Tennis Acumen

Nitto ATP Finals championship match expert picks: Medvedev vs. Zverev

This article originally appeared on The Grandstand.

Expert picks are back for the grand finale in Turin, where the title is coming down to Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev. A three-team panel previews the action and makes its predictions for this showdown between the world No. 2 and world No. 3.

(2) Daniil Medvedev vs. (3) Alexander Zverev

Ricky Dimon (The Grandstand): It’s not quite Novak Djokovic vs. Daniil Medvedev, but it’s still pretty darn good. Medvedev vs. Alexander Zverev is a great rivalry between two guys who could be the two best players in the world when the Big 3 are gone. Right now, though, a clear edge goes to Medvedev. The only question is: just how bid of an edge? On one hand, the Russian has won a hard-to-believe five in a row in the head-to-head series–including a 6-2, 6-2 beatdown at the Paris Masters. On the other hand, Zverev pushed Medvedev to 8-6 in the third-set tiebreaker during round-robin action on Tuesday. Given how well the German is playing this week (especially against Djokovic in the semifinals), I think he can once again be competitive. Still, Medvedev has been the best player on tour this fall, he is 9-0 in his last nine matches at the Nitto ATP Finals, he had a much easier semifinal on Saturday, and a lightning-fast surface is slightly more advantageous for him than it is for Zverev. This should be a fun one; it should also be another Medvedev win. Medvedev in 3: 7-5, 4-6, 6-3

Cheryl Murray (The Grandstand): Before the tournament started I had Zverev penciled in as the winner. And after his rather impressive performance against Djokovic in the semis, I’m amused to report that I’ve changed my mind. It’s not that Zverev isn’t playing well. His match against Djokovic featured some of the best tennis of the week and he held his nerve admirably after dropping the second set. It’s just that Medvedev has been so much better than everyone else that it’s hard to imagine Zverev stopping him.

Medvedev handed Zverev his only loss this week, actually. The two men were both in the Red Group and met in their second round-robin match; the Russian won in three. Medvedev has won their last five meetings and with the world No. 2 playing as well as he has this week, it’s hard to imagine the streak coming to an end. Medvedev in 3: 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-4.

Pete Ziebron (Tennis Acumen): Dating back to 54 weeks ago, Zverev led the head-to-head with Medvedev 5-1. Since that time, the Russian is 5-0 and therefore the scoreboard now reads 6-5 in his favor. The German stunned Djokovic in the semifinals at the Olympics and also denied the Serb an opportunity to win the ATP Finals for a sixth time in these semifinals. In Turin, the Olympic gold medalist has only fallen to Medvedev–and that was in three sets earlier this week. Medvedev needed to go the distance in each of his round-robin contests before correcting course and sweeping Ruud in his semifinal. The defending champion has dropped just three sets in his last five matches against Zverev and has his eyes squarely set on another win. This would give the world No. 2 the U.S. Open as well as the year-end championship in a season that was entirely dominated by Djokovic heading into New York. Zverev has now twice prevented Djokovic from winning this event for the first time since 2015 (previously in the 2018 final). For Zverev, that fact will be something to build on in 2022; on Sunday, Medvedev makes it six straight in the series. Medvedev in 3: 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

 

 

Sakkari vs. Halep & Giorgi vs. Rus in 269

PETE ZIEBRON

Camila Giorgi in action.  Pete Ziebron Images

First time matchups are intriguing, especially when they occur deep in a tournament.  The WTA quarterfinals in both Moscow and Tenerife have four in total and here we will look at two in particular.  The Kremlin Cup features third seed Maria Sakkari of Greece and the number eight seed Simona Halep of Romania.  Sakkari reached the semifinals of both Roland Garros and the US Open this year, while Halep has won both the French and US Open in the last three years.  Halep is a former world number one while Sakkari is currently at her career high of number seven. The Greek is 4-0 against top five WTA players this year, has seven top-ten wins in 2021 as well as eleven versus the top-twenty. However, she has just one career title, won two years ago in Morocco against Brit Jo Konta.  The winner will play either number one seed Aryna Sabalenka or Ekaterina Alexandrova.  

In Spain, Camila Giorgi of Italy is the lone seed left in the draw and will face Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands.  Giorgi won the biggest title of her career earlier this year in Montreal, however then proceeded to lose four matches in a row before getting back on track in Tenerife.  Rus is a former Junior Australian Open Champion as well as the #1 Junior in the world.  Despite 27 titles on the ITF Circuit, Rus has yet to win one on the WTA Tour.  The Dutch is currently at her career high of world #61.  The winner will face either Maria Camila Osorio Serrano of Colombia or Saisai Zheng of China.

 

 

Jurij Rodionov: Favorite Places, Favorite Things

On  a hot streak, Austrian Jurij Rodionov sat down with Karl Corbett of Tennis Acumen in February, 2020. At the time, he was burning through opponents on the Challenger Tour, and had  won 14 out of his last 15 matches.

 

Karl: As you travel. Jurij,  what are your favorite places on the tour? Your favorite cities?

Jurij: I'm someone who likes to focus more on the tournament, rather than enjoy sightseeing. So. I would ask the question: “What courts are available?”  or “What facilities can I take advantage of?” Even when I'm in Paris or  New York or London, I'm not really someone who goes to see the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben or walk around Manhattan. I'm just focused on my tennis,  and I like more to spend time on the courts.

 

Karl: That's very interesting.

Jurij: Generally speaking, the bigger the tournament, the more I look forward to playing  it. There's more for the players: better food, better physical therapy, better changing rooms. So, the bigger the tournament is, the more I enjoy it.

 

Karl: You're very focused. You're  very disciplined.

Jurij: Yeah, on a normal day I spend six to eight hours on a tennis court or doing fitness or stretching. So, there is not really a lot of time to do anything else.

 

Karl: What do you enjoy besides tennis, Jurij? Food, fashion, music?

Jurij: I am very focused on tennis, but I have a personal life, too, even if it doesn't seem like it.  I like watching movies, listening to music. I also like to play games video games. Yeah, that's a big hobby. And I also like to spend time with friends.  It’s always important to get out of my bubble sometimes.

 

Karl: Tell us a couple of movies that you like.

Jurij: I love the Lord of the Rings movies.  I am a big Lord of the Rings fan. Definitely. You know, I am one of those fans that knows every quote and every single line.

 

Karl: Some of your favorite music, your favorite bands.

Jurij: I love Linkin Park and the  Red Hot Chili Peppers. I also like some German bands. Well, I'm someone who likes almost every style of music, except maybe hip hop. That's maybe not my style, but except for that, I'm up for everything.

 

 Jurij Rodionov, talks about his 'breakthrough'  tennis, here: (LINK)

John Patrick Smith - Favourite Places on the Tour

John  Patrick Smith, from Australia, attended the University of Tennessee from 2007 through 2011, where he was a four-time All-American and made it to the college No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles. Tennis Acumen talked with JP in early 2020. Here's one part of that exclusive interview.

Tennis Acumen: What are some of your favourite cities on the tour, J.P.?

J. P. Smith: Newport, Rhode Island, definitely.

 

Tennis Acumen: Why is that?

J. P. Smith: Newport is just really great ,in the sense that I have played that event every year since I finished college. They have the Tennis Hall of Fame up there in Rhode Island. So, I’ve enjoyed that event. I also love Atlanta. I have won there before, in doubles there. I do enjoy New York, Washington, D.C. I just love the U.S., because there’s a unique sort of swing to every place. Across the globe, as well: Australia, London.

 

Tennis Acumen: Favourite cities back in Australia? What's your hometown?

J. P. Smith: My hometown is Townsville, in Queensland. I love Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, all those lead-up events for the Australian Open.

 

Tennis Acumen: And do you pay attention to the crowds when you are on court? You have a home court advantage in Australia.

J. P. Smith: I have a lot of friends come down watch me during the Australian Open. It’s really fun to have the support. I always have a lot of friends who watch me online, watching the live stream, keeping track, so it’s reallycool.

 

Tennis Acumen: When you're not playing tennis, what do you enjoy: movies, music, food, fashion?

J. P. Smith: Music. I love live concerts. I try to get to a concert, wherever I’m playing. I went to three, just last year. Yeah and just kind of. Right now I'm into a lot of reading, especially when I am on planes. I used to enjoy a couple of TV shows, but it’s hard keeping up with so much stuff, on Netflix and all these other streaming services. Now, I don't even bother unless I get a really good recommendation.

 

Tennis Acumen: And what books are you reading right now?

J. P. Smith: I have been reading Ayn Rand, she has a few good books there. Mainly to do with economics and sort of that sort of stuff.

 

Tennis Acumen: Does that tie in with your college education?

J. P. Smith: A little bit. I chose economics back then. Obviously, I love economics but, I am not sure what I am going to do after tennis, but economics offered a very broad business spectrum so, that's why I chose it.

 

Tennis Acumen: So you haven't really thought too deeply about life after tennis.

J. P. Smith: Not really. To be honest, tennis is kind of a hit and miss sport, in the sense that one week, you can do well, and the next week you don’t do well. You can't really plan ahead for results, and that, I think goes for after tennis, as well .

 

Tennis Acumen: JP, some guys on the tour absolutely love to win more than anything and some guys just hate to lose. Where are you on that spectrum between loving to win and hating to lose?

 

J. P. Smith: I'm somewhere right in the middle there. I’m very thankful to get a chance to play here. It’s my job, you know. I don’t expect to win every day. At the end of the day, you're healthy, you're playing a sport you love for a job, and you have to be very thankful for that.

Tennis Acumen: OK, thank you very much, JP. Appreciate it.

J. P. Smith: No worries, mate. Thank you.

 

Tennis Acumen: Good luck.

Reilly Opelka: Favorite Places on the Tour

At the end of 2018, American tennis player Reilly Opelka was ranked alongside Croatian Ivo Karlovic, age 40. The two tallest players on tour, at 6’ 11”, both with a huge serve. Within weeks, Opelka won the  New York 250 title, and took a firm lead in rankings over Karlovic. It was a changing of the guard.   This is part of a series based on Karl Corbett's exclusive interview with Reilly Opelka.

(photo credit: Karl Corbett,  (c) Tennis Acumen)

Karl: As you have started traveling more and more, what are some of your favorite cities?

Reilly: I have a few. I like New York City a lot. New York's great. Not that I could live there but… I am a huge ‘foodie’, and a lot of the best restaurants in the United States are in New York. I like Miami a lot as well. I live near Miami. I know it well. I am a big fan of Miami. I also like Milan (Italy).

 

Karl: What is it about Milan that you love?

Reilly: Food as well. I'm also big into fashion. So, Milan has a nice mix of food, fashion and art.

I do like all the cities in the States. Chicago? Well, Chicago's great. Especially in the summertime. You can't beat it. But yeah, those are my favorite cities so far.

 

Karl: You’ll be seeing more. Reilly, how has your life changed in the last year?

