UNITED STATES TO HOST SWITZERLAND IN THE 2017 DAVIS CUP BY BNP PARIBASWORLD GROUP FIRST ROUND THIS FEBRUARY
WHITE PLAINS, NY, September 22, 2016 — The United States Davis Cup Team will host Switzerland in the 2017 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group First Round, February 3-5, at a site to be determined. The International Tennis Federation announced the draw for the 2017 World Group today in London. Switzerland is seeded No. 5, while the United States is unseeded. The U.S. reached the World Group Quarterfinals this year, defeating Australia in Melbourne in March and falling to 2016 Davis Cup finalist Croatia in July in Portland, Ore.
The United States holds a 3-1 record over Switzerland in Davis Cup competition. The two countries last met in 2012, in a World Group First Round tie played in Fribourg, Switzerland, where the U.S. team of Mardy Fish, John Isner, Mike Bryan, and Ryan Harrison swept Switzerland, 5-0, with a Swiss team comprising of both Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka.
The United States will host back-to-back Davis Cup and Fed Cup ties next February, as the United States hosts Germany in the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group First Round, February 11-12. With these draws, there is the possibility of hosting both reigning US Open singles champions in the United States for Davis Cup and Fed Cup, as Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) and Angelique Kerber (Germany) are each their country’s top players, as well as five-time US Open champion Roger Federer.
Founded in 1900, Davis Cup is the world’s largest annual international men’s team competition. The U.S. leads all nations with 32 Davis Cup titles. The United States holds a 216-70 all-time Davis Cup record and owns the longest uninterrupted run in the World Group, dating back to 1989. Wilson is the official ball of the U.S. Davis Cup team.
For more information, including access to player and historical Davis Cup records, please go to www.usta.com/daviscup or www.daviscup.com. Follow the U.S. Davis Cup Team on Twitter @USDavisCupTeam. For Fed Cup information, visit www.usta.com/fedcup or www.fedcup.com. Follow the U.S. Fed Cup Team on Twitter @USFedCupTeam.
White Plains, N.Y., August 2, 2016 – The USTA today officially unveiled the new fully-operational retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home of the US Open. The roof officially closed and opened for the first time during a ceremony which featured executives from the USTA and ROSETTI, as well as media and several tennis luminaries.
The retractable roof, featuring two panels sitting atop a 6,500 ton steel superstructure, is covered with a PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) fabric that is stretched over the framing system, and which allows the sun to reflect off of the panels, making the stadium more energy efficient. Moving at a top speed of 25 feet per minute, the roof will be able to be closed or opened in under seven minutes.
The completion of Arthur Ashe Stadium’s retractable roof is only one component in the major transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. This year, fans also will experience a brand new Grandstand Stadium and an expanded and enhanced southern campus. The new Grandstand will feature 8,125 seats – an addition of more than 2,000 seats over the capacity of the old Grandstand – while still giving spectators one of the most intimate viewing experiences in professional tennis. In addition, the southern campus has been completely overhauled to ease congestion, provide expanded fan amenities, and enhance visitors’ overall US Open experience.
The roof was closed and opened during today’s ceremony by tennis legend Billie Jean King and Jeanne Ashe, wife of the late champion for whom the stadium is named, who joined USTA Chairman of the Board and President, Katrina Adams; USTA Executive Director, Gordon Smith; USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center COO, Danny Zausner; and ROSSETTI President, Matt Rossetti.
“The USTA has always strived to move forward as an organization, to innovate and think boldly, and the transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center falls directly in line with that goal,” said Adams.
“US Open fans, viewers and players deserve the ultimate tennis experience, and the transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center provides exactly that,” said Smith. “The US Open takes place in New York City, a town synonymous with excitement, and the inclusion of the retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium now truly makes the US Open the ultimate center stage for the sport of tennis.”
Johnson (@SJohnson_89), Haas (@TommyHaas13) Headed Back to Newport @TennisHalloFame Championships
NEWPORT, R.I., March 26, 2015 – ATP World Tour veteran and former world No. 2 Tommy Haas will compete in the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, R.I. this summer. Joining Haas in the player field will be American Steve Johnson, a two-time NCAA singles champion who has established himself well inside the world top-50 ranked players in just two seasons on tour. The Hall of Fame Tennis Championships will be held July 11 – 19 on the grass courts at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. It is the first stop on the U.S. summer swing for pro tennis, and the only ATP World Tour tournament played in New England.
“Tommy Haas and Steve Johnson are dynamic players who always bring a lot of energy to a tournament, and we know the fans will enjoy seeing them compete in Newport,” remarked Tournament Director Todd Martin.” Tommy has made history around the world with his spectacular career. He never fails to impress fans with his perseverance and skill on court. Steve is steadily building his career and has had tremendous results in the past couple of years. They are two great players to start off our field with, and we’re looking forward to welcoming them back to Newport to kick off the pro tennis summer season in the United States.”
Tommy Haas has been one of the top players on the ATP World Tour since late 1996. Over the span of his career, he has won 15 titles and was ranked world No. 2. In addition, he won the Olympic Silver Medal in 2000. He has made it to the quarterfinals of all four Grand Slam tournaments, and he advanced to the semifinals at the Australian Open three times and Wimbledon once. Over the span of his career, Haas has made a successful comeback from significant injuries on multiple occasions with exceptional results. After reaching a career high ranking of world No. 2 in May 2002, he missed the entire following season, and then steadily climbed back in the rankings, returning to world top-10 in 2007. He again missed more than a year of competition in 2010 and 2011, returning to reach world No. 11 in 2013. Haas has been out this season due to a shoulder injury, but is training to make a comeback before Newport.
