images

Who is going to be the first? Zverev’s January form lends pessimism to his campaign. Daniil Medvedev tops his quarter with Zverev as the challenger-in-waiting. This is a shame for the youth movement. Assuming Zverev can get to a quarterfinal with the Russian, the winner should be exhausted enough to lose to #1 seed Nadal in the semifinal, unless fatigue has set in with Nadal as well. Nadal’s path is predictably easy into the fourth round. After that, he could draw dangerously unpredictable Nick Kyrgios and with another win, Dominic Thiem. Should he be forced to run this gantlet, Nadal may survive Thiem, but he will be a wounded warrior going after the winner of Zverev and Medvedev.

A wild card in Zverev’s section is Andrey Rublev, who has already picked up two titles in 2020. He’ll do well to advance to a fourth round match against Sascha, but the fatigue should have set in by then, allowing Zverev to advance to a Medvedev quarterfinal.

R4: Nadal d. Kyrgios
R4: Thiem d. Duckworth
QF: Nadal vs. Thiem
QF: Medvedev d. Zverev

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Roger Federer never seems to have an easy draw, but he has to be pleased with this one. Young Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the fourth round would be his biggest test. On the other side of that quarter, I predict Berretini will be upset by Fabio Fognini, setting up a Federer-Fognini quarterfinal.

R4: Fognini d. Berretini
R4: Federer d. Shapovalov
QF: Federer vs. Fognini

Embed from Getty Images

Djokokvic’s quarter is counter-weighted by young gun Stefanos Tsitsipas, but before that quarterfinal match occurs, I’m taking Dusan Lajovic to meet the Serb in the fourth round. Roberto Bautista Agut will likely stand in the way of Tsitsipas in the fourth round as well. This is another quarter that should be upset-free, with the exception of Lloyd Harris taking out #14 seed Diego Schwartzman in the first round.

R4: Djokovic d. Lajovic
R4: Tstsipas d. Bautista Agut
QF: Djokovic vs. Tstsipas

And finally, it’s time for our new segment called “Potentially Worthy Picks”. These are big upset bets with big paydays. Remember that this is for amusement purposes only, and if you place a real bet and it doesn’t win, please don’t flame me on twitter. It’s not like I called you a liar on national television.

Potentially Worthy First Round Upset Picks
Lloyd Harris (+300) d. Diego Schwartzman
Elliot Benchetrit (+200) d. Yuichi Sugita
Yasataka Uchiyama (+300) d. Mikael Ymer

Popcorn Match Monday @NewYorkOpen with Qualifying Finals and a Taste of Main Draw

Posted by Admin on February 11, 2019
Posted in: ATP, New York, New York Open. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Ernesto Escobedo, 2019 New York Open

Ernesto Escobedo, 2019 New York Open

Mondays are usually lazy days at an ATP 250 tournament. With a field of 32, there’s always a smaller number of qualifiers and tournament organizers can’t schedule the big names with the byes until the first round is complete. Local favorite Noah Rubin is scheduled to marquee the night session today, and that leaves some popcorn match qualifiers for today’s day session followed by two singles main draw matches.

Ernesto Escobedo came back from a set down to beat Yasutaka Uchiyama, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) yesterday to set up an all-American affair with Chris Eubanks, who breezed past wild card Adam El Midawhy, 6-3, 6-2. Eubanks was so comfortable after the win that he ate the popcorn a fan offered him and autographed the nearly empty bag. I expect Eubanks to get some revenge today, as Escobedo won their qualifying final here in New York 364 days ago. Eubanks also beat Escobedo at last year’s Aptos Challenger.

Alexei Popyrin is the breakout player that everyone hopes breaks out in their tournament. The 19-year-old Australian is at a career high of 123, and he faces Canadian Brayden Schnur, who’s also moving within reach of the top 100, at #153. There’s no head to head matchups on these two, so pick a winner.

Tennys Sandgren takes on 37-year-old Paolo Lorenzi in the tournament’s first main draw match on stadium court. It’s hard to expect anything less than a victory for Sandgren, as Lorenzi is only 1-12 versus top 100 players in the last year. The winner will be rewarded with a second round match against either Peter Polansky or Ryan Harrison.

Around the same time as the Sandgren/Lorenzi showdown, Bernard Tomic will try to continue to resurrect his tennis career in a first round match against Lukas Lacko. Though the pair each have a victory against the other, they haven’t faced each other in seven years, so this really is the rubber match. A focused and in-form Tomic should easily prevail in this one.

What did they bring Noah Rubin to his homecoming on opening night in his hometown? They brought him his biggest test of the year to date: Jordan Thompson, the world #60. Rubin will have to do everything right tonight to win this match and move things in his direction in 2019, where he’s already lost to the likes of Mikael Ymer and Kamil Majchrzak.