Reilly: Well, a lot has changed. You know, this time last year, I was ranked #150 and unable to play. I had mono (mononucleosis). So, I was sitting at home on the couch all summer. And now I'm just cracking the top 50, just here this week.

So, what’s changed? I am pretty independent now. I just bought a house in Boca Raton. So, I'm based in Boca. I have my coach there working with me. I also have a coach here, based in Atlanta, but he travels with me: JY, Jean-Yves Aubone. I have my physio team set up so I couldn't be happier with my team, my environment. My whole setup for for my job is perfect.

 

There's more to this interview. Take a look around, end enjoy.....

Vasek Pospisil: Favorite Places on the Tour

Vasek Pospisil is a Canadian tennis player, ranked as high as number 25 in the world in singles. As 2020 begins, Pospisil is starting off strong, with victories over #15 Denis Shapovalov, #9 David Goffin, former #7 Richard Gasquet and #5 Daniil Medvedev. Perhaps it has something to do with the Canadian maple syrup he's been bringing on court with him.

This interview was an exclusive with Karl Corbett of Tennis Acumen, in Knoxville, Tennessee, November 2019.

(photo credit: Karl Corbett,  (c) Tennis Acumen)

Karl: Vasek, you've obviously traveled a lot. What are some of your favorite cities, your favorite places on the tour?

Vasek: I love Rome, everything about it: the food, the history, the people. So, Rome is great. I love Italy in general. I love the countryside. That's probably a top one for me. I mean honestly, what I relate most is Italy on the whole. Rome just happens to be the city that I go to and play. In Italy, all my experiences in Italy have been really great. Going back to when I was playing futures, and smaller events, any time I went to Italy I just really enjoyed my time For one, I love great food, which is not a problem now, necessarily…. but it might be after my career, potentially. (smiles) But second, I just relate to the people. I think they're very open and honest. They're family oriented. They have good values. I like the Italian people, so when I'm there I just have a good time.

 

Karl: That’s brilliant, Are there other cities that really stand out?

Vasek: I love Vancouver. I try not to be too biased, just because I'm from there. Of all the cities that I have traveled to around the world, Vancouver has something special. I feel I could move there, and stay, after my career. My brothers are there. I love the mountains. There's something about the energy of the city. It's a big city with a small city feel and it has a bit everything. Vancouver would be my probably my favorite city to go to. I also have a lot of friends there, as well.

 

Karl: Having friends and family....  that's a pull you feel in Vancouver. And where else can you see snow covered mountains plunging into the ocean? It's a beautiful place.

Vasek: Yes, it is, and it's a great lifestyle.

 

There's more in this series of interviews....  and maybe more maple syrup in Vasek's future.

READ MORE: How does Vasek deal with setbacks and surgery?  (LINK)

Send a link to a friend... follow Vasek at facebook.com/VasekPospisilTennis

#VasekPospisil , @vasek.pospisil

2021 U.S. Open final expert picks: Novak Djokovic vs. Daniil Medvedev

This article originally appeared on The Grandstand.

Expert picks at the U.S. Open are wrapping up with the men’s singles final on Sunday. It’s Novak Djokovic vs. Daniil Medvedev, with history on the line. A three-team panel previews the action and makes its predictions.

(1) Novak Djokovic vs. Daniil Medvedev

Ricky Dimon: I can see valid arguments on both sides. Djokovic has not been dominant this fortnight, Medvedev is 14-1 since Wimbledon, and their head-to-head history has been relatively competitive. But I think all of that goes out the door in this situation: not only a major final, but also one in which Djokovic is facing someone other than Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer. And it’s not just any major final; the calendar-year Grand Slam and 21 slam titles are on the line. Nobody has ever been as tough mentally under these kinds of conditions as the 34-year-old Serb. Oh, yeah; he’s not too shabby physically, either. Medvedev is not the kind of player who can hit Djokovic off the court; the Russian is going to have to beat him at his own game. That just isn’t happening in this particular match. It’s too important for Djokovic; it’s an opportunity he probably won’t come close to letting slip away. Djokovic in 4: 7-6(4), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

Cheryl Murray: It’s not that Medvedev can’t beat Djokovic. The world No. 1 holds a 5-3 record over the underdog–hardly an emphatic head-to-head edge. It’s just that Medvedev won’t. History is on the line on Sunday. BIG history. A calendar-year Grand Slam. It’s the kind of moment for which Novak Djokovic is uniquely suited. It’s no accident that the player with probably the most impressive mental toughness of all time is poised to do the unthinkable. He isn’t the greatest server on tour, but he’s probably the best server under pressure. He brings the heat exactly when he needs to. There is also the fact that Djokovic just gave Medvedev a shellacking in the final of the Australian Open. This one is going to be more competitive. Djokovic actually hasn’t played as well as he’s capable over this fortnight. The Russian may even take an early lead, but in a best-of-five match on a hard court, it’s simply impossible to pick against Djokovic. Djokovic in 5: 3-6, 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2.

Pete Ziebron: Prior to the start of the U.S. Open, it was being reported that the speed of the courts–particularly Ashe–was faster than anyone could ever recall. This fact “may” be relevant during stretches in this final since it was in Cincinnati two years ago that Medvedev was able to utilize the quick courts there to his advantage to defeat Djokovic and then continue to play exceptional tennis since that time. The speedy courts in New York have been favorable to the Russian, as he has dropped just one set in reaching the final. Djokovic continues to take his time in getting into the flow of his game, as he has inexplicably dropped the opening set in his last four matches. Despite the fact that the last six meetings have been split, it will come down to the ability to focus for more than three hours. Medvedev has had the unfortunate ability to lose his focus (disagreeing with the chair umpire, running into TV cameras on the court, and destroying racquets), which has cost him dearly at times this year. Meanwhile, Djokovic has his eyes firmly on the grandest of prizes that has not been seen on the ATP tour since 1969–the calendar-year Grand Slam. One more win and that monumental accomplishment will be his. Novak Djokovic will not be denied. Djokovic in 5: 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.

 

2021 U.S. Open final expert picks: Leylah Fernandez vs. Emma Raducanu

This article originally appeared on The Grandstand.

Expert picks are back for a most amazing U.S. Open women’s final matchup: 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez against 18-year-old Emma Raducanu. They are ranked No. 73 and No. 150 in the world, respectively. A three-team panel previews the action and makes its predictions.

(Q) Emma Raducanu vs. Leylah Fernandez

Ricky Dimon: Well, it doesn’t get any crazier than this: Leylah Fernandez vs. Emma Raducanu in the U.S. Open final. This all-teenager showdown between two players ranked outside the top 70 (but clearly with top-5 if not even top-1 potential) is must-watch television for tennis fans. Although the quality of play in Saturday’s championship match will almost certainly live up to the hype, I’m not sure the scoreline will do the same. In nine matches at this tournament (three in qualifying), Raducanu is 18-0 in total sets. The 18-year-old Brit has not even been pushed to a tiebreaker and nobody in the main draw has taken more than four games in any set. She is simply crushing people. Fernandez, on the other hand, is coming off four consecutive three-set thrillers. That isn’t her fault; the 19-year-old Canadian has faced a much tougher draw. But the physical and mental struggle of such matches has to take its toll. With Raducanu in this kind of dominant form, you can’t bet against her. Raducanu in 2: 6-3, 6-3.

Cheryl Murray: This might just be the most surprising final in U.S. Open history. Fernandez is ranked 73rd in the world, while Raducanu is ranked 150th. That would be a shock on its own. No Naomi Osaka, no Ash Barty…no one ranked inside the top 70 in the world. What’s more shocking is how we got here. Leylah Annie Fernandez has put together one of the most impressive upset runs I have ever witnessed. It’s not as though the draw opened up in front of her; SHE did the opening. She beat Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Elina Svitolina, and Aryna Sabalenka to earn her spot in the final. Raducanu actually came up through qualifying, becoming the first qualifier in the history of the sport to reach the women’s semifinals of the US Open. Now, of course, she’s the first qualifier to reach the final. The fact that she dropped ZERO sets along the way is all the more extraordinary. It’s splitting hairs to call one player’s run more impressive than the other’s, but if you pinned me down I’d have to say that Fernandez has been a touch more impressive because Raducanu defeated two seed (No. 11 Belinda Bencic and No. 17 Maria Sakkari) en route to the finals and Fernandez defeated 374 seeds–at least that’s how it felt, anyway. There is the off chance that given the difficulty of her matches compared to Raducanu, Fernandez might be more fatigued. But she didn’t look tired against Sabalenka. I think she has one more win in her. Fernandez in 3: 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.

Pete Ziebron: Improbable would be a huge understatement to even attempt to begin to describe the 2021 U.S. Open women’s final matchup between the world No. 73 and a qualifier ranked No. 150. Let’s start with Raducanu: 18 sets won, zero lost; one bagel set and five breadstick sets won. A 7-5 set in the second round of qualifying has been the closest anyone has come to threatening the 18 year-old, who was seeded 31st in the qualifying draw. Next we have Fernandez, 19 years and five days old. She needed to go the distance in each of her last four matches. The opponents she defeated (in order): defending champion Osaka, 2016 U.S. Open champion Kerber, world No. 5 Svitolina, and world No. 2 Sabalenka. The fearlessness that both women have exhibited throughout the tournament has been sensational. Twice Fernandez had to overcome a one-set deficit (against Osaka and Kerber) before prevailing in three. In the final, Fernandez will again drop the opening set but this time she will not have the answers as Raducanu wins 20 consecutive sets to win the match and tournament. Raducanu in 2: 6-4, 6-3.

 

 

2021 U.S. Open semifinal expert picks: Djokovic vs. Zverev, Medvedev vs. Auger-Aliassime

This article originally appeared on The Grandstand.

Expert picks are back for a blockbuster U.S. Open semifinal lineup, which will play out on Friday. Felix Auger-Aliassime is the lone surprise of the quartet, and he will go up against Daniil Medvedev. Novak Djokovic’s bid for the calendar-year Grand Slam continues against Alexander Zverev.

(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (4) Alexander Zverev

Ricky Dimon: After watching the last two Australian Open finals and more recent Grand Slam finals at the French Open and Olympics, I’m not picking anyone from the younger generation to beat Djokovic at a slam–especially not when it gets down to the business end of the tournament. It’s as simple as that. Yes, the world No. 1 lost to Zverev at the Tokyo Olympics, but that’s not the same as a major–and it’s not a best-of-five situation. Djokovic simply goes into a different gear on this stage, and he is doing it to an even greater extent than usual with the calendar-year Grand Slam on the line. It’s obvious from his previous performances this fortnight that he will give opponents a chance for a while, but he will shut the door when the going gets tough. Zverev, who is on a 16-match winning streak, is playing well enough to test the top seed longer and harder than anyone else. But the German won’t be able to do it for four-plus hours in a slam semi. Djokovic in 4: 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Cheryl Murray: For the first time this tournament, Djokovic is playing someone who has a legitimate chance to beat him. Zverev snagged the gold medal out from under Djokovic at the Tokyo Olympics a couple months ago, a surprise to all and sundry since the Serb was the heavy favorite. So the question here isn’t whether Zverev CAN beat him, but whether he actually WILL. And the answer to that question is…probably not. Zverev doesn’t have service yips anymore and he can legitimately stake a claim as one of the top three in-form players in the world right now, but unfortunately for him both guys ahead of him are still in the tournament (Djokovic and Medvedev). Moreover, Djokovic is perhaps the greatest best-of-five player of all time thanks to his superior conditioning and his ability to lose sets but not losing his focus. Expect Zverev to come out serving big and attempt to keep points relatively short, as it’s a well-known occupational hazard to trade groundstrokes with Djokovic. Still, the Serb knows how to win, and history is on the line. He WANTS that calendar slam, and it’s hard to imagine that Zverev is going to stop him. Djokovic in 5: 4-6, 7-5, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2.