Steve Johnson is currently ranked world No. 43 and is the No. 3 American player. He was the NCAA Singles Champion in 2011 and 2012, when playing for the University of Southern California. He has posted consistently strong results in his first two years on the ATP World Tour. He reached a career high of world No. 37 at the end of the season last year, a result of having advanced to five quarterfinals, as well as the semifinal at Delray Beach. This season, Johnson has been a quarterfinalist at Auckland, Memphis, and Delray Beach. He advanced to the third round at the Australian Open before falling to then world No. 5 Kei Nishikori in four sets.
Additional players for the tournament will be announced in the coming weeks. The tournament has a history of attracting up and coming stars as well as veteran players known to be grass court aficionados. Champions in recent years have included Lleyton Hewitt, Nicolas Mahut, and John Isner.
2 @USTASOUTHERN SECTION TEAMS TO PLAY FOR @USTA JUNIOR TEAM TENNIS 14U NATIONAL TITLES SUNDAY Finals set for 14U Advanced and Intermediate Divisions in Cayce, S.C.
USTA Texas (Austin) Advances to JTT Advanced Championship Match on Sunday
CAYCE, S.C. (Oct. 18, 2014) — The USTA Southern Section Advanced team from Madison, Miss., will take on USTA Texas from Austin in the final of the Junior Team Tennis 14U Advanced National Championships on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. at the Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center.
Madison defeated the USTA Eastern Section NJTL team from Queens, N.Y., 54-30, to advance to the final. Austin downed Flight 4 winner Midwest from Columbus, Ohio, in the other semifinal matchup of Flight winners on Saturday, 55-27.
The Intermediate 14U National Championship will be contested at 9 a.m., also at the Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center.
The Southern team from Woodstock, Ga., downed Caribbean of San Juan, Puerto Rico, 52-28, and will face the Midwest winner from Ann Arbor, Mich., which just barely got past Flight 3 winner Eastern from Maywood, N.J., 49-44.
Every team will play on Championship Sunday, determining National rank for all participants.
All the 1st-8th place matches for both Advanced and Intermediate will take place at the Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center on Sunday. All 9th-16th matches for Advanced and Intermediate will take place at the Lexington County Tennis Complex and will be played at 9 a.m.
Sunday’s Championships Schedule
Starting at 9 a.m.
NOTE: 1st-8th place matches at Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center; 9th-16th match played at the Lexington County Tennis Complex
Flight 2 2nd place Northern California* (Los Gatos, Calif.) def. Flight 1 2nd place Northern California (Berkeley, Calif.), 54-41
Flight 3 2nd place Southern California (Temple City, Calif.) def. Flight 4 2nd place Northern (Minneapolis), 46-44
Flight 2 3rd place New England (Stamford, Conn.) def. Flight 1 3rd place Midwest* (Wheaton, Ill.), 46-36
Flight 4 3rd place Southern California* (San Diego, Calif.) def. Flight 3 3rd place Southern* (Johns Creek, Ga.), 59-27
Flight 2 4th place Mid-Atlantic (Washington, D.C.) def. Flight 1 4th place Middle States* (Hershey, Pa.), 56-22
Flight 3 4th place Mid-Atlantic* (Richmond, Va.) def. Flight 4 4th place Eastern* (Brewster, N.Y.), 57-28
14U – Advanced Round Robin Results:
Flight 1: Eastern (Queens, N.Y.) advanced with 172 total games won over Northern California (Berkeley, Calif.) 154; Midwest* (Wheaton, Ill.) 118 and Middle States* (Hershey, Pa.) 49.
Flight 2: Southern (Madison, Miss.) advanced with 162 total games won over Northern California* (Los Gatos, Calif.) 155; New England (Stamford, Conn.) 117 and Mid-Atlantic (Washington, D.C.) 68.
Flight 3: Texas (Austin, Texas) advanced with 179 total games won over Southern California (Temple City, Calif.) 130; Southern* (Johns Creek, Ga.) and Mid-Atlantic* (Richmond, Va.) 68.
Flight 4: Midwest (Columbus, Ohio) advanced with 167 total games won over Northern (Minneapolis) 152; Southern California* (San Diego, Calif.) 116 and Eastern* (Brewster, N.Y.) 68.
Flight 1 2nd place Middle States (Skillman, N.J.) def. Flight 2 2nd place Southwest (Albuquerque, N.M.), 53-39
Flight 3 2nd place Southern California (Coronado, Calif.) def. Flight 4 2nd place Pacific Northwest (Seattle), 54-28
Flight 1 3rd place Mid-Atlantic (Alexandria, Va.) def. Flight 2 3rd place Missouri Valley (St. Louis, Mo.), 56-34
Flight 3 3rd place New England (Madison, Conn.) def. Flight 4 3rd place Northern California (San Francisco), 50-42
Flight 2 4th place Northern (Fridley, Minn.) def. Flight 1 4th place New England* (Longmeadow, Mass.), 45-40
Flight 3 4th place Hawaii-Pacific (Lahaina, Hawaii) def. Flight 4 4th place Texas (Kerrville, Texas), 47-46
14U – Intermediate Round Robin Results:
Flight 1: Southern (Woodstock, Ga.) advanced with 155 total games won over three other teams: Middle States (Skillman, N.J.) 146; Mid-Atlantic (Alexandria, Va.) 116 and New England* (Longmeadow, Mass.) 56.
Flight 2: Caribbean (Puerto Rico) advanced with 177 total games won over: Southwest (Albuquerque, N.M.) 134; Missouri Valley (St. Louis, Mo.) 111 and Northern (Fridley, Minn.) 62
Flight 3: Eastern (Maywood, N.J.) advanced with 161 total games won over: Southern California (Coronado, Calif.) 145; New England (Madison, Conn.) 123 and Hawaii-Pacific (Lahaina, Hawaii) 90
Flight 4: Midwest (Ann Arbor, Mich.) advanced with 163 total games over: Pacific Northwest (Seattle), 147, Northern California (San Francisco) 108; and Texas (Kerrville, Texas) 78
The Summer of Donald? Young Earns a Straight Sets Win in Washington @CitiOpen
There was a mental letdown today in the Donald Young match. It didn’t involve Donald Young, as it was the other guy’s head playing tricks on him in a 6-4, 6-3 win by the American to advance to the third round of the Citi Open in Washington, DC.