NEW YORK OPEN – UNIONDALE, USA
$773,985
11-17 FEBRUARY 2019

RESULTS – FEBRUARY 10, 2019

Mens
Qualifying Singles – First Round
Qualifying – [1] A. Menendez-Maceiras (ESP) d [Alt] T. Puetz (GER) 63 62
Qualifying – [2] A. Popyrin (AUS) d J. Ward (GBR) 75 64
Qualifying – [3] R. Ramanathan (IND) d [Alt] R. Smith (USA) 46 62 64
Qualifying – [4] C. Eubanks (USA) d [WC] A. El Mihdawy (USA) 63 62
Qualifying – [5] B. Schnur (CAN) d [WC] C. Kingsley (USA) 76(3) 63
Qualifying – E. Escobedo (USA) d [6] Y. Uchiyama (JPN) 46 63 76(5)
Qualifying – T. Smyczek (USA) d [7] R. Quiroz (ECU) 67(6) 63 75
Qualifying – [8] A. Arnaboldi (ITA) d Y. Watanuki (JPN) 75 46 63

ORDER OF PLAY – MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2019
STADIUM COURT start 11:00 am
Qualifying – [4] C. Eubanks (USA) vs E. Escobedo (USA)
Qualifying – [3] R. Ramanathan (IND) vs T. Smyczek (USA)
[8] T. Sandgren (USA) vs P. Lorenzi (ITA)

Not Before 7:30 pm
[WC] N. Rubin (USA) vs [7] J. Thompson (AUS)
[WC] B. Evans (USA) / J. Isner (USA) vs S. Gonzalez (MEX) / A. Qureshi (PAK)

GRANDSTAND start 11:00 am
Qualifying – [1] A. Menendez-Maceiras (ESP) vs [8] A. Arnaboldi (ITA)
Qualifying – [2] A. Popyrin (AUS) vs [5] B. Schnur (CAN)
L. Lacko (SVK) vs B. Tomic (AUS)

2019 @WTA @SydneyTennis Preview, Predictions

Posted by Admin on January 5, 2019
Posted in: Australian Open, Sydney, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Simona Halep, Citi Open 2017 (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

Simona Halep, Citi Open 2017 (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

2019 @WTA @SydneyTennis Preview, Predictions
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

Hopman Cup was pure entertainment. Brisbane and Shenzhen were just lovely, but we don’t think the season really gets underway until the big dogs show up at the party. The real Aussie Open warm-up begins this week as World #1 Simona Halep and World #2 Angelique Kerber begin the 2019 campaign at the Sydney International, a Premier level WTA tournament.

As Simona Halep approaches a solid year at number one, we have to wonder if she can retain that ranking in 2019, but we’ll have some serious hints at that proposition before long. She opens with a bye before facing the winner of Jelena Ostapenko and 2018 finalist Ashleigh Barty. Barty is on a career-high and looks to move to world #14 on Monday. Ostapenko is an upset threat every time she takes the court and has beaten Halep, but never on hard courts. Luckily for Halep, I predict Barty will emerge as her second round opponent and the home country favorite will lose in straight sets to the world #1, just as she did in Montreal and Cincinnati last year.

Anett Kontaveit (#20) and Elise Mertens (#12) are both at career-high rankings entering their first round match at Sydney. The only problem for Mertens is that she got to the top 20 without winning much over higher ranked opponents. She went 3-10 against top 10 opponents in 2018, and Kontaveit is known as a giant slayer. Take Kontaveit to advance to a matchup against 2015 finalist Karolina Pliskova, who should defeat a streaking but fatigued Lesia Tsurenko.  Pliskova has the weapons to defeat Kontaveit and face Halep in the quarterfinals. Halep is 5-1 on hard courts against Pliskova and should defeat the Czech handily.

Sloane Stephens, 2018 US Open (Getty)

Sloane Stephens’ quarter is steeped with pitfalls as she attempts to return to the top 4, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. She’ll open with a qualifier before likely facing wildcard Daria Gavrilova, who she hasn’t played in nearly three years. Stephens handled her in Charleston on the green clay in 2016 and on the grass at Eastbourne in 2015, but this is the first meeting between the two on hard courts—and we know what hard courts mean to Sloane Stephens. Expect her to advance in straights.

This is where things could get tricky for Stephens. Anastasija Sevastova should handle Kiki Bertens in a close one on their first match on hard courts, and her opponent in the second round will be a Spaniard, as Garbine Muguruza faces Carla Suarez Navarro. These two played each other in back-to-back tournaments in February 2015 and haven’t met since, with the pair splitting the meetings. Carla Suarez Navarro should prevail in this battle to set up a meeting with Sevastova. Sevastova, most remembered for bouncing defending champion Sloane Stephens from the 2018 US Open, should provide another handful for Stephens. Normally, we’d see Sevastova advancing to the quarterfinals in three sets, but we’re going with the “how you like me now” and picking Stephens in three.