Pete Ziebron: Suddenly, the Djokovic-Zverev rivalry is front and center on the ATP Tour as they will play now for the fifth time in the last 10 months and 10th time overall. Djokovic appeared to have a sixth consecutive win in the series at the Tokyo Olympics but suddenly hit the wall, and the German continued his fine play to win that semifinal and later the gold medal. In fact, Djokovic had won 14 of their last 15 sets until dropping two in a row at the Olympics. A pair of impressive streaks are on the line this time with Djokovic riding a 26-match winning streak at the majors and Zverev winning his last 16 matches overall. While Zverev has been efficient on court, including winning his second-round match in just 74 minutes, Djokovic has had sluggish starts to matches–dropping the opening set in each of his last three encounters. Zverev nearly won the U.S. Open last year and is certainly in form in New York again this time. However, this is the 12th time that Djokovic has reached the semifinals. He is completely dialed in especially at this stage of slams and will refuse to let anything get in the way of the historical accomplishment he is determined to achieve with winning the title. Djokovic in 4: 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4).

 

12) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. (2) Daniil Medvedev

Ricky Dimon: Is this going to be competitive? Yes. Auger-Aliassime has been in outstanding form throughout the U.S. Open and he is serving well enough to keep any opponent on his heels. The Canadian has struck the fourth-most aces so far at this tournament (85) and is winning 81 percent of his first-serve points. But is an upset going to happen? It’s doubtful. Similar to playing against Djokovic, it is brutally difficult to outlast Medvedev in a best-of-five situation. The second-ranked Russian often plays a Rafael Nadal-like distance behind the baseline and will put ball after ball back in the court. He has dropped just one set this fortnight, to Botic van de Zandschulp in the quarters. Auger-Aliassime can power his way to a set just like van de Zandschulp did, but the 21-year-old doesn’t yet have the consistency to hang with Medvedev in a best-of-five. Medvedev in 4: 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.

Cheryl Murray: Auger-Aliassime has finally fulfilled the expectations that have surrounded him since he turned pro. The 21-year-old Canadian has been spectacular this fortnight, his form improving a bit each round. He has really hit his stride this summer, as he kicked things off with a quarterfinal showing at Wimbledon. That he runs into a brutally efficient Medvedev in the semis probably means his tournament ends on Friday, however. Medvedev has only dropped a single set in New York to inspired newcomer BVZ in the quarters. Other than that, the Russian has been laser-focused. Medvedev had his slam breakthrough at the 2019 U.S. Open, where he lost an epic five-set final to Nadal. The quick courts suit both players’ games, but Medvedev has more experience handling the big moments and he has been in slightly better form than Auger-Aliassime. The world No. 2 may look awkward with his lanky limbs and unconventional playing style, but he’s absolutely deadly on a hard court when he’s playing well–which he is. Medvedev in 4: 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.

Pete Ziebron: Medvedev is in familiar territory again in New York, having reached at least the semifinals for the third consecutive year. He is looking to reach his third major final in the last eight that have been played. Across the net this time is Auger-Aliassime, who after having difficulty with Russian Evgeny Donskoy in the opening round has steadied his game. With his run to the quarters at Wimbledon, Auger-Aliassime has won nine of his last 10 matches at majors. Medvedev has exceeded the two-hour mark just once in five matches and has only dropped one set in the tournament thus far. Both players have faced just one seed en route to the semifinals. This fact favors the Russian, as Auger-Aliassime will soon realize that the caliber of opposition has been ratcheted up considerably as he takes on the world No. 2. The well-earned place in the semifinals will be a positive going forward for the Canadian, but Medvedev’s firepower will simply be too much on this day. Medvedev in 3: 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.

Benoit Paire in 269

PETE ZIEBRON

Benoit Paire, like Nick Kyrgios, plays his best tennis when the stadium is full, energized and enthusiastic.  Without being able to feed off fan support, the result of the match can be disappointing.

Paire squares off against Nikolai Davydenko in Cincinnati, 2013

photo by Karl Corbett   (c) Tennis Acumen

 

This May in Madrid, Paire elaborated: "When you play in front of people, the thing change a lot.....when the people are coming and watch the match, they support me and that's what I like."

Last night in Cincinnati, Paire converted his 4th match point to defeat #6 seed Denis Shapovalov to advance to the 3rd round.  The victory was Paire's first top ten win since 2017.

While waiting for French press to arrive in Cincinnati in 2015, I had the opportunity to conduct a seven minute one-on one interview with Paire.  He was most appreciative and I asked him about the fact that he not only played, but won a Futures event, a Challenger event as well as an ATP tour level event earlier in the year.  The Frenchman smiled and elaborated on the fact that he felt he needed more match play at the time.

When he won the Futures event in Bressuire, France in January of 2015, Paire's ranking was #135.  In February, he won the Bergamo, Italy Challenger to improve to world #121.  A run to the Cherbourg, France Challenger Final as well as winning the Quimper, France Challenger in late February and early March lifted Paire's ranking to #85 but more importantly, he was getting the match play he needed.

Entering the Bastad 250 event in July with a ranking of #62, Paire won the event and reached #42 in the world as a result.  

My favorite Paire memory: crushing a live ball out of Grandstand in Cincinnati when he was Match Point down in 2016.

Camila Giorgi in 269

PETE ZIEBRON

Camila Giorgi defeated Karolina Pliskova for the third time in less than two months to win the biggest title of her career yesterday in Montreal.  Ironically each win has come on a different continent: in Europe (England) at Eastbourne at the end of June, in Asia at the Tokyo Olympics a few weeks ago and in North America at the Montreal Final.

Camila Giorgi, the new Champion of Montreal.  Pete Ziebron Images

The Italian has a go-for-broke game plan which often results in excessive double faults.  That said, it is refreshing to see a WTA player absolutely go for it on a second serve - think of a Fernando Gonzalez style of play.  Following her quarterfinal win in Montreal over Cori Gauff, Giorgi was asked if she were playing the best tennis of her career at the moment.  She replied with:

"I think is the first time I don't have, like, interruption. I have consistent. I play many, many tournaments now in this year without stopping. So I think this is the key.  I didn't have in other years. I think I always had some issue physically or, like, injury or something. So I think now I'm playing my game really."

Following her win in Canada, Giorgi is scheduled to meet Jessica Pegula of the United State in her opening round match in Cincinnati.  This will be their second meeting in four days, as Giorgi defeated the American in the Montreal semifinals on Saturday 6-3 3-6 6-1. In that match, Giorgi hit nine double faults, after not hitting one against Gauff in the quarterfinals. 

Camila Giorgi plays pedal to the metal tennis - Cincinnati, enjoy the rematch on Tuesday!

 

 

 

Lloyd Harris in 269

PETE ZIEBRON

Twenty-nine months ago I watched Lloyd Harris lose in the first round on the brand new ATP Phoenix Challenger at the Phoenix Country Club.  The South African was ranked 92nd and went out  6-3 4-6 4-6 to American Ryan Harrison, ranked 104th.  The match did not stand out in any manner, as several other players were in Phoenix, namely: David Goffin, Ernests Gulbis, Jeremy Chardy, Casper Ruud, Dan Evans and eventual Champion Matteo Berrettini.

Yesterday, Harris stunned Rafael Nadal in the 3rd round of the Washington 500 to improve to 17-14 in 2021 and 49-47 in his career.  The 50th ranked Harris has recorded wins this year over: Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Thiem, Denis Shapovalov, Kei Nishikori, Grigor Dimitrov and Gael Monfils.  However, he also lost to: #423 Adrian Andreev and #192 Mackenzie McDonald.

Lloyd  Harris in the Lexington Challenger, 2017 (photo by Karl Corbett)

Harris has a 7-11 career record at majors, reaching the 3rd round of this year's Australian Open, as well as a 2-4 mark at Masters 1000 events.

Entering Washington, Harris lost 4 of his last 5 matches, with the lone win coming in the 1st round at Wimbledon.  This week in Washington, the South African received a first round bye as he is the tournament's 14th seed.  In his opening match, Tennys Sandgren retired in the second set and Harris advanced with a 604 1-0 RET result to then meet Nadal in the 3rd round.  

Next up is Nishikori, whom he defeated in the quarterfinals this year in Dubai 6-1 3-6 6-3.  Harris eventually reached the final, losing to Aslan Karatsev.  Denis Kudla or Mackenzie McDonald will await the winner in the Washington semifinals.

 

 

 

Photo of the Day: Stan Wawrinka

Stan Wawrinka has one of the most interesting stat lines in professional tennis - he has 3 Majors but just 1 Masters 1000.  The Swiss needs Wimbledon to complete the career Grand Slam.  Ironically, the lone Masters 1000 that he won was against Roger Federer at Monte-Carlo.  Federer has never won Monte-Carlo.

Working with coach Magnus Norman sparked confidence in Wawrinka's game and helped lead to his fantastic results on the ATP Tour and an eventual place in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

 

Stan Wawrinka, one of the few players on tour with a Yonex racquet.

Peter Ziebron Images

Photo of the Day: Oh, Canada

Canadian Milos Raonic had Canadian fans flocking to his matches at the 2018 Cincinnati Masters tournament. To the fans’ disappointment, Raonic lost to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals.

photo credit: Karl Corbett, (c) Tennis Acumen

Photo of the Day: Alexander Zverev

In 2019, German ace Alexander Zverev came into the Cincinnati Masters tournament on a roll. He made it to the quarterfinals in Montreal, just the week prior. Here, his luck ran out, as he lost his second round match to Novak Djokovic’s hitting partner, Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic, in three sets.

photo credit: Karl Corbett, (c) Tennis Acumen

Photo of the Day: Genie Bouchard

Genie Bouchard reached the Wimbledon final in 2014. 

In addition, the Canadian had a record at the majors in 2014 of 19-4 as she was a semifinalist at the Australian Open and Roland Garros as well as the round of sixteen at the US Open.  Her losses at the first three majors of the year were to the eventual Champion:  Li Na in Australia, Maria Sharapova in Paris and Petra Kvitova at Wimbledon. 

In October 2014, Bouchard was ranked #5 in the world.