Benneteau never gave himself a chance with 7 double-faults in the match and was only able to save one of his three break chances in the second set. Young himself had just two doubles for the match and saved ten of the twelve break chances he faced.
For Young, the win is a boost to him at a critical time of year for an American player. After falling in the first round at Wimbledon, Newport and Atlanta, Donald’s won two in a row here, over Yuichi Sugita and Benneteau.
NICOLE GIBBS DEFEATS MELANIE OUDIN TO CAPTURE USTA PLAYER DEVELOPMENT WOMEN’S $50,000 CLASSIC IN CARSON
CARSON, July 20, 2014 – Nicole Gibbs moved another step closer to playing in her third consecutive US Open main draw, capturing the USTA Player Development Women’s $50,000 Classic with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Melanie Oudin on Sunday at the USTA Training Center – West at StubHub Center.
Gibbs, 21, is a two-time NCAA singles winner at Stanford and earned wild-card entry into the season’s final Grand Slam the past two years by way of those wins.
With one event remaining in the US Open Wild Card Challenge, Gibbs now leads in the standings with 88 points. She is followed by Julia Boserup (63 points), Oudin (48), Louisa Chirico (44) and Sanaz Marand (30).
The final of the three-event US Open Wild Card Challenge is the Lexington, Ky., $50,000 Challenger to be played this week.
It was a tight battle throughout in the final on Sunday with Gibbs holding a 4-2 lead in the second set, before the sole of her shoe came partially off. Admitting she started to “panic,” Gibbs fell down 4-all, 40-love with Oudin serving. Gibbs then played a solid point, was aided by an untimely Oudin double fault and ultimately broke back to serve for the match.
“Tennis is like that sometimes,” said Gibbs, who won this event last year when it was held in Yakima, Wash. Without a spare pair of tennis shoes, Gibbs contemplated wearing running shoes, but opted for a tape job instead, which seemed to do the trick.
Oudin’s first-round loss in US Open qualifying last year to Elena Baltacha ended a streak of five consecutive main draw appearances at the US Open, which of course included her quarterfinal run there in 2009.
“It’s one tournament,” said Oudin, who did not play in Sacramento last week but will play Lexington, of the US Open. “I’m not worrying about this wild card. It’s the last thing on my mind. If I play well I can qualify on my own. But if I do win this wild card that’s just an added bonus.”
Gibbs, a nearby Marina Del Rey resident, said she loved playing so close to home. “Just the title of the tournament, ‘Carson $50,000,’ ” she said. “It’s so exciting to be at the place I train and have my community supporting me.”
USTA Player Development Women’s $50,000 Classic
A USTA Pro Circuit Event
Sunday, July 20
USTA Training Center – West at StubHub Center
Carson, Calif.
Purse: $50,000
Surface: Hard-Outdoor
Sunday, July 20 – RESULT Singles – Final
(2) Nicole Gibbs (USA) def. (4) Melanie Oudin (USA), 6-4, 6-4
2014 ATP Houston @MensClayCourt, Casablanca Previews Steen Kirby, Tennis East Coast
The ATP world tour begins again on spring clay with a pair of 250s in Houston and Casablanca.
Both possess very competitive fields this year.
ATP Houston
Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship
ATP World Tour 250
Houston, Texas, USA
April 7-April 13, 2014
Prize Money: $ 474,005
Top 4 seeds (Who all receive first round byes) (ATP ranking in parentheses)
1: John Isner (9)
2: Tommy Robredo (14)
3: Nicolas Almagro (20)
4: Fernando Verdasco (29)
A large Spanish contingent buoys the Houston field as 4 of the top 8 seeds are Spaniards, and three top 20 players is nice for a 250 event.
First Round matchups to watch: Alex Bogomolov Jr. vs. Sam Querrey
Querrey continues to slide down the rankings, now outside the top 70, and he will be desperate to stop that skid in Houston against Bogomolov, who is a pedestrian journeyman who has mostly been playing challengers for a while. Both players are 1-2 in their last 3 matches, though Querrey has been playing better competition, and the h2h favors Bogomolov 3-2, with no meetings on clay, as Bogo beat Qball in Memphis this year in 3 sets last meeting.
Querrey looks for revenge and this match is a tossup between poor players at the moment.
Alejandro Gonzalez vs. (WC)Marcos Baghdatis
Marcos Baghdatis showed some signs of life in Miami where he reached the third round, and he gets another wild card here in Houston, as he has been getting at most of these US tournaments so far. He will face off for the first time against the Colombian Gonzalez, who currently has a 5 match losing streak on clay while formerly being good on the surface (posted a 41-19 record on clay last year, a career year of for him at the challenger level almost exclusively).
Baghdatis has not won a tournament match on clay since the 2012 French Open, and both players are looking to find some form. It appears Baghdatis career is winding down to be honest, and I think Gonzalez will probably return to some form and win this match.
Top Half:
Defending champion John Isner will face either Rhyne Williams, who defends semifinal points here, or the big server Dustin Brown in his first match. Isner beat Williams in Delray this year in 3 sets, their only meeting and both players are in so-so form. I expect Isner to make his way to the quarters regardless.