Naomi Osaka, 2018 US Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

Naomi Osaka, 2018 US Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

We expect Naomi Osaka to suffer a bit of a hangover in 2019 as so many other first time grand slam champs have before her, yet she already hit the semifinals in Brisbane so that portends well for her. The draw in her section could give her another boost headed into Melbourne. Osaka opens with Timea Bacsinszky, who she should handle with aplomb. Her next opponent should be Dominka Cibulkova, who drew Sam Stosur. Cibulkova wrote herself back into the game in 2018 and will defeat the home crowd darling before Osaka dispatches Dominika in round two. On the other side, three qualifiers and Daria Kasatkina will vie to face Osaka in the quarters and we can confidently predict that Kasatkina will face Osaka and Osaka will reprise her straight sets win over Kasatkina at Indian Wells last year.

kerber-2016

With a 2 seed like this, who needs friends? Defending champion Angelique Kerber may wish she’d drawn the 3rd seed. Poor Kerber will need to conserve her energy. While she’s awarded a first round bye and a second round match against Ajla Tomljanovic or Camila Giorgi, the big test comes in the quarters, where she will likely face 2015 champion Petra Kvitova or the player who frightens everyone in the early rounds, Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka started 2019 in excellent form in winning Shenzhen, and looks to repeat the stunning straight sets victory over Kvitova at last year’s US Open. Sabalenka should prevail and vanquish her second round opponent, Su-Wei Hsieh or a qualifier. In the quarterfinal, the first meeting between Kerber and Sabalenka should be a gem. We go with lightning in a bottle here, and that means the Belarusian in three.

Semifinals

Aryna Sabalenka, 2018 Connecticut Open (Photo: Mike Renz for Tennis Atlantic)

Aryna Sabalenka, 2018 Connecticut Open (Photo: Mike Renz for Tennis Atlantic)

Sloane Stephens hasn’t beaten Simona Halep since 2013, but their last two matches have gone to three sets. We’d like to say the third time’s the charm for Stephens, but she hasn’t done anything lately for us to justify predicting such a personal career accomplishment. We’re going with Halep in three sets.

Naomi Osaka and Aryna Sabalenka stunned the tennis world in 2018 with their dominating performances. Sabalenka almost stunned Osaka herself at the 2018 US Open by winning the second set of their round of 16 match before losing the third, 6-4. If Sabalenka had won that close match, Osaka’s career arc could have changed dramatically. It was their only career meeting, but it was a popcorn match and we’ve got to go with REVENGE, served up by Shenzhen champion Sabalenka on the scorching courts of Sydney. In three, of course.

Final

Aryna Sabalenka won’t hit the wall, as it’s way too early in the season for that, but her power will meet a higher power in Sydney under the Romanian’s racket and Simona Halep will notch her first title of the year in straight sets before (spoiler alert) lifting her second grand slam trophy in Melbourne.

2018 @MutuaMadridOpen @WTA Preview, Predictions

Posted by Admin on May 4, 2018
Posted in: Madrid, Niall Clarke, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Sharapova vs Kuznetsova Madrid Open 2015

Kuznetsova vs. Sharapova (photo credit: Niall Clarke)

2018 @MutuaMadridOpen @WTA Preview, Predictions
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

We hit Madrid for one of the biggest tournaments of the season at the Caja Magica. It is an event I have covered a few times over the years and it rarely disappoints.  Unfortunately, I can not make it this year, but there is still plenty to be excited about when it comes to the women’s draw, so let’s get to it.

Top Quarter:

The Mutua Madrid Open has been a kind tournament to Simona Halep who enters as the defending champion. The Romanian opens against dangerous lefty Ekaterina Makarova in the first round, who can be a tricky customer especially on the faster clay courts of Madrid. Young Belgian prospect Elise Mertens is a possible round two opponent with Madison Keys also in the mini section. The 13th seed has not done well here traditionally but her draw to the third round is very soft.

Karolina Pliskova has never been known as a traditional clay courter, but her win in Stuttgart may signal she is turning a corner on the surface.  She is the sixth seed and will face Elena Vesnina in the first round. The big story in the section, however, is the return of Victoria Azarenka, Pliskova’s potential second round opponent. The Belarusian faces Alexsandra Krunic in her opener and there will be plenty of eyes on that one. This section is quite stacked and Sloane Stephens could be waiting either Pliskova or Azarenka in the third round.

That said, I am picking Halep to continue her good form in Madrid and win this section over Pliskova in the quarter finals.

Prediction: Halep def. Pliskova

Second Quarter:

Despite this being her home tournament, Garbine Muguruza has a mental block in Madrid. Despite being one of the best clay courters on the tour, the Spaniard has never made it past the second round here and has meekly gone out on several occasions. She will be hoping to change her fortunes this year starting with Shaui Peng then the winner of Vekic vs. Garcia Perez. Daria Kasatkina is the potential third round opponent, but she has a tough draw against Qiang Wang who did well here last year.