 

Genie Bouchard in action on Court 3 in Cincinnati

Peter Ziebron Images

 

Photo of the Day: Maria versus Sharapova

Dateline: Melbourne, Australia, January 16, 2018

One of our favorite score lines of all time. In 2018 at the Australian Open,  Tatjana Maria faced Maria Sharapova in the first round.  This created an interesting display on scoreboards in the stadium and around the world.

 

 

Kei Nishikori in 269

PETE ZIEBRON

Thirty-one year old Kei Nishikori is currently tied in the ATP rankings with Sam Querrey at world #67.  The Japanese is 15-13 in 2021 with a 4th round appearance at Roland Garros and quarterfinal mark in Dubai as his best results this year.

Other 31 year-olds ahead of Nishikori in the rankings include: Dan Evans {GRB} at #31, Dusan Lajovic {SRB} at #43, Jan-Lennard Struff {GER} at #47, Aljaz Bedene {SLO} at #56 and Vasek Pospisil {CAN} at #61.  Since winning three titles in 2015, Nishikori has managed just two more, the now-defunct Memphis 500 in 2016 and the Brisbane 250 in 2019.

Despite several injuries and Retirements and Walk/Overs throughout his career, Nishikori is 26-7 in five set matches, including two in each off the first two rounds of Roland Garros this year.  Following his 2nd round win over Karen Khachanov, Nishikori elaborated on his success:  "I think fifth set I'm really playing good tennis, more than any sets. Even though I'm tired, I think I'm playing better and more free, more aggressive, not being passive. Yeah, I think I do many good things, especially in the last set."

Despite a career high ranking of world #4, a Finalist trophy at the US Open and residing in the ATP Top Ten from September 2014 - August 2017, Nishikori has managed to win just 12 career titles in 26 tournament final appearances, going 0-4 in his Masters 1000 title matches.  Nishikori did notch his 100th career win at a major at Wimbledon this year - only 11 active ATP players have more.  On to the Tokyo Olympic Games!

 

 

J. J. Wolf - Goals and Dreams

Jeffrey John "J. J." Wolf (born December 21, 1998) is an American professional tennis player. He reached a career-high singles ranking of120 in September 2020. Wolf played collegiately at The Ohio State University, where he was the #1 ranked player in college tennis. J. J. sat with Karl Corbett of Tennis Acumen at the Knoxville Challenger in November, 2019.  Here is part of that exclusive interview. 

Karl: What sort of goals and dreams do you have, J. J.?

J.J.: I want to reach my ceiling. The main thing for me? I don't have a. specific numerical goal in mind. I just want to see how good I can get. You know I'm not quite sure what that is, but I'm hoping it's high.

 

Karl: John Millman is a friend. I asked him: “How do you know when you're done with tennis?” He said: “When I'm not getting any better.” That's exactly what you're saying. It’s when you reach that ceiling.

J.J.: And I remember my grandpa told me something huge. He's 93 now. Maybe three or four years ago, I asked him: “Is your body deteriorating,  anything like that?”  He said: “I used to think about it like that.” He'd do his leg lifts and all his workouts every day. And I asked: “Will you know when you start not being able to do your reps (repetitions of an exercise)?” He said: “I'm not thinking about it like that .I'm still increasing my reps.” So, I'm thinking, the harder you can go…. If he's not slowing down his 90’s, I'm not going to slow down in my late 30s, so I and not worried about the end coming too soon.

 

Karl: So, you'd mentioned Federer. Any other heroes growing up or people whose style you emulate?

J.J.: I try to emulate a right-handed version of my dad, when he played. I always liked the American guys. Andy Roddick, I’m a big fan of his.  Guys like John Isner, Sam Querrey, obviously taller than me, but I like watching them a lot. Andre Agassi...... I always liked how he returned and how he moved.  Andre’s style is funny sometimes. I had a mullet earlier in the year that looked like his a little bit. Not as long, but... I kind of did that for the boys at Ohio State.  

 

Karl: That’s brilliant, really. Tell me, when you're on the road, who do you keep in touch wit, and how?.

J.J.: I've got a lot of great childhood friends and college friends besides my family. I've got a couple buddies that I lived with last year. They go to Ohio State. One plays football and one is very smart and driven, works a lot. Both of them are very good about keeping in touch. We will do FaceTime, just talk and kind of keep up. Makes me feel like I'm at home a little bit. Those two, in particular keep, me grounded.

 

Karl: It’s good to have friends. I love that. Hey, great interview, J.J. sure we will be seeing you in Cincinnati. That's my home base.

J.J.: I hope so

 

Karl: Now, as the interviewer always says,  good luck in the next round, J.J.

J.J.: I appreciate it. Thank you.

Chris O Connell - Favorite Places, Winning and Losing

Christopher "Chris" O'Connell (born 3 June 1994) is an Australian professional tennis player. He grew up on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. O'Connell reached a career high ATP singles ranking of 114 on 3 February 2020. He made his ATP Tour debut in January 2017 in his hometown at the Sydney International. Chris sat down in early 2020 for this exclusive interview with Tennis Acumen.

 

 

TENNIS ACUMEN: Chris, I know some guys on the tour just love to win, more than anything. Some guys just hate to lose. Where are you on that spectrum?

CHRIS O’CONNELL: I think you have to be very competitive to play this sport, and I am extremely competitive. But I also like playing really nice tennis. So, winning is not the biggest priority. If I go out there and lose and play nice tennis, then I'm not going to be too upset. At the end of the day, it’s a very competitive sport. That does outweigh everything else, the competitive side of the game.

 

TENNIS ACUMEN: Now what are some of your favorite cities on the tour, places that you love to go?

CHRIS O’CONNELL: I do love Europe, especially the fact that you could be in one country and then catch a train to another country with an entirely different culture. I love that aspect of Europe, but then I also love being in America because it feels closer to home. Everyone speaks English. I spend a lot of time in Southern California and that's pretty similar to where I live on the northern beaches in Sydney.

 

TENNIS ACUMEN: Absolutely brilliant. And what is your life going to be like one year from now, Chris?

CHRIS O’CONNELL: One year from now, I hope to be the top hundred. Now, I'm playing all the major tournaments. So., that's it. That's a goal of mine. Hopefully, I'm there in a year’s time.

 

TENNIS ACUMEN:  Yeah, I hope so too. Thanks for your time, Chris. I really appreciate it.

CHRIS O’CONNELL: Thanks, Karl.

Photo of the Day: Fabio Fognini

Fabio Fognini, born 24 May 1987,  is an Italian professional tennis player. He has a career-high ranking of world No. 9 achieved on 15 July 2019. Fognini's most successful surface is red clay, upon which he has won eight of his nine ATP singles titles, most notably the 2019 Monte-Carlo Masters.

Together with Simone Bolelli, Fognini won the 2015 Australian Open doubles championship, becoming the first all-Italian men's pair to win a Grand Slam title in the Open era.

Fognini flourished at the 2014 Cincinnati Masters, beating Lleyton Hewitt on the way to a fourth-round loss to Milos Raonic of Canada.

Photo credit: Karl Corbett, © 2021 Tennis Acumen

Photo of the Day: Nikolay Davydenko

Nikolay Davydenko, born in 1981, is a former Russian professional tennis player. He achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 3 in November 2006. Davydenko's best result in a Grand Slam tournament was reaching the semi-finals on four occasions: twice each at the French Open and the U.S. Open, losing to Roger Federer in 3 of those 4 matches. Davydenko retired in 2014.

 

photo credit: Karl Corbett, (c) Tennis Acumen

Pictured here in Cincinnati, 2005: Davydenko played great tennis, defeating Sebastien Grosjean, Paul-Henri Matthieu and Fernando Gonzales before losing to Lleyton Hewitt in the quarterfinals.

Photo of the Day: Nadal Wins Cincinnati - 2013

Rafael Nadal won Cincinnati for the first time in 2013. Along the way, he beat Benjamin Becker, Thomas Berdych, Grigor Dimitrov, who later won Cincinnati, and Roger Federer, who has won Cincinnati seven times. 

In the final, Rafa took down John Isner for the championship in straight sets, 7-6, 7-6.

To reach the final, Isner had beaten Richard Gasquet and then three top-10 players in a row, first Milos Raonic, then Novak Djokovic, then Juan Martín del Potro in the semifinals. Isner did not win a Masters title for another five years, with a 2018 triumph in Miami. 

 

photo credit: Karl Corbett, (c) Tennis Acumen

 

Visit our photo gallery with a click right here. 

 

 

2021 French Open final expert picks: Djokovic vs. Tsitsipas

This article originally appeared on The Grandstand.

Expert picks are back one last time at the 2021 French Open for Sunday’s singles final between Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas. A three-team panel previews the action and makes its predictions.

(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (5) Stefanos Tsitsipas

Ricky Dimon: I wouldn’t pick a non-Big 3 player over any member of the Big 3 in a Grand Slam final even if the Big 3 player was coming off an 11-hour semifinal match and had to be brought onto the court for the final in a wheelchair. Let’s just get that out of the way right now. I’ve seen enough in recent years to know that. Dominic Thiem should have won the 2020 Australian Open but crumbled at the end against Novak Djokovic. Daniil Medvedev was pretty much an even betting favorite with Djokovic in this year’s Aussie final and got blown out. Medvedev had a much better chance against Rafael Nadal at the 2019 U.S. Open, but Nadal was too tough. Other examples are Kevin Anderson (against Djokovic at Wimbledon and Nadal at the U.S. Open) and Marin Cilic (against Federer at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon). Those non-Big 3 failures don’t automatically mean that Stefanos Tsitsipas will roll over on Sunday. But they do indicate just how tough the Big 3 are in these situations. Tsitsipas vs. someone other than Nadal is actually the most competitive matchup we could get…but it still won’t make a difference. Djokovic was incredible against Nadal in the semis and on the stage of a Grand Slam final he will surely be just as good if not better. Djokovic in 4: 6-3, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3.

Cheryl Murray: Tsitsipas was in tears after his five-set semifinal win over Alexander Zverev, the importance of having earned a spot in his first Grand Slam final not lost on the Greek. But what he finds when he gets there will be an inspired Djokovic, who dethroned Nadal in a semifinal epic for the ages in their evening match on Friday. Tsitsipas and Djokovic have met seven times already. The world No. 1 lost two of his first three matches against the Greek, but since the 2019 Shanghai Masters it’s been one-way traffic-all going Djokovic’s direction. If the Serb wins on Sunday, he’ll have secured a double-career Grand Slam (at least two titles at each major). Tsitsipas has played well all clay season; he even took out arch rival Medvedev en route to the final, But on Sunday he runs into the unmovable wall that is Djokovic and his record-breaking ambitions. He is just two slam titles away from equalling the record of 20 shared by Nadal and Federer. A first-time slam finalist doesn’t seem like a likely candidate to keep Djokovic from adding No. 19. Djokovic in 5: 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 6-4.