It should be Isner vs. 7 seed Lleyton Hewitt, another former Houston champion, in the quarters, as the 2009 Houston champion will face a qualifier in round 1 and Bogomolov/Querrey in round 2. Hewitt has been struggling since late January and I’m not sure he’s entirely healthy. If he doesn’t lose in the first couple of rounds, Isner should be able to take him out even with the 2-5 negative H2H record, including 1 win on clay by Hewitt in 2010.
Isner won their last meeting in the 2013 Atlanta semis in 3 and has upward trajectory.
The struggling Nicolas Almagro will look to find some form in Houston, where he defends finalist points, as he will face his countryman Daniel Gimeno-Traver or local resident Michael Russell in round 2. Almagro is 5-1 on clay against DGT and even though he has lost 3 straight on the dirt, he should make his way to the quarterfinals. Almagro will face one of Ivo Karlovic/Jack Sock/Benjamin Becker/qualifier in the quarters, as Ivo or the qualifier will be the favorite to reach the quarters. Sock is hopeless on clay from what I remember, and Becker is 0-6 against Karlovic in his career including 0-2 on clay. Ivo has a rather lucky draw but he should fall to Almagro given his 0-3 h2h record against the Spaniard.
Bottom Half:
Tommy Robredo, who is 5-3 on clay this year, will face off with Santiago Giraldo or Matt Ebden in his first match, as Giraldo comes off Davis Cup, but could give the Spaniard a good clay court battle if he’s fresh enough. Their h2h is 1-1 and Robredo won the only meeting on clay in 2011 in 3 sets with a final set tiebreak.
Santi is 4-4 on clay this year, but I think Robredo will get to the quarters. Robredo’s quarterfinal opponent is a bit of a tossup, as Feliciano Lopez, the 5 seed, will face Baghdatis/Gonzalez in round 2 to decide it. Feli will be playing his first clay court tennis of the year but his reasonable form should allow him to reach the quarters before falling to Robredo who he is 0-4 career against including 0-2 on clay.
Their lasting meeting came in 2009, and their last clay meeting was in 2007.
The semifinalist from the section above the Robredo section will be interesting. Cases can be made for 4 seed Fernando Verdasco, former champion Juan Monaco, who was a semifinalist last year, and even the very hot Steve Johnson, who just won the La Gosier challenger on hard courts. Problem is, Johnson is another American who is rather hopeless on clay. Verdasco will face Johnson or Denis Kudla in round 2. Stevie J is 4-0 career against Kudla, and just beat him in Le Gosier, however if Johnson is tired coming off a quick turnaround, and the fact this is clay, Denis could get him back. They have never met on the surface before.
Regardless, Verdasco who has lost 2 straight matches, and will be playing for the first time on clay this year, probably makes the quarterfinals to do battle with Monaco. Monaco has to beat Indian Davis Cup hero Somdev Devvarman, who will be traveling in from Korea from that and should be jetlagged, then a qualifier or Donald Young to reach that point. Pico has also lost 2 straight and is 2-4 on clay this year but should he make the quarters, his 5-2 h2h clay court record against the Spaniard will be a big plus in his favor. That said, their last four clay court meetings were split 2-2 and Verdasco won the last meeting at the 2011 French.
Given Monaco has been struggling this year, I expect Verdasco to survive.
Dark Horse: Daniel Gimeno-Traver
Hard to see a non-seeded dark horse do something with this draw, but it has happened before, and a steady dirtballer like DGT is a prime selection. After a competitive Russell in the first round and even though his h2h with Almagro is a pitiful 1-5 on clay, Nico has been struggling. If he catches him out of sorts, he has a chance to reach the quarters. DGT took a set off Nico in Buenos Aires this year, losing 6-1 5-7 4-6. From there, he has an outside shot at the semis against Isner most likely, as Karlovic/qualifier isn’t the toughest clay court opponent.
Predictions Semis:Isner d. Almagro
Robredo d. Verdasco
A rematch of last years Houston final, Isner beat Almagro in straights, and I think he would do so again if form is any indication. Almagro has one other clay win in Davis Cup 2012, and an overall split h2h of 2-2 across all surfaces.
Robredo is 4-0 on clay against Verdasco, while struggling against him on faster surfaces, in a somewhat strange head to head, their last meeting on clay occurring 3 years ago, given current form, I think Tommy will slide past all comers into the final.
Final:
Isner d. Robredo
They met twice in 2010, and both times on hard courts, with the h2h 1-1. This is a hard pick, as both players have had streaks of great play, and then gaps of poor tennis in between, and really it depends on which guy will come to play. Isner is playing in the states, he likes the Houston Har-Tru clay, which is very different from European red clay, and he’s probably in slightly better form if he stays healthy.
I have him winning this one in 3 sets.
If you’re looking for Nemo, he’s in Casa.
ATP Casablanca
Grand Prix Hassan II
ATP World Tour 250
Casablanca, Morocco
April 7-April 13, 2014
Prize Money: € 426,605
Top 4 seeds (who all receive first round byes) (ATP ranking in parentheses)
1: Kevin Anderson (19)
2: Gael Monfils (25)
3: Benoit Paire (33)
4: Marcel Granollers (36)
Just one top 20 player for the Casablanca 250, but the players themselves are capable of playing above their rankings and are recognizable names. It should also be noted that world number 27 Gilles Simon is attempting to qualify here, assuming because he refused a late wild card and opted to do so to get more match practice. Not really sure the reason, but he is a very strong qualifier should he get through.
First Round matchups to watch: Tobias Kamke vs. Pablo Carreno Busta
Kamke performed admirably in a rare Davis Cup call up for team Germany, going 1-1 in singles with a win against Benneteau and a loss against Tsonga. He will have to do a quick turnaround and a surface change to clay as he will face the formerly rising Spaniard Carreno Busta, who has been really struggling as of late and has seen his stock cool off. PCB has lost 5 straight matches and is a miserable 1-8 this year, but he has played all of them at the ATP level. Credit to him for trying to match his game with the best. He will hope to find his game against at the site of his first career ATP main draw level victory, Casablanca, where he reached round 2 as a qualifier last year. He was an overall 43-12 on clay last year, which includes mostly futures and challengers and knows his way around the surface.