Clay has never been Venus Williams’ territory and given the lack of playing time, it will be difficult to expect much of the American in this draw. Annett Kontaveit is a tough opener even if she has not been at her best so far this season. This could open the door even more to former champion Petra Kvitova, who might be the favourite to make the semi finals out of this section. The 10th seed had a good week in Prague and the quicker Madrid clay courts suit her power focused style of play.

Petra Kvitova (Photo: Tony Callaio)

Petra Kvitova (Photo: Tony Callaio)

Muguruza vs Kvitova would be a hard-hitting quarterfinal battle and one to really get excited for, but I give the edge to the Czech here. She is a former champion and Muguruza’s Mental Madrid Block has to be taken into consideration.

Prediction: Kvitova def. Muguruza

Third Quarter:

Elina Svitolina enters Madrid as the fourth seed and one of the tournament favourites, but Madrid has not been a kind tournament for the Ukrainian in the past. Alize Cornet is the first round opponent with Barbora Strycova or Carla Suarez Navarro in the second round. There are no big hitters there but plenty of solid players with variety to open the tournament for Svitolina. Madgalena Rybarikova is the other seed in this section and she faces Johanna Konta in the first round. The Brit struggles on clay so this could be a good opportunity for the 16th seed, who faces a qualifier if she gets by Konta.

Caroline Garcia made her first semi final in Stuttgart before losing to Coco Vandeweghe, so she will be hoping to build on that result in Madrid after a so-so start to the season. She faces Dominika Cibulkova, a player she threw a 6-0, 3-0 lead away to two years ago here in the first round. The tough draw continues with Svetlana Kuznetsova or Petra Martic in the second round, but things could get really interesting with big hitting Julia Goerges in the third round.

I expect Svitolina to make it to the quarter finals, but Garcia–not so much. The Frenchwoman might be the favourite in her section but she can lose to anyone at any time, so I am picking Svitolina to make the semi finals.

Prediction: Svitolina def. Garcia

Bottom Quarter:

Caroline Wozniacki heads to Madrid with the World number one ranking in her sights. Clay has not been her best surface however, despite her more defensive style of play. Daria Gavrilova is a difficult opener with Ash Barty completing the Aussie double in round two. Anastasija Sevastova is not an easy third round draw either with her solid game, so it is a tough road for Wozniacki as she aims to top the rankings once more.

Jelena Ostapenko (Photo: Tony Callaio)

Jelena Ostapenko (Photo: Tony Callaio)

Jelena Ostapenko is back on the clay as she aims to build form ahead of her French Open title defence. The Latvian’s game should suit Madrid so she could have a decent run here if she plays well. That said, a big match against Maria Sharapova is on the cards for the second round. Coco Vandeweghe heads into Madrid In good form after a surprising final run in Stuttgart, but she has a potentially tough opener against last year’s finalist Kristina Mladenovic. Naomi Osaka is also in this section.

This is a tough quarter to predict but an in-form Ostapenko might have enough to make it past Wozniacki in the last eight.

Prediction: Ostapenko def.  Wozniacki

Semi Finals/Finals Prediction:

Kvitova def. Halep
Svitolina def. Ostapenko

Kvitova def. Svitolina

Kvitova is a former champion here and of all the clay court tournaments, this will probably suit her the best. Add on top of that her good form, then you have the reason why I pick the Czech to win in Madrid

 

 

 

2018 @PorscheTennis WTA Stuttgart Preview, Predictions

Posted by Admin on April 22, 2018
Posted in: Stuttgart, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

2018 @PorscheTennis WTA Stuttgart Preview, Predictions
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

Clay season arrives in style  with the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. The field is always stacked here as the top players aim to find their footing on the clay and this year is no exception. It is one of the best tournaments of the year, so let’s get to it.

Top Quarter:

simona-halep

Simona Halep

Simona Halep goes into the tournament as the number one seed and arguably the favourite to go all the way. The Romanian is considered to be the best clay courter on the tour by many people, but she is yet to add a French Open title to her collection. Building momentum for Roland Garros is a big aim during this stretch of the season and it starts in Stuttgart. Daria Kasatkina is the likely second round opponent which is a difficult starting match for anyone, but she is also probably her biggest test in this section.

Sloane Stephens has also landed in this section as she aims to kick off her clay court season. She is coming in off the Fed Cup semi final against France and that is why it is funny she has drawn her team-mate Coco Vandeweghe in the first round. Laura Siegemund, who has made big runs here in the past, is a potential second round opponent.

Halep is the strongest clay courter in this section, and despite some tough challenges early on I think she should come through this section.

Prediction: Halep def. Siegemund

Second Quarter:

Elina Svitolina is another player who comes into this tournament as a favourite to go all the way. The Ukrainian is usually very efficient at picking up titles such as Stuttgart so she should come into the tournament with a fair degree of confidence. After her opening round BYE, Svitolina will face the winner of Julia Goerges vs Anastasija Sevastova, two players who have a complete contrast in styles. Goerges will have the home crowd cheering for her and the indoor conditions favour her powerful game, but Sevastova is a tricky player who is hard to hit through.