Pete Ziebron: Djokovic, following a 5-0 deficit to begin his semifinal match against Nadal, then steadied his game to win 22 of the next 34 games to advance to the final against Tsitsipas. This euphoric momentum will be able to be carried forward against a first-time major finalist. Tsitsipas will feel fortunate to be in the final after appearing to be in complete control of his semifinal before recovering just in time in the fifth set to withstand a valiant effort by Zverev. Djokovic and Tsitsipas met in the semis of Roland Garros last year, as well as in Rome this year, with the Serb winning both matches despite having to go the distance each time. Match play experience in finals will be on display from Djokovic, as well as his amazing ability to quickly recover from the last three grueling matches. Tsitsipas will have to settle for a string of six impressive consecutive wins and the runner-up trophy, as Djokovic gets within one major title of both Federer and Nadal by winning No. 19. Djokovic in 4: 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

2021 French Open semifinal expert picks: Djokovic vs. Nadal, Tsitsipas vs. Zverev

This article originally appeared on The Grandstand:

 

Expert picks are back for the French Open semifinals, which are highlighted by another Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal showdown. It’s Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Alexander Zverev on the other side. A three-team panel makes its predictions.

(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (3) Rafael Nadal

Ricky Dimon: Every Djokovic-Nadal showdown is going to be massively hyped–and for good reason. This one should be–and will be–as well. But much like last year’s French Open final, there is no real reason to think it will live up to the hype. The King of Clay dominated the 2020 championship in straight sets and you should expect him to do the same, this time in the semis. Djokovic is coming off a five-setter against Lorenzo Musetti and a four-setter against Matteo Berrettini, looking not at his best either physically or mentally in either match. Moreover, Nadal just beat the Serb in last month’s Rome final and the Spaniard is much, much tougher to beat in Paris than in Rome (see what happened last year, when he lost to Diego Schwartzman in Rome and went on to win the French Open with ease). Speaking of Schwartzman, the 13-time RG champion won an absurd 30 of the last 35 points of their quarterfinal contest. A second-set hiccup aside, he is quite simply looking unstoppable. Nadal should beat Djokovic–again–and it probably won’t even be especially competitive. Nadal in 3: 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-2.

Cheryl Murray: It’s Nadalovic part 58 on Friday. There was a time when each match seemed like it was up for grabs, but the older Nadal and Djokovic get, the more siloed their wins have become. You have to go back to 2016 at the Rome Masters to find the last time Djokovic beat Nadal on clay, and allllll the way back to the 2013 U.S. Open for the last hard-court match that went Nadal’s way. Nadal has won their last five meetings on the dirt, including the beating Djokovic took in last fall’s COVID version of the French Open and the Rome final a few weeks ago. While it’s true that Nadal has been a click or two off his clay-court best in Paris, when he steps out on the court against Djokovic he knows just what to do. Nadal in 4: 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Pete Ziebron: Nadal and Djokovic yet again! Aside from a few people taking wild fliers on their predictions, everyone else correctly and properly wrote this matchup into their brackets. While Nadal had his 36 consecutive set winning streak at the French halted in the quarters by Schwartzman, Djokovic encountered more serious drama–having to overcome a two-set deficit against Musetti in the round of 16. In their previous eight meetings at Roland Garros, Nadal has won seven–including four of them in straight sets. Both men have incredibly impressive first-serve points won percentages heading into the semi: Nadal at 81%, 84%, 79%, 81%, and 73% in his five matches; Djokovic at 86%, 75%, 88%, 75%, and 77%. Something has to give and most likely it will be Nadal’s ability to find ways to survive a few rough patches that he will encounter from the Serb. Like almost always, Nadal has the solutions and executes them again this time. Nadal in 4: 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.

 

(6) Alexander Zverev vs. (5) Stefanos Tsitsipas

Ricky: Tsitsipas came within one set of his first Grand Slam final last year in Paris, and that was with Djokovic standing in his way. Now he doesn’t have to face Djokovic–and not any other member of the Big 3, either. That means his first slam final appearance should be forthcoming. Zverev is a tough opponent, but Tsitsipas is leading the head-to-head series 5-2 and won their only previous clay-court encounter two years ago in Madrid. The German is good on clay; the Greek is great. Tsitsipas moves better on this surface and I would give him the advantage in offense, too, because his forehand is on fire and Zverev’s second serve is more suspect. Tsitsipas in 4: 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3.

Cheryl: Although obviously not as high-profile, this might actually be the more entertaining of the two semifinals. They’re both playing well, even though Zverev’s good results can be partially attributed to his favorable draw. Tsitsipas, meanwhile, has probably shown the best form of any player in Paris (including Nadal). He was particularly impressive against arch rival Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals. Zverev won the first and also the most recent meetings with Tsitsipas, but the Greek won each of the five matches in between. With the way Tsitsipas has been playing this fortnight, it’s hard to pick against him…. So I won’t. Tsitsipas in 5: 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-2.

Pete: Those contenders on the bottom half of the draw had a serious opportunity this year to reach the Roland Garros final without having to play Nadal or Djokovic. The two most likely candidates did what was expected in the initial five rounds and now Tsitsipas and Zverev will meet for the first time in a major. Following a two set-deficit in his opening match, Zverev has not dropped a set and has a commanding 36-12 games won differential against opponents in his last two matches (round of 16 and quarterfinals). Aside from dropping the opening set against John Isner, Tsitsipas has won every set he has played in the tournament. Both men won a Masters 1000 on clay heading into the French Open this year, however it is Tsitsipas who will prevail to advance to his first major final. Tsitsipas in 4: 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3.

2021 French Open quarterfinal expert picks: Tsitsipas vs. Medvedev

This article originally appeared on The Grandstand.

 

Expert picks are back for the French Open quarterfinals, which despite a fair number of top players exiting early has produced at least one blockbuster matchup: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Daniil Medvedev. A three-team panel makes its predictions.

Ricky Dimon: Like everyone else, I didn’t think Medvedev would make it to the quarterfinals. And if I was told he did, I wouldn’t think it would be in impressive enough fashion for him to be considered a legitimate threat to Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, or even Stefanos Tsitsipas. But fast forward a little more than a week and that is the case now. Previously winless all time at Roland Garros (0-4), Medvedev has dropped only set through four rounds. That being said, Tsitsipas is a massive step up in competition from Alexander Bublik, Tommy Paul, Reilly Opelka, and Cristian Garin. Paul is a decent clay-courter, Garin is a very good clay-courter, Tsitsipas is one of the best clay-courters on tour. Medvedev is…an improved clay-courter. Tsitsipas trailed John Isner by a set in round three, and since then the Greek has reeled off six consecutive sets while looking every bit like a serious title contender. Medvedev is playing well enough to turn the latest chapter in one of tennis’ most fun rivalries into an interesting contest, but on this surface I’m just not prepared to pick him to beat one of the world’s best. Tsitsipas in 4: 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-4.

Cheryl Murray: Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: Tsitsipas is a better clay-courter than Medvedev. He performed beautifully in the lead-up to Roland Garros, including capturing his first ever Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo. Sure he lost to Nadal in the Barcelona final, but that can hardly be a surprise, since…you know…it’s Nadal. What did Medvedev do to prep for the French Open? He won a match. ONE. And it was in Madrid, which is the least clay-like clay court in all of Europe. The rest of the time he spent losing and complaining about how much he hates the surface. The data says that Tsitsipas wins this quarterfinal. But here’s the thing. Tennis matches aren’t decided ahead of time on a stats sheet. Tsitsipas has difficulty with Medvedev. He’s 1-6 and his single win came at the Nitto ATP Finals in 2019, when Medvdev was exhausted from his superhuman second half of the season. Medvedev’s brand of chess-like tennis, his ability to be everywhere all at once, makes it difficult for Tsitsipas to find an opening. Furthermore, there is an undercurrent of hostility between them stemming partially from a disagreement that erupted in 2018 in Miami in which Tsitsipas allegedly called Medvedev a “bulls**t Russian.” And while many a great tennis rivalry has its roots in personal dislike, this one seems to have left Tsitsipas intimidated, Medvedev disdainful, and the scoreboard lopsided. Medvedev in 4: 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.

Pete Ziebron: Two years ago in Monte-Carlo, Medvedev defeated Tsitsipas and Djokovic in back-to-back matches, so–despite his self belittlement–he is able to win important matches on clay. Following a run to the Barcelona final the next week, Medvedev went 1-7 on clay until he arrived at Roland Garros this year. To watch and realize that he is in the quarterfinals in Paris at the moment is almost beyond belief. Meanwhile, Tsitsipas appears to be on a mission. He has two clay-court titles in 2021 and most likely should have had a third in Barcelona against Nadal. All aspects of the Greek’s game are clicking, especially his play at net. In his second-round match against Pedro Martinez, Tsitsipas was 26-for-27 in points won at net. Despite the lopsided 6-1 H2H in this series that favors Medvedev, Tsitsipas has been experiencing a solid wave of momentum all year while Medvedev has only been able to rediscover his again since arriving in Paris. How very ironic it would be if Medvedev would actually live up to his No. 2 seed, and two more victories would do just that! However, Tsitsipas has been playing too well for the last five months not to win this match and advance. Tsitsipas in 4: 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(5).

Alexander Cozbinov - A Long, Long Way From Home

Alexander Cozbinov (born 28 April 1995) is a Moldovan tennis player. Cozbinov has a career high ATP singles ranking of 743 achieved on 2 March  2020.  Cozbinov represents Moldova at the Davis Cup.  In January 2020, he participated at the ATP Cup as a member of Moldovan team. Before his match against Belgian Steve Darcis, the organizers played the wrong national anthem, the Romanian anthem instead of the Moldovan .

Tennis Acumen: Coming to the US, going to college here, was there a culture shock? Did it take a while for you to get used to things?

Alexander Cozbinov: Yes, in the beginning, it was difficult to get used to things. Eventually, I was OK. I actually really like it here now.

 

Tennis Acumen: OK. You've been in the US for five years.

Alexander Cozbinov: Yeah, about that.

 

Tennis Acumen: Do you stay in touch with family back home?

Alexander Cozbinov: Yes. I actually was home just a month ago. That was the first time after four years. So, it was great. I got to see my family. I really enjoyed coming back home again.

 

Tennis Acumen:  I love that. Now, you've been on the tour for a year.

Alexander Cozbinov: Yeah, I started the tour last year.

 

Tennis Acumen: That's actually a big difference. And let me just ask: “What do you think your life will be like in one year?”

Alexander Cozbinov: I have goals, but I don't really like to think about the future. I just try to take it in the moment, step by step.

 

Tennis Acumen: So, you are one day at a time. Well, there's nothing else you would want to be doing, right?

Alexander Cozbinov: This is the life.

 

Tennis Acumen:  Well, you are at career high this week, I think. I look forward to seeing you in the future.

Alexander Cozbinov: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

Photo of the Day: Tommy Robredo

Tommy Robredo Garcés, born 1 May 1982, is a Spanish professional tennis player. His career-high singles ranking is world No. 5, which he reached in August 2006.

Robredo remains the only player in Open Era history to mount three consecutive comebacks from two sets down, a feat achieved en route to the quarterfinals of Roland-Garros 2013.[6] He has one of the highest percentages of five-set matches won with 77.3 per cent (17–5 win-loss record).