He should be a slight favorite against the journeyman German, who should be fatigued.
Teymuraz Gabashvili vs. Carlos Berlocq
Gabashvili is back in the top 60 at the age of 28–in fact–59, which ties a career high for him that came back in 2009. He will face off with the Argentine Berlocq, known for his expressive grunting and stamina. His h2h record is 2-0 against the Argentine, though both meetings came at 2005 challengers a long time ago. They were both on clay, however, and both players are good on the surface, as they both posted winning records on it last year.
Berlocq is 2-2 on the surface this year and this match is a bit of a toss up, but I give Gaba a slight edge to advance.
(5)Joao Sousa vs. Igor Sijsling
Sousa, who is seeded here, should be able to take care of Sijsling without problem, but this is a good form test match for the improving Portugese number 1, as Sijsling has lost 2 straight and isn’t his strongest on clay. Sousa is 2-2 on the surface this year and reached the third round of Miami last, as he has rekindled some form after struggling at the start of the season.
This is their first meeting and I expect a straight set result.
Top Half:
Kevin Anderson, who had his best year on clay ever in 2013, going 11-5 on the surface including a final here in Casablanca, is the top seed. He faces Victor Hanescu or wild card Hicham Khaddari in round 2 and should be on his way to face one of two qualifiers or Federico Delbonis/Filippo Volandri in the quarters.
Wherever potential qualifier Gilles Simon lands will be a big influence on this draw, even with the Frenchman struggling, and should he qualify and land in this section, he has a shot at the quarters. That being said, Delbonis is 7-3 on clay this year and was a finalist in Sao Paulo. He continues to improve and has a good draw here, thus I expect an Anderson vs. Delbonis quarter.
Marcel Granollers is in awful form, and might become a doubles specialist soon if it continues. He has lost 4 straight, is just 1-7 in his last 8 matches, and went just 1-4 on clay during the golden swing in South America. He will probably be an underdog in his first match against Albert Ramos, Ramos just needing to beat wild card Lamine Ouahab, who is probably more famous for switching his nationality from Algerian to Moroccan because of the tennis federation support than anything else, to reach round 2. Ramos is 10-6 on clay this year and has consecutive clay challenger semifinals on his résumé. I expect him to make the quarters against PCB/Kamke or Robin Haase/Aleksandr Nedovyesov. Haase is good on clay and will be looking to return to form, while Nedovyesov comes off Davis Cup duty against Switzerland, and will likely be fatigued. However, he’s in good enough form and good on clay.
Any of those 4 players would be more than pleased to find some form and make the quarters.
Bottom Half:
Gael Monfils is his usual unpredictable self: After struggling In Miami, he came up big for France in Davis Cup, winning a deciding fifth rubber. He had such a strong start to 2014, only to go 1-3 in his last 4 ATP matches. He’s certainly good on clay, but the questions are is he healthy, fresh, coming off DC, and focused, as “personal problems” and injuries have dogged him on and off. He will face Jiri Vesely or Leo Mayer first up, as Vesely comes off DC duty and will be traveling a long way from Japan. Thus, his first opponent will probably be Mayer, who has a clay court final this year in Vina Del Mar. Assuming Monfils doesn’t have something strange occur, It should be a Monfils vs. Sousa/Sijsling in the quarters. However, there are another 2 qualifier spots in that section, and should Simon land there, assuming he qualifies, he himself has a good shot at the quarters. Don’t forget that Sousa is solid and probably makes it regardless, given the poor form of Simon.
Benoit Paire will be playing for the first time since January in Casablanca. The talented Frenchman with the gifted backhand, who is just competitive on clay but not elite by any standard, will face the aging defender Albert Montanes or Le Gosier challenger finalist Kenny De Schepper in round 2. He will probably be rusty, and Montanes has a shot at the quarters. Or maybe Paire will pull through.
In the section above, Gabashvili/Berlocq or Guillermo Garcia-Lopez/Mikhail Kukushkin await in the quarters. GGL is struggling, having lost 4 straight on clay, and Kukushkin comes off Davis Cup duty and will probably be fatigued, along with the surface change.
Dark Horse: Albert Ramos
The formerly top 40 Spaniard has a great draw that should put him in the semifinals. After the journeyman Ouahab and the ice cold Granollers, any of Haase/Nedovyesov/Kamke/PCB he should be favored against and he will at least be competitive against Anderson/Delbonis/Simon in the semis.
Predictions Semis:
Delbonis d. Ramos
Sousa d. Montanes
Delbonis lost to Anderson on clay in 2012, but he’s improving and I like him as an upset selection to win the title or at least make the final. he is 2-2 career on clay against Ramos, and won their last meeting in 2012 in Madrid.
I think Sousa will upset Monfils, even though I’m totally gambling on that pick, and Sousa or Monfils will be a favorite over Montanes or someone else in the semis. Paire could find form, perhaps, or maybe GGL/Berlocq.
Rest assured, it’ll be competitive.
Final:
Delbonis d. Sousa
Delbonis beat Sousa on clay this year in what would be the second career ATP final for them both. They would both be vying for their second career ATP title, as Delbonis won Sao Paulo this year. Given the 1-0 h2h and the current form, I like Delbonis as champion.
2014 ATP @DelrayBeachOpen Preview, Picks Steen Kirby, Tennis East Coast
We’re looking forward to providing you with some on-site coverage from Delray Beach this week from Jonathan Morgan.