Caroline Garcia has not kicked into gear in 2018, but she is a very capable clay courter who can do a lot of damage here. She has got the Sharapova draw however in one of the most high profile round one match-ups. The winner of that match should be a safe bet for the quarter finals with Antonia Lottner or a qualifier waiting in the wings.

There is plenty of talent in this section, but I have Svitolina being too stable for an erratic Garcia in the quarter finals.

Prediction: Svitolina def. Garcia

Third Quarter:

Jelena Ostapenko (Photo: Tony Callaio)

Jelena Ostapenko (Photo: Tony Callaio)

French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko will be happy with the draw she has gotten here. The Latvian has points to defend with her French Open win and this is a tournament where she could make some up and get some nice form heading into Roland Garros. She has a BYE then the winner of two qualifiers in the second round, so despite being inconsistent, you have to favour the Latvian to get through.

Karolina Pliskova has not had a great start to 2018 and clay is not her best surface. However, you can not count the Czech out. The fifth seed opens against Kiki Bertens, a very capable clay courter who can do a lot of damage during this stage of the season, then potentially faces Carla Suarez Navarro in the second round.

This is a section where we could see an unseeded player come through. Bertens comes alive on the clay and given Pliskova’s struggles in the surface we could see an upset there. Ostapenko is also very inconsistent in matches so I think the Dutchwoman will prevail here.

Prediction: Bertens def. Ostapenko

Bottom Quarter:

Garbine Muguruza, 2017 US Open

Garbine Muguruza

This is a stacked quarter headlined by Garbine Muguruza. The Spaniard is on her best surface again fresh off a title win in Acapulco so will have a degree of confidence heading into Stuttgart. However her section is stacked with power players, bot least of which is Madison Keys who she could face in the second round. Muguruza will need all her clay court prowess this tournament due to players being able to outhit her in this section.

Petra Kvitova is the other seed in this quarter and she will be one half of another big round one match against Germany’s own Angelique Kerber. The former champion has had a resurgence this year and is playing like a top 10 player once again after a disappointing 2017. The winner faces either Kristina Mladenovic, last year’s finalist or Anett Kontaveit , a dangerous big hitting Estonian. There is not easy match-up in this section.

With the home crowd advantage and being a former champion, I fancy Kerber to make her way through this section. We do not know which version of the other women will show up, so I think the more steady Kerber will fight her way past Muguruza in the quarter finals.

Prediction: Kerber def. Muguruza

Semi Finals Finals onwards Prediction:

Halep def. Svitolina
Kerber def. Bertens

Halep def. Kerber

As usual, Stuttgart is stacked and difficult to call but I am going with the number one seed to overcome the home favourite in the final.

 

 

 

WTA @BrisbaneTennis, Shenzhen, @ASB_Classic Previews and Predictions

Posted by Admin on December 30, 2017
Posted in: Auckland, Australian Open, Brisbane, Shenzen, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

WTA Brisbane, Shenzhen, @ASB_Classic Previews and Predictions
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

simona-halep

Simona Halep

The WTA season of 2018 is up and running and it promises to be a cracker. The season opens up with events in Brisbane, Shenzhen and Auckland and we have a run down of all three draws.

Brisbane

World number two Garbine Muguruza kicks off her season at the Brisbane International that boasts a stacked field of top ten players.

Top Half:

When you look at the top half you look immediately to the possible semi final between Muguruza and fourth seed Caroline Garcia. However both players have some tough matches ahead to reach this point.

Muguruza has a BYE in the opening round, but her tournament really gets going in the quarter finals where she could face the tricky Anastasija Sevastova. The Latvian faces home favourite Sam Stosur first however, and the ever dangerous floater Sorana Cirstea has also landed in this section.

Garcia opens against compatriot Alize Cornet whom she has a good record against. But her quarter final could be very interesting because she has draw Kristina Mladenovic in her section. The Frenchwoman ended 2017 on a losing streak however and that could allow Petra Kvitova through to the last eight.

Bottom Half:

The bottom half hosts a lot of big names including second seed Karolina Pliskova and third seed Elina Svitolina who are projected to meet in the semi finals.
pliskova-2016

Svitolina has a tough draw. Carla Suarez Navarro is an experienced player in round one, then Ana Konjuh is a dangerous youngster in round two. Johanna Konta meets Madison Keys in the match of the first round and the winner of that should make the quarter finals.

Pliskova has a decent draw to the quarter finals. After a first raw BYE she could face Cici Bellis in the second round. But in the quarters it will get tricky with Ashleigh Barty projected for the last eight. The Aussie’s biggest obstacle to the quarter finals is fellow youngster Daria Kastakina which will be a very entertaining second round.

Predictions:

Semi finals:

Garcia def. Muguruza
Barty def. Svitolina

Final
Barty def. Garcia

Shenzhen

Simona Halep begins her campaign in China at the Shenzhen Open, and she is joined by French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and the unseeded Maria Sharapova

Top half:

Simona Halep enters as the favourite here and her half suggests that she should at least make the final.