Robredo excelled in  the 2014 Cincinnati Masters event. Robredo beat Jack Sock, Sam Querrey and Novak Djokovic in succession, all in straight sets, before falling to Davis Ferrer in the quarterfinals.

Photo credit: Karl Corbett, © 2021 Tennis Acumen.

Expert picks: Nadal vs. the field at the 2021 French Open

The following article originally appeared on The Grandstand.

Expert picks will continue during the latter stages of the French Open, but first they partake in a pre-tournament debate over whether Rafael Nadal or the entire field should be the title pick. A three-team panel weighs in.


Ricky Dimon: Until Nadal loses again at the French Open, I’m not betting against him–unless maybe he failed to win any clay-court title in the buildup to Roland Garros and suffered some terrible losses along the way. That isn’t the case now. Sure the world No. 3 has not been at his dominant best this spring, but he has endured worse pre-FO clay-court swings in the past and still ended up triumphing in Paris. Beating him in a best-of-five situation on his primary stomping grounds is just a whole different beast compared to taking him down in places like Monte-Carlo or Madrid.

I am picking Nadal as the champ without hesitation. There is no one player who looks like a more likely champion. The better debate, of course, is Nadal vs. the entire field. Give me 127 other players and I would at least have to think about it. The odds suggest as much; Nadal is -125 to win the tournament; a huge favorite over everyone individually, but just a slight favorite over the field. His draw is somewhat concerning, with Novak Djokovic in the same half and Jannik Sinner a potential fourth-round opponent. At the same time, avoiding a potential quarterfinal clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas was important. The Spaniard will have worked himself into the tournament by the time he could face Sinner and then Djokovic, and I certainly wouldn’t pick Tsitsipas or Alexander Zverev over him in a French Open final. Nadal isn’t an absolute slam dunk like he sometimes is, but I’m not about to bet against him when he has won this thing 13 times and begins his bid for 14 with the momentum of a recent title in Rome.

Cheryl Murray: The French Open offers an annual opportunity to ruminate on the chances the other 127 singles players in the field have against Rafael Nadal. Usually, that answer is “why even bother to ask?” This season is perhaps a bit more nuanced. Is Nadal the favorite? Of course. When I make my pre-tournament selection, I will ink (not pencil) Nadal in as the winner. The difference is that the field is closer than it normally is–close enough that it is worth discussing. In fact, as a whole it may have enough to topple Nadal. I’m going to go off-script and pick Tsitsipas over Djokovic as the next most likely player to lift La Coupe des Mousquetaires in a fortnight’s time. Djokovic has looked a little…shaky…on the dirt. As of this publication, he has no clay titles in 2021 (that could change on Saturday) and while he made the finals in Rome (where he lost to Nadal), he was neither dominant nor in particularly impressive form. Tsitsipas HAS been impressive, even though he lost to Nadal in the Barcelona final. Other notable non-Nadal contenders are Andrey Rublev and Jannik Sinner–who are both in Nadal’s section–and Casper Ruud, who is in the ghost-town bottom section of the draw with Tsitsipas. 

Conspicuously absent from my contenders list are Thiem–who has been knocking on Nadal’s throne room door for years–and Federer. Thiem, who last made the French Open final in 2019, has gone on a mental walkabout since he won the U.S. Open in 2020. He’s in the favorable third section of the draw and Ruud is still my pick to advance in that quarter. As for Federer, well…he just isn’t match-fit enough to be a contender in Paris. Still, Djokovic and Tsitsipas are formidable. If I had to pick only one player as the champ I would go with Nadal, but give me the entire field and I like my chances with 127 guys vs. one.

Pete Ziebron: Match play….. THAT is what Nadal needed. Enough match play and he is more than good to go to defend his Roland Garros crown against Djokovic and the rest of the field in 2021. All of these years many have questioned and even criticized Nadal for playing Barcelona, a 500 in the midst of three significantly more prestigious Masters 1000 events on clay. Nadal did things HIS way, this year and every year for the last decade and a half. These extra–and in some cases excessive matches–were what he believed he needed to prepare for winning Roland Garros. To date, that strategy and formula have worked exceptionally well. An atypical Nadal meandered through the clay-court season, eventually correcting course and winning the title in Rome against Djokovic in the final.  Somehow, the next meeting they may have would occur in the semifinals because they are on the same side of the draw this time.  With all due respect to the field in his portion of the draw, let us fast forward to the quarterfinals–where the Spaniard will most likely run into Andrey Rublev, the crafty young Russian who defeated him last month in the Monte-Carlo quarters. Rublev won the first and third sets at 6-2. However, that was extremely early in the clay-court season for the 34-year old Nadal. He then rebounded in Barcelona (won that title against Tsitsipas), faltered against Zverev in the Madrid quarters, and then went on a most impressive run by defeating Sinner, Shapopalov, Zverev, Opelka, and finally Djokovic to win Rome for the 10th time. In total, 16 clay-court matches played in 2021 with two titles…enough match play and not too much for Nadal at this point in his career.

Expect Nadal to continue his assault against those who stand in his way yet again and win his quarter against Rublev to reach the semis. Next, Nadal would most likely face Djokovic for the NINTH time at Roland Garros. Nadal leads the H2H in Paris 7-1 and has a massive 20-7 sets won differential in those contests. Djokovic will have work to do to reach this point, as potential quarter final opponents include Berrettini and Federer. All signs point to a Nadal-Djokovic semifinal. Nadal may find himself down a break or even 0-40 while serving a few times in the match, but just as in the past, he will find ways to get through those deficits and bad patches and win.

Everyone on the bottom half congratulated themselves on their good fortune when they saw the draw. The contenders that were drawn here include: Zverev, Thiem and Tsitsipas, with Dimitrov and Ruud also announcing the fact that they think they can win this half of the draw and then hope for an exhausted opponent in the final. Realistic quarterfinals here would be Zverev vs. Thiem and Tsitsipas vs. Dimitrov.  Despite the focus being on the top half of the draw, these quarterfinals will be intriguing. Obviously much remains to be seen, but my pre-tourney picks here will be Zverev to play Tsitsipas in the semifinals with the Greek winning the match. Thus, the Roland Garros final will be a rematch of the Barcelona final–in which Nadal outfoxed Tsistipas and stole the title. Tsitsipas will have learned from that match and will attempt a slightly different gameplan this time. Historically, Tsitsipas’ losses at Roland Garros have been against Djokovic, Wawrinka, Thiem, and Karlovic. Nadal, a 13-time RG champion, may join that list.

Alexander Cozbinov - How I Got Started

February 26, 2020. Tennis Acumen is at the Challenger tournament in Columbus, Ohio. Here's part of an exclusive interview with Alexander Cozbinov.

Tennis Acumen: We are meeting with Alexander Cozbinov, a tennis player from Moldova. and part of the reason we're fascinated with you, Alex is the transfer from Europe to the United States and your career playing at the college level. Tell us, first off, how did you get started playing tennis?

Alexander Cozbinov: Well my dad was playing, as an amateur. He liked to play some amateur tournaments, so every time he played, he took me with him, and I just kind of picked it up on my own. I start hitting against the wall. He watched me, and he decided to start coaching me. He was my coach from the very beginning.

 

Tennis Acumen: So, when did you first pick up a racket?

Alexander Cozbinov: When I was six years old. That's when I started playing.

 

Tennis Acumen: Right. A lot of guys start that young. Was there a tennis scene? Was there support for the game of tennis in Moldova.

Alexander Cozbinov: Not really. There's not as many opportunities in Moldova. For example, we have maybe five or six indoor courts in the whole country. In the summer, it’s OK. In the winter, it is very difficult to find time on the court. Sometimes we had 10 or 15 kids on one court. So, it was very difficult.

 

Tennis Acumen: In a country with 2.8 million people, that’s hard.  And you grew up in the capital city.

Alexander Cozbinov: Yes. We have two clubs there, but you couldn't always get court time.

 

Tennis Acumen: What did you do when you couldn't get a court?

Alexander Cozbinov: My dad used to be a track and field runner. So, I used to do a lot of fitness. And I'm trying to work on my serve, sometimes just hitting against a wall, stuff like that.

 

Tennis Acumen: And when did you discover you really loved tennis more than anything else?

Alexander Cozbinov: I guess from my first competition. I played Futures in Romania, Turkey, the Ukraine.  I really liked competing and I wanted to play more and more. So, I guess from that point, I knew.

Photo of the Day: Richard Gasquet

Richard Gasquet, born in 1986, is a French player. His career-high ATP singles ranking is world No. 7, attained in 2007.He has won  15 singles titles on the ATP Tour. In Grand Slam singles, Gasquet reached the semifinals of the 2007 and 2015 Wimbledon Championships and the semifinals of the 2013 US Open. Gasquet is best known for his elegant groundstrokes and his one-handed backhand.

 

photo credit: Karl Corbett, (c) Tennis Acumen

 

Richard Gasquet is shown here at his 2010 run to the third round in Cincinnati. He beat Mikhail Youzhny and Michael Berrer before falling to Mardy Fish.

Rome 2021 Final Expert Picks: Djokovic vs. Nadal

This article originally appeared on The Grandstand.

 

Expert picks are back one more time before the French Open, as a three-team panel makes its predictions for Sunday’s final of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. It wasn’t easy to get there for either man, but it’s Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal.

Ricky Dimon:  Since losing to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of this same Rome event in 2016, Rafael Nadal has restored order to the their head-to-head series on clay. Nadal is 4-0 in their last four clay-court contests, while Djokovic is 10-0 in their last 10 matches on all other surfaces. The Spaniard is 9-1 in their last 10 clay-court sets and even though he dropped one in the 2019 Rome final, the other two sets were 6-0 and 6-1 in his favor. As if that isn’t a big enough check mark in Nadal’s favor already, he is also more rested. the nine-time Rome champion is coming off straight-set victories over Alexander Zverev and Reilly Opelka. Whereas Nadal played only two sets on Saturday, Djokovic battled through five total sets across grueling victories over Stefanos Tsitsipas (rain delayed from Friday) and Lorenzo Sonego. As fit as the Serb is, that is going to be a factor–perhaps both physically and mentally. All signs point to Nadal taking care of business without too much trouble, thus picking up much-needed momentum in advance of Roland Garros. Nadal in 2: 6-4, 6-3.