ATP Delray Beach Delray Beach Open by The Venetian® Las Vegas
ATP World Tour 250
Delray Beach, Florida, USA
February 17-February 23, 2014|
Prize Money: $474,005
Top 4 seeds (ATP ranking in parentheses)
1: Tommy Haas (12)
2: John Isner (13)
3: Kei Nishikori (16)
4: Kevin Anderson (22)
All the seeds are ranked in the top 40, giving Delray Beach a good field for a 250, and a better field than Memphis last week.
First Round matchups to watch:
(6)Feliciano Lopez vs. Sam Querrey
Lopez lost his opening match in Memphis and will be looking to rebound against Querrey, who is struggling badly right now, having lost four straight matches. That 4 straight includes a very bad loss to Alex Bogomolov in Memphis where he choked away the lead. Lopez has a 2-1 edge against Querrey on outdoor hard courts historically, and should be favored in this one as well.
(8)Lleyton Hewitt vs. Bradley Klahn
The 23-year-old American Bradley Klahn will have a great chance at winning his fourth career ATP main draw level match against the tenacious veteran Hewitt, who won the Delray Beach title way back in 1999.
Klahn is up to 67 in the rankings, a career high, and is on a 10 match winning streak, having won 2 straight hard court challengers in Hawaii and Australia. Klahn is at the point in his career ranking-wise where he is going to have to step up to the tougher competition of the ATP level, but I think he is talented and has a good mental focus that will give him staying power in the long term.
Hewitt played poorly in Memphis, though he did win a match, and he is just 1-4 in his last five matches. He will grind away against Klahn’s quality forehand, and I’m going with Bradley to pull off the upset.
(5)Vasek Pospisil vs. Alejandro Falla
Vasek Pospisil
This is a rematch of the Bogota semifinals last year which Falla won in 3 tough sets against Pospisil. Pospisil returns to the ATP tour after a back injury sidelined him for a few weeks. Vashy has a great chance to make some noise and keep moving up his ranking, but matches against steady competitors like Falla are must wins for any top 30 player.
Falla is playing well this year, as he has won 2 challengers, including a hard court challenger.
This match is a toss-up to me, and a lot depends on if Pospisil’s rust factor.
Jiri Vesely vs. (WC) Marcos Baghdatis
Baghdatis finally won a match this year, beating Rajeev Ram in the opening round of Memphis. He played well for a set against Hewitt in Memphis, but then fell apart and crashed out. He’s just not a reliable competitor anymore, having fallen well outside the top 100.
Vesely, meanwhile, continues to rise and he grabbed a nice win against Marinko Matosevic in Memphis before being drubbed by Jack Sock in the next round. The Czech is talented but struggles with consistently playing well. All that said, he should be favored against Baggy, and I think he gets this win.
Top Half:
Zagreb finalist Tommy Haas lost in the second round of Rotterdam and has made his way back to the states.
He opens with a qualifier and will face Mikhail Kukushkin or a qualifier in round 2. Haas vs. Lopez/Querrey is the likely quarterfinal, though Jack Sock/Adrian Mannarino are also in this section.
Sock repeated as a quarterfinalist in Memphis, and gets a wild card. He just beat Mannarino in Memphis last week. Overall, he is 2-0 against the Frenchman, with both of those wins coming on hard courts this year. Sock beat Haas in Auckland in January on hard courts, and Tommy will be looking for revenge if he meets him in the quarters.
Kevin Anderson returns to the ATP tour against Tim Smyczek. Anderson is 3-0 career against Smyczek, all on hard courts. Anderson should advance to a second round match against fellow big server Ivo Karlovic, a finalist in Memphis. Karlovic will need to beat a qualifier to get there. The h2h in that one is 1-1, with Karlovic having the hard court win in Bogota last year. Karlovic/Anderson vs, Klahn/Hewitt or Marinko Matosevic/David Goffin will be the quarterfinal. Matosevic and Goffin are simply hoping to find form.
Bottom Half:
John Isner also returns to the ATP tour this week after being sidelined with an ankle problem. His first match will be against Memphis semifinalist Michael Russell (Isner 4-0 h2h), and then he will face Dudi Sela or Memphis quarterfinalist Alex Bogomolov in round 2. Isner will get Pospisil/Falla or Vesely/Baghdatis in the quarters, and he should be favored in all of those matches, assuming he is healthy. He feasts on American outdoor hard courts.
Memphis champion and former Delray Champion Kei Nishikori faces a qualifier before Teymuraz Gabashvili/Matt Ebden in round 2 and one of Rendy Lu/Ryan Harrison/Marin Cilic/Benjamin Becker in the quarters.
Cilic comes off the title in Zagreb and the final in Rotterdam, but given the geographic distance and his fatigue level after so much tennis over the past 2 weeks, I suspect he will withdraw and be replaced by a lucky loser. If he does not, I still don’t think he gets past his first 2 matches.
Memphis semifinalist Lu has a great chance at yet another strong showing in what has been a great year for him (reached final in Auckland as well), but he retired in his last match in Memphis and will need to heal quickly.
Becker and Harrison, meanwhile, are struggling with their form. This is a weak section where even a fatigued Nishikori should be able to take advantage.
Dark Horse: Yen-Hsun Lu
Rendy Lu has had a career year thus far, reaching his first ATP final in Auckland and an ATP semi in Memphis, both career showings after 13 years on tour.
He has a chance to shine again in Delray, given the big hole in the draw that is Cilic, who will either be very fatigued, or withdraw. Lu must first beat Ryan Harrison, who he has never defeated in three attempts. If he survives, he will get a tired Cilic or Becker/lucky loser in round 2 and should get Nishikori in the quarters, who could also be fatigued. Lu is a slight favorite for the quarterfinals in my book and has a chance at the semis as an unseeded player.