Maria Sakkari is the biggest challenge in her quarter. The young Greek has a tough potential round two against Monica Niculescu though. Halep opens against Nicole Gibbs then faces the winner of Ying-Ying Duan vs Evgeniya Rodina.

We could end up with an all Romanian semi final match with Irina Begu the fourth seed here. She has a good draw too with Timea Babos the biggest challenge in the quarter finals. The Hungarian has a tougher path with Jana Cepelova or Magda Linette waiting in the second round

Bottom half:

Ostapenko is the highest seed in this half, but she has a possible clash with Sharapova in the semi finals. Will we get this mouth-watering match? Or will someone upset the odds?

Ostapenko has a tough opening round match against big serving Krystina Pliskova, the twin sister of Karolina. Camila Giorgi is also a dangerous floater to have in your section, and that is without mentioning her quarter final against Katerina Siniakova.

Shuai Zhang is the seed of the section, but all eyes will be on Sharapova. The Russian returns to action against Mihaela Buzarnescu and then could potentially face home crowd favourite Qiang Wang in the second round. There will be plenty for the Chinese fans to get excited about.

Predictions:

Semi Finals:
Halep def. Begu
Ostapenko def. Sharapova

Final:
Halep def. Ostapenko

Auckland
Caroline Wozniacki, New Haven 2015

Caroline Wozniacki headlines Auckland this year with Julia Goerges as the second seed.

Top Half:

Wozniacki vs Agnieszka Radwanska is the stand out matchup when you look at this draw, and if all goes to plan then we will see that match in the semi finals. But there are a few potential spoilers in this section.

The Dane opens up against Madison Brengle first of all, and she could face the dangerous Mona Barthel in the quarter finals. Radwanska may face Lauren Davis in the last eight, but there should not be any major obstacles standing in their way.

Bottom half:

Julia Goerges, New Haven

Goerges

Julia Goerges has a tough draw to the final with Barbora Strycova one of the few players capable of knocking the German out of the tournament.

Arguably the match of round one is Goerges’ opener against Monica Puig. The winner of this should be able to advance to the last eight to face the winner of Donna Vekic vs Kirsten Flipkens which is another stand out match in the opening round.

Strycova faces wildcard Sara Errani in the first round who is still on the comeback from a doping suspension. Yulia Putintseva is the other seed in this section, and she could be on a collision course with Strycova in the quarter finals.

Barbora Strycova

Predictions:

Semi finals:
Wozniacki def. Radwanska
Strycova def. Puig

Final:
Wozniacki def. Strycova

2017 @WTAFinalsSG Preview & Predictions

Posted by Admin on October 21, 2017
Posted in: Niall Clarke, Singapore, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Photo: WTAFinals.com

2017 WTA Finals Preview & Predictions
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

After a long season full of twists and turns, it comes down to just eight players as we reach the Year End Championships in Singapore. Not only is there a big title available, but also the world number one ranking. It promises to be a great week of tennis to close out the season. Here is a rundown of what to expect in Singapore.

Red Group

[1] Simona Halep (ROU)

[4] Elina Svitolina (UKR)

[6] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)

[8] Caroline Garcia (FRA)

Simona Halep, 2017 Citi Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

Simona Halep, 2017 Citi Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

Simona Halep headlines the Red Group as the world number one and therefore the top seed for the tournament. The Romanian failed to break her grand slam duck this season, but she came within a few games of realising her dream at the French open before being beaten by Jelena Ostapenko in the final. However, she became the world number one for the first time in Beijing, the highlight of her career thus far. Halep’s only title of the year came in Madrid, but her consistency in making the latter stages of events is what got her to the top of the rankings. 

Elina Svitolina has enjoyed her best season to date, winning over 50 matches and claiming five titles whilst achieving a career high ranking of number three. The Ukrainian is also one of the players who can finish the year as number one, so it might get better yet. Three of Svitolina’s titles came at Premier 5 level, the most recent being in Canada. Despite her good results though, Svitolina failed to make a big breakthrough at Grand Slam level, something she will aim to improve for 2018.

Caroline Wozniacki heads into Singapore having won only one title this year, but the Dane’s consistency is what has brought her back into the top ten and back in the year end championships. That title came in Tokyo after losing six previous finals in 2017. Her best Grand Slam performance came at Wimbledon where she made the quarter finals, but like Svitolina, her consistency outside the slams has been remarkable, as shown by her eight finals this season.

Caroline Garcia (Photo: S. Fogleman)

Two months ago, Caroline Garcia barely stood a chance of making Singapore, but an incredible two weeks in Beijing and Wuhan saw her finish the year in the top eight against all odds. The Frenchwoman made a controversial decision to skip Fed Cup and stop playing doubles at the end of last year, and it has seemingly paid off. Before her Wuhan and Beijing double, Garcia was consistent and earned a top 20 ranking as a result. But it was the fortnight in China that made her season. She is the in-form player heading into the tournament having won her last eight matches.