 

Cheryl Murray: The most prolific rivalry in the history of men’s tennis is about to add a 57th installment. It’s an extraordinary athletic relationship–not just due to its frequency and longevity, but also because they have been involved in some of the greatest tennis matches of all time. Unfortunately, a Nadal-Djokovic “epic match” hasn’t happened in a good long while…since the 2018 Wimbledon semis to be precise, which Djokovic edged in a 10-8 fifth-set thriller. Since then, they’ve adhered to a script that goes like this: Djokovic wins handily on hard courts and Nadal wins handily on clay, as though by tacit agreement that it should be so. While it’s true that Djokovic spent more than hours on Saturday contesting both his quarterfinal and semifinal matches, he’s one of the fittest players who has ever stepped on a court. If Nadal wins, it won’t be because Djokovic is out of gas; it’ll be because the court is made of crushed brick. Nadal in 3: 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

 

Pete Ziebron:  With the exception of the sluggish opening set and a half against Shapovalov in the third round, Nadal has to be pleased with his efforts in Rome–where he will now look to add the “La Decima” demarcation to yet another prestigious event. Surprisingly, though, opponents have won at least four games in nine sets played against Nadal–the only exception coming when Zverev managed three in the opening set of their quarterfinal contest, Concurrently, Djokovic has also been tested extensively by Tsitsipas, Fritz, and Sonego, but he managed to arrive in the final as many expected. Thus we finally have an all-Big 3 Masters 1000 Final for the first time in exactly two years, when Djokovic and Nadal met in the 2019 Rome Final. However, we arrived at this point as the result of both champions fighting their way through challenging patches of matches–their resilience on full display again and again and again. Nadal will be the fresher of the two, as 10 of the 20 games in his semifinal were won at love. Djokovic went the distance in the second semi and that will likely be the determining factor in a match with slim margins. Nadal in 3: 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

J. J. Wolf - Hitting with Roger, Winning and Losing

Jeffrey John "J. J." Wolf (born December 21, 1998) is an American professional tennis player. He achieved a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 120 in September 2020. Wolf played collegiately at The Ohio State University, where he was the #1 ranked player in college tennis. J. J. sat with Karl Corbett of Tennis Acumen at the Knoxville Challenger in November, 2019.  Here is part of that exclusive interview. 

photo credit: Karl Corbett  (c) Tennis Acumen 

 

Karl: Coming up through the ranks, the only way you're going to get better is by playing guys that can beat you. So how do you deal with the struggles and the losses?

J.J.: My coach is always telling me: “You either win or you learn.” If you are beating everyone easily, well…. In college last year. I started out real hot. I'm mostly winning throughout the whole year, but I don't feel I was playing as sharp towards the end. When I’m getting comfortable and thinking I'm going to win every match, then I’m not on my toes as much.

So, when you when you play somebody that can beat you, it really pushes you to get better. You see a Roger Federer or a Rafael Nadal, they push each other all the way to the top. They keep getting better.

 

Karl: I saw a photo on the web of you with Roger Federer. You had your Ohio State shirt on. How long ago was that taken?

J.J.: That must have been two years ago, in Cincinnati, a day or two before I played my first qualifiers match in at the Cincinnati Masters. So, I remember, I was supposed to hit with him, from 8 to 10 that night. He was flying in and walks on the court, maybe an hour late saying: “My jet got in late. I’m sorry.” I said: “Don't worry about it, really.” I think we hit till 11:00. We went from 9:00 to 11:00 at night and then we sat and talked 30 or 40 minutes after that.

 

Karl: So, he's a gracious guy?

J.J.: He is very gracious. He remembers you, too. You wouldn't think you'd remember someone the way he does. I'd see him in Indian Wells or something and he’d use my first name, say: “Hey, JJ. How are you doing?” It's pretty cool to hear that from one of your heroes.

 

Karl: That says something about the man.

J.J.: It was very nice, when I've definitely not done anything to deserve that. It makes you look up to the guy.

Photo of the Day: Fernando Gonzales

Fernando Francisco González Ciuffardi, born 29 July 1980, is a former professional tennis player from Chile. During his career he made it to the quarterfinal round of all four Grand Slam tournaments. He played his only major final at the 2007 Australian Open, losing to top-seeded Roger Federer.

 He is the fourth male tennis player in history to have won each Olympic medal (gold in doubles and bronze in singles at Athens 2004, and silver in singles at Beijing 2008).

In 2005, Gonzales had a nice run at the Cincinnati masters event, defeating Novak Djokovic and David Nalbandian on his way to a third-round loss against Nikolai Davydenko.

Photo credit: Karl Corbett, © 2021 Tennis Acumen

Alexandr Dolgopolov Retires

PETE ZIEBRON

 

Alexandr Dolgopolov retired from the ATP Tour today.  His game was always fun to watch and he provided a few memorable moments that I will share with you here.

In 2011 on the old Court #2 at Indian Wells, Dolgopolov was playing Juan Martin del Potro.  The Argentine would win a tightly contested match 7-6(3) 6-3 but what made this memorable for me as well as the nearly capacity crowd was what happened on Dolgopolov's serve in the middle of the opening set.  The Ukrainian served three consecutive lets.  After the third, he just started laughing uncontrollably.  A fun moment in an otherwise tense match.

Jim Courier joined John McEnroe in the booth for one of Dolgopolov's matches at the US Open.  The Dolgopolov service motion has always looked effortless as he simply snaps into action, tosses the ball and fires away, time and time and time again with little to no variation in the technique.  Courier accurately described this motion as looking like a "jack-in-the-box" and McEnroe laughed hysterically.  Two points later, McEnroe just uttered "jack-in-the-box" and continued laughing.  Jim Courier absolutely nailed it, he certainly looks like a jack-in-the-box on every service motion.  Too bad we will no longer see it on tour.

In 2017, Kevin Anderson arrived in Cincinnati having won 10 of his last 13 matches and playing solid tennis.  Two weeks later, he would reach the US Open final, falling to Rafael Nadal.  However, at the Western & Southern Open, he played Dolgopolov on sunken Court 9 in the opening round.  My vantage point for the entire match was front row directly behind the server on the end opposite Center Court.  Dolgopolov withstood 24 aces from the South African, did not hit a double fault and also did not allow any break point opportunities en route to an impressive 6-4 7-6(6) victory.

Sam Querrey was asked in press in Cincinnati in 2010 about his next opponent, Dolgopolov.  Querry attempted a few times to pronounce his surname, unsuccessfully.  Doll-gop-a-lov, then Dole-ga-pawl-ov.  Several broadcasters stumbled over the pronunciation over the years.

Somewhat surprisingly, Dolgopolov has only been requested for press conferences 16 times in his career.  One was in 2015 in Cincinnati following a 4-6 7-6(5) 6-2 loss in the semifinals to Novak Djokovic.  En route to the semis, the Ukrainian came through qualifying and defeated: Bernie Tomic, Jerzy Janowicz, and Tomas Berdych in the main draw.  Dolgopolov actually had the match on his racquet in the second set tiebreaker.

My favorite portion of the presser following the match was about his clothing line:

Q. The design on your shirt looks like the Ukrainian flag. Is that intentional?
ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV: Yeah, that's the Dog Collection, actually, so made a little bit with the colors of Ukraine. It's quite nice from home to do that, and I'm happy with it.

The Dog Collection.

Dolgopolov won 3 singles titles: Umag in 2011, Washington in 2012 and Buenos Aires in 2017.  In addition he won the doubles title at Indian Wells with Xavier Malisse in 2011.  His career record in singles on the ATP Tour is 221- 201.

Alexandr "The Jack-in-the-Box" Dolgopolov will be missed!

 

 

 

Photo of the Day: David Ferrer

David Ferrer, born in April 1982, is a retired Spanish player. A three-time Davis Cup champion with Spain, Ferrer won tournaments at every level (ATP 250, ATP 500, Masters 1000) except at a Grand Slam, and has the seventh highest career prize money earnings of all time among male tennis players. Ferrer also holds the distinction of winning the most matches on the ATP tour without having won a Grand Slam.

 

photo credit: Karl Corbett, (c) Tennis Acumen

 

Pictured here in 2014, he carries his towel in his teeth, as he often did. Ferrer advanced to the Cincinnati final by beating Philipp Kohlschreiber, Mikhil Youzhny, Tommy Robredo and Julian Benneteau before falling to Roger Federer in a 3-set championship match.

Barcelona final expert picks: Nadal vs. Tsitsipas

This article originally appeared on The Grandstand.

 

Expert picks are back for Sunday’s Barcelona final between Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas. A three-team panel chooses between the 11-time Barcelona champion and last week’s Monte-Carlo Masters winner.

Ricky Dimon: In recent years, Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem have been the biggest challengers to Rafael Nadal on clay. It looks like Stefanos Tsitsipas could hold that distinction in 2021 (yes, I know Andrey Rublev beat Nadal in Monte-Carlo, but Tsitsipas is more dangerous long term on this surface than the Russian). With the Greek coming off a title in Monte-Carlo and four more straight-set wins this week, another Barcelona title for Nadal is not a foregone conclusion. Normally it is, of course. That being said, the King of Clay probably has the edge. He has raised his level over the last two matches, thus gaining confidence just in time for Sunday. Tsitsipas may have beaten Nadal at the Australian Open, but that required five sets on a surface that doesn’t favor the Spaniard. Nadal still leads the head-to-head series 6-2. Despite Tsitsipas’ current form, picking against Nadal on clay is not something I’m prepared to do quite yet. Nadal in 3: 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

Cheryl Murray: Usually selecting a winner in a Nadal match on clay is a no-brainer, which is to say that picking against the Spaniard is an outrageous decision. Not so this week (or last). Nadal is rusty; like really rusty. He even managed to make what should have been a shellacking of Pablo Carreno Busta in the semis more complicated than it should have been. And his Sunday opponent is absolutely tearing it up on European clay. Tsitsipas hasn’t so much as dropped a set since he set foot on the dirt. And then there’s the five-setter that Tsitispas won over Nadal in Melbourne from two sets down. Nope, there’s nothing easy about this pick. Tsitsipas is the in-form player on clay so far this year…and he just beat Nadal at the AO.At the same time, Nadal is playing on a court that literally bears his name. The crowd is going to be frantic for him to win, and…well…it is Nadal on clay–rust or not. That is really all there is to it. As I’ve said many times before, I just can’t pick against him on the dirt. Nadal in 3: 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

Pete Ziebron: Tsitsipas enters the Barcelona final on a 17-set winning streak. Only four times during this run has he lost more than three games in any set. Meanwhile, Nadal has won Barcelona 11 times and is undefeated in finals at this tournament. Ironically, though, the Spaniard has lost four sets in the last 13 he has played: two in Monte-Carlo vs. Rublev and one each to Ivashka and Nishikori this week in Barcelona. Surprisingly, both players have struggled in matches against top 10 competition in 2021.  Nadal is 0-2, including a loss to Tsitsipas at the Australian Open; the Greek is 2-3. Despite uncharacteristically losing sets at venues where he has won convincingly won 11 titles (also in Monte-Carlo), Nadal has corrected course in his last two matches in Barcelona and will enter the final with confidence restored.  That factor alone will be enough to make it an even dozen in capital of Catalonia, as well as a return to world No. 2. Nadal in 2: 6-4 7-5.

Monte-Carlo final expert picks: Tsitsipas vs. Rublev

This article first appeared on The Grandstand.

Expert picks are back for Sunday’s Monte-Carlo final between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev. A three-team panel debates which man will become a Masters 1000 champion for the first time in his career.