Predictions
Semis:
Anderson d. Haas
Isner d. Nishikori
Former champion Anderson should get past a fatigued Karlovic and anyone else in his way until the semis, where I predict he meets Haas (1-1 h2h). Their last meeting was a win for Haas in Cincy last year. Haas hasn’t played that well this year though, and he may be tired, giving Kev an edge. This semi would be a meeting of former Delray Beach champions.
Both top 20 players, Isner and Nishikori have surprisingly never met in a tournament match. That being said it’s an outdoor American hard court and Isner is fresh, while Nishikori has played a lot more tennis as of late.
Big John should prevail.
Final:
Isner d. Anderson
Isner and Anderson, two former college tennis players, have met a lot on tour and all but once on outdoor hard courts. Most recently, Isner prevailed in the ATP Atlanta final last year in a close 3 setter.
Isner also beat Anderson in Delray Beach last year in straight sets, but Anderson beat him in the 2012 Delray Beach semifinals en route to a title. Tiebreaks have to be expected in this one, and both players are coming off of layoffs and have struggled to stay healthy. I give Isner a slight edge because of the 5-4 hard court h2h record.
There’s nothing worse than that feeling when you’ve been caught in a fib by Mom.
The Mom in this case is US Fed Cup Captain Mary Joe Fernandez.
Veteran Freelancer Sandra Harwitt is the Helen Thomas of the tennis press (before the White House correspondent lost it). Today, she mentioned to Fernandez–almost in passing–that Stephens was playing in Doha. In fact, she’s scheduled tomorrow against Petra Cetkovska.
Fernandez countered, “You sure Sloane’s in Doha? She had a wrist injury”. El Capitan was clearly caught off-guard by the news. After all, she has been quite busy for the last week.
As you may remember, Stephens decided against participating in the Fed Cup tie due to a wrist injury two weeks ago.
Diplomatically-yet-not-so-cryptically, she added the following:
I respect and I admire my team’s decision to play Fed Cup over Doha.
It’s tough. There’s tournaments every week, there’s points to be won every week. Fed Cup comes not very often.
So, if you can make this a priority, I think it’s incredible and I think you get a lot out of it. As a player, it’s some of my fondest memories.
But I understand the challenges. And that was one of Venus’ challenges.
You have to make a decision on what’s your priorities and what’s important to you.
Don’t you hate it when Mom talks like that? She didn’t scold you, but she did. Just a little bit.
Steve Fogleman is Editor of TennisEastCoast.com, a Mid-Atlantic based tennis website. He is in Cleveland, Ohio covering the Fed Cup tie between USA and Italy for Tennis Panorama News.
Davis Cup World Group Round 1 Preview Steen Kirby, Tennis East Coast
Davis Cup 2014 will kickoff at locations around the globe shortly as a fresh season brings some
strong teams and competitive first round matchups in the World Group round of 16.
Here is our preview of all the action.
Czech Republic vs. Netherlands
Defending champions Czech Republic will host the Dutch on indoor hard courts. Led by Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek, they will be strong favorites against a Dutch team led by Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling. Rounding out the teams are Jiri Vesely and Lukas Rosol for the Czechs, and Thiemo De Bakker and doubles specialist Jean-Julien Rojer for the Dutch.
Berdych, who comes off the semifinals of the Australian Open, should win both of his singles rubbers, and then the Czechs only need to win the doubles or either of the singles rubbers (likely on the racquet of Stepanek), in order to win the tie. The Dutch have a decent team but not enough starpower to compete, especially with Sijsling and Haase out of form.
The Pick: Czech Republic
Japan vs. Canada
A couple of the newer tennis power countries in the world, Tokyo will be the place and indoor hard courts will be the surface. Japan, led by Kei Nishikori, will face a Canadian team now led by Vasek Pospisil as their top singles player. Milos Raonic had to pull out of the tie because of injury. Rounding out team Japan are the challenger level competitors Go Soeda and Yuichi Sugita, along with Yasutaka Uchiyama.
Team Canada has iron horse Daniel Nestor as their doubles specialist, plus Peter Polansky and Frank Dancevic, a couple of solid experienced competitors who appear to be taking on the responsibility of the 4 singles rubbers.
Pospisil comes off a back injury suffered in Australia, while Nishikori made the round of 16 there and appears to be in excellent form. I expect Kei to win both his singles rubbers against Polansky and Dancevic. It will all come down to the doubles, where Canada likely has the edge with Nestor/Pospisil and the Soeda/Dancevic Soeda/Polansky matches that could very well go either way and will likely decide this tie.
Given the location, I think home court advantage will help Japan get the result it needs, and they should win this tie in close fashion, perhaps 3-2.
The Pick: Japan
Germany vs. Spain
Indoor hard in Frankfurt will give Team Germany a massive chance to upset the Spanish Armada and reach the quarterfinals. They have a strong team made up of Philipp Kohlschreiber, Tommy Haas, Daniel Brands and Florian Mayer. Spain counters with the red hot Roberto Bautista Agut, Feliciano Lopez, Fernando Verdasco and doubles specialist David Marrero.
One has to expect RBA, given his excellent form in Melbourne (where he upset Juan Martin Del Potro, and also scored 2 other wins to reach the round of 16), to win both his singles rubbers. He’ll face an out of form Kohlschreiber and an in form Mayer, who is playing well, but probably less skilled on an indoor hard court.
However, Mayer is in superior form to Feliciano Lopez and the Kohlschreiber-Lopez match should be a close one. Peppo has played well in Davis Cup, but Daniel Brands is also a good back up option for the Germans as he is also a good player, especially on the surface.
Lopez also has a positive 3-1 hard court record against Peppo.