Prediction:

The Red Group is interesting as the defensive players have been pitted together. It is three counter punchers and Garcia, making the possibility of some long matches very possible.

If Garcia can carry her form over to Singapore, it is hard not seeing her advance. She is the player with the most weapons in the group and the highest peak level, but the eighth seed is flaky at the best of times, and if she underperforms, none of her opponents will g gift her a win.

That makes this group wide open. Any of the players can advance with a lot of the head to heads being close minus Svitolina’s 3-0 advantage over Wozniacki. The Ukrainian seems the most likely to win at least two matches, so I believe she will advance. Garcia is the wildcard and picking her will be brave, but Halep is the number one seed for a reason and the Romanian may just edge through in second place.

1st. Svitolina

2nd. Halep

White Group

[2] Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP)

[3] Karolina Pliskova (CZE)

[5] Venus Williams (USA)

[7] Jelena Ostapenko (LAT)

Garbine Muguruza, 2017 US Open

Garbine Muguruza’s transformation after failing to defend her Roland Garros title is the main reason why she is here. Prior to Roland Garros, Muguruza struggled with her best result coming in Melbourne where she made the quarter finals. After the French though The Spaniard won her second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon and backed that up with an impressive run to the Cincinnati title a month later. Her fine summer form saw the second seed become world number one for the first time, a ranking she will look to regain this week. Muguruza was the first player to qualify for the WTA finals.

pliskova-2016

Karolina Pliskova started the season strong by winning the Brisbane title and making the quarter finals at the Australian Open The Czech’s biggest title came in Doha where she defeated Wozniacki to claim the title. Her strong start to the season earned Pliskova the world number one ranking for the first time, and she made the semi finals of the French Open in her best Grand Slam showing to date. Pliskova will be aiming for her biggest career title and the world number one ranking this week.

Venus Williams is the only player this year to make two grand slam finals, however the oldest player in the top eight failed to add to her tally of major titles. The year was still a resurgent one for Venus, who despite not claiming a title, was one of the more consistent performers of the season. The American backed up her two major finals by making the semi finals of the US Open before being defeated by the eventual champions Sloane Stephens.

Jelena Ostapenko (Photo: Tony Callaio)

Jelena Ostapenko (Photo: Tony Callaio)

Jelena Ostapenko is the only one of two players to have won a grand slam this year and compete in the WTA finals. The Latvian had a dream run to the title at Roland Garros as an unseeded player, and announced herself to the tennis world as not only a potential star, but a current one. The youngest player in the tournament backed up her maiden major title with a run to the quarter finals of Wimbledon and a second title in Seoul. Despite her risky style of play, the seventh seed has enjoyed a fair bit of consistency since Roland Garros.

Prediction:

This group is almost impossible to predict as all four of these players strike the ball very hard. One minute they look unbeatable, the next they can not keep the ball in court. That means the two players that will advance are the ones who can peak at the right times In the matches. Unlike the Red Group, matches in this one should be short, which may give the winners an advantage.

Singapore courts traditionally have been on the slow side which favours Muguruza the most as she is the one who has shown the most consistency on slower surfaces. Ostapenko also showed she can play on slower courts with her Roland Garros triumph, but will the pressure of her first WTA finals work against her?

venus-charleston

Venus has the most experience by far, but I think the conditions favour the other players more so I believe she will not advance. Muguruza has struggled against big hitters in the past but I believe these courts are suited to her game so she will advance. Pliskova’s issues have mainly come on clay and I expect her to be solid enough to join Muguruza in the semi finals.

Prediction:

1st. Muguruza

2nd. Pliskova

Semi finals

So the semi finals would pit Muguruza against Halep and Svitolina against Pliskova, coincidently the top four seeds.

Muguruza has a good record against Halep, leading the head to head 3-1 and destroying the Romanian in their most recent meeting. The slow conditions will help the top seed on this occasion, so I expect a tighter contest, but I think Muguruza will prevail.

Pliskova has definitely had the measure of Svitolina throughout their careers, winning five of their six meetings. The Czech has generally had control of their hardcourt meetings, but the Ukrainian defeated Pliskova in their most recent outing in Rome. I think the slower conditions will suit Svitolina, and I think despite their head to head, she will advance to the final.

Final

So I have Muguruza meeting Svitolina in the final and this match is a difficult call. Both players are suited to the courts and their head to head is very close at 4-3 to Svitolina. However, there is a factor of fatigue when you make the final, and I think Muguruza will be the fresher player.

Svitolina will have played many long matches by this point, and combine that with Muguruza’s ability to play well in finals and you have a recipe for a Spanish triumph in Singapore.