The doubles edge goes to Spain with Marrero/Verdasco being such an accomplished team over Brands/Haas. Haas is coming off of injury issues in January. Germany will have a major chance, but RBA winning twice, plus the doubles, and or Lopez getting a singles win, should allow Spain to advance.
The Pick: Spain
France vs. Australia
Probably the most interesting tie, in my opinion, of this World Group first round. Indoor red clay in France will be the location for the star power rich tie of the Tricolor vs the Green and Gold.
Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, both top 10 players, are the trend setters for France against the emerging young star Nick Kyrgios and the wily Davis Cup stalwart Lleyton Hewitt for Australia.
France also has a seemingly healthy and in form Gael Monfils on call and Julien Benneteau to play the doubles, while Australia has Thanasi Kokkinakis, another emerging star on call, and Chris Guccione to play doubles with Hewitt.
Given this is clay, Tsonga and Gasquet (even an out of form Gasquet), should dispatch Hewitt for 2 wins, as would Monfils, and that puts a lot of pressure on Kyrgios. Though he has talent and swagger, and he’s slowly coming into his own with a bright future ahead, I’m not sure it’s generation now quite yet, especially given the surface.
France could sweep this tie if they win the doubles, but every match should be good. It will be a meaningful experience for Kyrgios and also Kokkinakis if he plays, as they are the future anchors of Aussie hopes in the Davis Cup.
The Pick: France
USA vs. Great Britain
Petco Park in San Diego will be the venue for this clay court tie between two of the most legendary tennis playing nations who have fallen on tough times in recent years with their tennis star development. That being said, Team USA still has the legendary Bryan Brothers for doubles, and Great Britain has Andy Murray to lead them out of the gate.
Finishing out the teams are Sam Querrey for the USA, along with Donald Young, who replaces an injured John Isner. For team GB, Colin Fleming the doubles specialist, journeyman James Ward, and the up and coming Kyle Edmund round out the side.
Though the USA went with clay to try and neutralize the best parts of Murray’s game, he still has to be a solid favorite against a seemingly consistent but not red hot Querrey, and in form but less talented Young. Neither of them play that well on clay anyway. Really, none of these players do.
Murray should win both singles rubbers.
The Bryans have to be favored in doubles for the USA over Fleming/Murray though that isn’t a total lock.
Captain Leon Smith has nominated Ward, who has played some good DC matches but is out of form, and generally plays better on faster surfaces, over the less experienced, but better on clay and more talented Edmund for the other two singles rubbers.
Querrey and Young should grab wins, and win this for the USA 3-2 most likely.
The only way I see the result being different is if Smith changes his mind and goes with Edmund for Sunday singles against Young. Team GB could have a chance in that scenario, or if they pull off an upset in the doubles.
Querrey will need to play as he did in the first 2 rounds of the Australian Open, rather than the lethargic performance he put up against Fabio Fognini in round 3, and Young will need to mentally keep it together. All that said, every player will be adjusting surfaces, especially Murray, who is still not 100% back to total performance after his back surgery and has not played on clay in a long while.
The Pick: USA
Argentina vs. Italy
Clay will be the surface in Argentina as they face Italy in an intriguing Davis Cup Tie. Carlos Berlocq and Juan Monaco, both of whom are into clay, but neither of whom are in form at all, will take on Andreas Seppi and Fabio Fognini of Italy.
Rounding out the teams are Simone Bolelli and Filippo Volandri for Italy, and Eduardo Schwank and Horacio Zeballos for Argentina.
Argentina plays exceptionally well at home, but Seppi and Fognini have to be the favorites given their better form against Berlocq and Monaco. That alone would in theory give the Italians the 3 or 4 singles rubbers wins they need, while the doubles is up in the air between Bolelli/Volandri and Schwank/Zeballos, all of whom are out of form and pretty pedestrian.
Argentina may survive but I don’t see it happening, Italy is the favorite.
The Pick: Italy
Kazakhstan vs. Belgium
Astana’s indoor hard courts will play host the Belgian team, as the Kazaks have Andrey Golubev and Mikhail Kukushkin as their top 2 along with Evgeny Korolev/Denis Yevseyev for their doubles pairing against Ruben Bemelmans, David Goffin, Kimmer Coppejans and the veteran Oliver Rochus rounding out team Belgium.
This tie should be close given the middling ranks of all participating players, but I have to give Bemelmans and Goffin a slight edge in singles, though Kukushkin could come through. The Belgians will be favored in the doubles with the rising youngster Coppejans and the veteran Rochus. Golubev qualified for the Australian Open but retired in the first round with an injury, and may not be back into match form.
The Pick: Belgium
Serbia vs. Switzerland
If Novak Djokovic, Janko Tipsarevic and Viktor Troicki were competing for Team Serbia, this tie would be quite competitive and star studded. Instead, Serbia has a C team of Dusan Lajovic, Ilija Bozoljac, Filip Krajinovic and the doubles specialist Nenad Zimonjic, while Switzerland has their A team of Roger Federer, Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka and also the doubles team of Marco Chiudinelli/Michael Lammer.
With Federer and Wawrinka both in great form (Wawrinka in fact red hot, though he may be slightly fatigued), and Serbia not having a top 100 singles player, outside of the doubles, we could be looking at the home Serbs being swept out of the building on indoor hard by the Swiss.
The mercy rule may need invoking.
The Pick: Switzerland
Notable Action Outside the World Group:
Yuki Bhambri, Somdev Devvarman and India take on Taiwan in Asia-Oceania Group 1 action.
Jerzy Janowicz and Poland face a Russian team led by Dmitry Tursunov and the young Karen Khachanov in Moscow on indoor hard in Europe-Africa Group 1 action.
Joao Sousa and Portugal face Slovenia in EA Group 1 and a Sergiy Stakhovsky led Ukranian team face Victor Hanescu and Romania in the same group.
Tennis Atlantic 