2017 @USOpen Women’s Preview, Predictions

Posted by Admin on August 28, 2017
Posted in: New York, Niall Clarke, US Open, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Garbine Muguruza, 2017 US Open

Garbine Muguruza, 2017 US Open

2017 @USOpen Women’s Preview, Predictions
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

We have reached the Big Apple for the final grand slam of the year and there is not only the US Open to fight for, but also the world number one ranking.
128 will enter Flushing Meadows, but only one woman will be crowned champion at the end of the fortnight. Here is a rundown of the draw for the 2017 US Open.

Top Quarter

Karolina Pliskova, 2017 US Open

Karolina Pliskova, 2017 US Open

World number one Karolina Pliskova has finals points to defend here and it is likely she will have to make that stage again if she is to keep the top spot. The Czech has a good draw ahead of her though with the first seeded player being Shuai Zhang. Kristina Mladenovic is projected for the fourth round, but the Frenchwoman’s lack of form and fitness issues may lead to another early exit. Look for Barbora Strycova to take advantage and possibly meet her compatriot in the round of 16.

The bottom half of this quarter seems more stacked and closely contested than the top half. Svetlana Kuznetsova is the highest seed and should be good enough for the third round at least. From there, it could get interesting with Anett Kontaveit, Lucie Safarova or Cici Bellis waiting in the wings. Agnieszka Radwanska is yet to break her Grand Slam curse, and if she is to do so here she will do it as the tenth seed. Coco Vandeweghe is her biggest test before a potential fourth round against Kuznetsova.

Second Quarter

Madison Keys, 2017 US Open

Madison Keys, 2017 US Open

Elina Svitolina is one of the tournament favourites for the US Open as she looks to claim her first Grand Slam title. The Ukrainian has a tough opener against Katerina Siniakova, but the third round clash with the in form Daria Gavrilova could be her toughest first week opponent. Round four is projected to be Madison Keys, but she has a tough first round against Elise Mertens to worry about first. Elena Vesnina is the first seeded opponent for the American.

Angelique Kerber is the defending champion here, which is hard to believe given how underwhelming she has been in 2017. The German faces big hitting youngster Naomi Osaka in one of the picks of the opening round matches. Lesia Tsurenko is the first seeded opponent she will face, but things get really interesting in round four as Kerber could face French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has also landed in this section alongside dangerous unseeded player Daria Kasatkina.

Third Quarter
Garbine Muguruza has been in good form since Wimbledon and is in many people’s mind the favourite to go the distance in New York. The Spaniard has a good draw to the second week with Magdalena Rybarikova being the toughest opponent before round four. Petra Kvitova is projected to face Muguruza at this point, but her inconsistency could open the door for Caroline Garcia to make the second week of a third straight slam.

The US Open might be Caroline Wozniacki’s best shot at winning a maiden Grand Slam crown, and with the openness of the draw, she could very well go all the way. The Dane has some dangerous players in her section such as Ekaterina Makarova and Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. Venus Williams has an outside shot of claiming the number one ranking if results go her way, and given her form this year you can not rule out the elder Williams sister prevailing. Venus plays Kiki Bertens in round three, her toughest opponent before the potential Wozniacki clash.

Bottom Quarter
The bottom quarter of this draw features the headline match of the opening round as Maria Sharapova faces second seed Simona Halep. It is not an ideal draw for either player, but it is the pick of the round one matches for the fans. Outside of the opening round, the draw looks good for the winner. Sevastova is the trickiest player in the section and is projected for the fourth round.

Johanna Konta has not had the best preparation for the US Open, but the Brit is still among the outside favourites for the title. Konta’s toughest match in the first week comes in the form of Germany’s Julia Goerges, a big hitter who has resurged somewhat this season. Dominika Cibulkova will be hoping for a good grand slam run at Flushing Meadows, but she has some tough matches including Sloane Stephens in round two and Ana Konjuh in round three.

Predictions
Round of 16:
Pliskova def. Strycova
Kuznetsova def. Vandeweghe
Svitolina def. Keys
Kerber def. Ostapenko
Venus def. Wozniacki
Muguruza def. Garcia
Konta def. Stephens
Halep def. Sevastova

For the most part I believe the seeds will hold up. There are many players capable of upsets, but they are so inconsistent, it is hard to back them. The only non top eight seed I have predicted to make the quarter finals is Venus, but that could easily be wrong too.

Quarter Finals
Pliskova def. Kuznetsova
Svitolina def. Kerber
Muguruza def. Venus
Halep def. Konta

The top four seeds are the strongest players in the draw and I believe they will fill out the semi finals in a rarity for the WTA.

Semi Finals:
Svitolina def. Pliskova
Muguruza def. Halep

These two matches can go either way but I have favoured the fourth and third seeds to get the job done. Pliskova will feel the pressure of keeping her ranking whilst Muguruza has a good record against Halep.

Final:
Muguruza def. Svitolina

I have predicted this final before at the French Open and somehow I have done it again. The draw can go either way, but Muguruza’s form should carry her far and the Spaniard seems to step up in the latter stages. That is why I have gone for her to win the final and take the crown. She seems much better at handling pressure after winning Wimbledon, and she can do well here despite her poor record.