Ricky Dimon: This may not be Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic, but Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Andrey Rublev is just about as good as you could ask for in the Monte-Carlo final. Heck, it may be a lot better than Nadal vs. Djokovic (or Nadal vs. anyone on clay), because it should be extremely competitive. The head-to-head series is all tied up at 3-3 on the main tour and they have split their two previous clay-court encounters. Rublev won a competitive three-setter in the 2020 Hamburg final before Tsitsipas cruised 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 a little more than a week later at the French Open. This looks like a 50/50 match on paper, in which case I will lean toward the player who has had an easier path in Monte-Carlo–and the one who dominated their last clay-court meeting.  Tsitsipas in 3: 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Cheryl Murray: Since “expert picks” implies actually choosing a winner, I suppose I can’t say “it’s a toss-up”…but I kind of want to anyway. Tsitsipas has a lovely clay-court game and under normal circumstances I would pick him over Rublev on the dirt. He’s quick on his feet, he displays the necessary patience required on clay, and he’s striking the ball well. These, however, are not normal circumstances. Rublev is absolutely hitting the cover off the ball right now. His win over Roberto Bautista Agut was the match of the tournament by some margin. It’s also tempting to figure his upset of Nadal into the “Rublev’s form” calculations, but Nadal played so uncharacteristically poorly that the only relevant factor from that match is the mental edge of having beaten Nadal on clay. Rublev and Tsitsipas are an even 3-3 and their matches have generally been competitive, although Rublev nipped Tsitsipas earlier this year in Rotterdam in straight sets. They’re both in great form and I expect it to be a nail-biter to the end. Still, I can’t pick against Rublev; this just feels like his tournament.  Rublev in 3: 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(2)

Pete Ziebron: After more than a decade of Masters 1000s being won by the Big 3 and Andy Murray, the rest of the field is only now beginning to win these prestigious titles. Monte-Carlo brings us an intriguing final between Tsitsipas and Rublev, who plan to reside in the ATP top 10 for most of the rest of this decade. Rublev, whose ranking was No. 70 at the time, served notice to the tour when he soundly defeated Roger Federer at the 2019 Cincinnati Masters; his upward trajectory has been steady ever since. Tsitsipas has been a threat on the ATP Tour since his run to the Canada Masters one year earlier in 2018 and has been in the top 10 for the last 25 months. While the abbreviated schedule last year significantly impacted some players on tour, Tsitsipas and Rublev  have been able to stay the course and win often. The Russian has a slightly better resume in 2021 and for this reason he gets the nod in Sunday’s final.  Rublev in 3: 6-4, 5-7, 6-3.

 

 

College Tennis - Alexander Cozbinov

Alexander Cozbinov (born 28 April 1995) is a Moldovan tennis player. Cozbinov has a career high ATP singles ranking of 743 achieved on 2 March 2020. Cozbinov played college tennis at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas between 2015–2018. He won the Mountain West Conference Tennis Player of the Year in 2018. In 2020, Alex sat for an exclusive interview with Tennis Acumen, and talked about his experience at UNLV.

Tennis Acumen: How did you come to play tennis at UNLV, University of Nevada Las Vegas?

Alexander Cozbinov: Well, I was playing at future events in Romania. One of the coaches there used to be assistant coach at UNLV. He asked me if I'm planning on going to college, and I said: “Yes.” He came to watch one of my matches and then he told the head coach at UNLV about me. The head coach contacted me and that's how I went to UNLV.  

 

Tennis Acumen: That had to be a big decision.

Alexander Cozbinov: Yes, it was. But there weren’t a lot of options for me. After I graduated from high school, my family didn't have money to support my tennis, because it's very expensive. So, I basically had a choice: stop playing or going to college and play tennis and study. I had only four months to decide. So, when UNLV offered me a scholarship. I took it right away and went to UNLV.

 

Tennis Acumen: J.P. Smith told me that playing in college, everything is very structured. You have your food and meals and hotels and your travel. Everything's arranged. Was it difficult to make the transition where you have to do it all by yourself?

Alexander Cozbinov: Oh yeah. It was very difficult to do it on my own. I almost quit at some point.  You have to find financial support. You have to pay for all expenses on your own, which makes it very difficult to keep playing and stay on the tour. You have to always keep finding ways to keep coming back. So, it's way more difficult once you decide to play professional tennis on your own.

 

Tennis Acumen: What's the difference between playing tennis as part of a team in college, compared to being out solo on the tour?

Alexander Cozbinov: Well, the tour is more individual. You're trying to build your ranking on your own. College is more about the team. It's more fun, more exciting. You travel as a team. You do everything as a team which I kind of enjoyed a lot in college.

 

Tennis Acumen: OK. So, do you still keep in touch with people you played with?

Alexander Cozbinov: I have friends, I am still friends with my teammates and I still keep in touch with the coaching staff, too.

 

Tennis Acumen: It's really interesting, your experience. One thing I'd heard is this:  in college, you get fairly large audiences. When you come out the Futures and Challengers, there's nobody there. Can you compare the audience for college tennis to the audience at this level?

Alexander Cozbinov: Yes. In college it’s much louder. I liked it. Here, it's way calmer and quieter. I enjoyed the crowds. Some people don't like it because it interrupts the game. I was OK. Here, not many people come out and it's not as exciting. I guess because it’s about only one player, not about the team.

 

For more in our series on college tennis, select the 'College Tennis' category, upper right. 

 

College Tennis - John Patrick Smith

John  Patrick Smith, from Australia, attended the University of Tennessee from 2007 through 2011, where he was a four-time All-American and made it to the college No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles. Tennis Acumen talked with JP in early 2020. Here's one part of that exclusive interview. 

Tennis Acumen:  We are talking with John Patrick Smith. J.P., how did you first get started in tennis?

J. P. Smith: As a kid, growing up, I was into many different sports. Swimming was my first sport. I swam from ages 6 to 12 and then I started tennis around 8. Tennis complemented my swimming, but after a point, tennis was full time, as far as my main focus . I still was into other sports, well into high school.

 

Tennis Acumen: How did your family play into sports activity, and your decision to play tennis?

J. P. Smith: My family was great, in the sense that they were pretty open to what I did and supported my choices. That's why I played many sports, just because they're pretty chill. My family is very relaxed, so whatever I wanted to do they were very supportive. It was good.

 

Tennis Acumen: That’s a brilliant thing. You played college tennis. How in the world did you come to play college tennis in the USA, growing up halfway around the world?

J. P. Smith: We have a big Australian connection at the University of Tennessee. So. It's been an Australian on the team since 1987. So every year there’s this kind of pedigree that comes through. There's gonna be at least one Australian coming through. I think we’ve got three on the team right now at Tennessee. So, we've got a few and it's kind of cool gong back there and training. Always nice seeing an Aussie there. It's very nice, very unique.

 

Tennis Acumen: Now you've played a lot on the tour since college. How would you describe the tennis experience as a player at college?

J. P. Smith: It's very structured, and it's a lot of fun. It's very well run. You know, you've had people doing stuff for you. Basically, all you have to do is play tennis and go to class. Everything else is taken care for you: the travel arrangements, the tournaments you are playing. That's all taken care of. All you have to do is study and play tennis. Obviously, when you leave college, it's a whole new beast . You have to find yourself. You have to schedule tournaments, schedule your training, schedule your workouts in the gym. It's a different level.

 

Tennis Acumen: Now, did you consider going straight to the tour?

J. P. Smith: No, never. I it was all about education. I've got my education now, so it takes a little weight off the shoulders. I don’t have to go back to school as mature age student.

 

Tennis Acumen: Right. And the experience of playing as part of a team, as opposed to singles or doubles on tour?

J. P. Smith: That’s the other unique factor about college tennis. You don't get that on the tour. It’s good to factor in those four years, where you can enjoy that, build on your game with your teammates. You make new friends and new memories there in college, memories you still talk about today, even.

 

Tennis Acumen: That's brilliant.

 

For more in our series on college tennis, select the 'College Tennis' category, upper right. 

Miami Open final expert picks: Sinner vs. Hurkacz

This article originally appeared on The Grandstand.

Expert picks are back for a surprising matchup in the Miami Open final on Sunday afternoon. A three-team panel previews the upcoming Jannik Sinner vs. Hubert Hurakcz showdown and makes its predictions.

Ricky Dimon: The Big 3’s absence plus more than a few upsets have resulted in a most improbable title match–but also one that provides plenty of intrigue. And it should be a good one, too, as it looks pretty even on paper. Hurakcz is money in south Florida, having captured the Delray Beach to begin this season in addition to a Miami run that includes upsets of Denis Shapovalov, Milos Raonic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Andrey Rublev. In between those two events, though, there was a fair amount of inconsistency.

Despite his youth at 19 years old, Sinner seems to be the more reliable player. It feels like he is quite simply immune to pressure. And I don’t see nerves being a factor on Sunday, as it’s not like Sinner is playing against Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, or Roger Federer in front of thousands of fans. The Italian has won two of his last six tournaments and he has a great chance to make it three out of seven. Look for Sinner to come up clutch at the end of what is sure to be an entertaining and competitive contest. Sinner in 3: 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.

Cheryl Murray: This definitely isn’t  the all-Russian Miami final I envisioned at the start of the tournament. In an era of unprecedented top-player dominance, a Masters final that features competitors outside the top 30 is as intriguing as it is surprising. Sinner is the better shot-maker–a likely superstar-in-the-making–but he has also had a more favorable draw. There has not been much more than the likes of Karen Khachanov and Roberto Bautista Agut in his way. That’s certainly not what could be considered an easy path, but.....

Hurkacz slayed some legitimate dragons en route to the final. He took out Shapovalov, Raonic, and then posted back-to-back victories over Tsitsipas and Rublev. With the server-friendly courts in Miami and Hurkacz’s current form, the Pole should win more free points than Sinner–an edge that can’t be underestimated. While Sinner has a bigger upside in the long run, Miami feels like Hurkacz’s tournament. Hurkacz in 3: 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(4).

Pete (Tennis Acumen): As tennis and the sporting world continue to meander through the challenges of completing live competitions, consider the fact that the winner of this match will have one more Miami Open title than Nadal and concurrently own an equal number of Masters 1000 titles as Stan Wawrinka. Both men have been on impressive upward trajectories the last few years on the ATP Tour. Throughout the string of impressive victories in the last four rounds over Shapovalov, Raonic, Tsitsipas, and Rublev, the 24-year-old hit 39 aces with just six double-faults. Twice Hurkacz has come back to win after dropping the opening set. 

Similarly,  Sinner has also come back twice to win a match in this event after facing an opening-set deficit–defeating Khachanov in the third round and Bautista Agut in the semifinals. As a result we have the 21st-seeded Italian and the 26th-seeded Pole in the Final of a Masters 1000. Hurkacz had the more difficult route to the final, and as a result his confidence is peaking. Hurkacz in 3: 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

College Tennis - J. J. Wolf

Jeffrey John "J. J." Wolf (born December 21, 1998) is an American professional tennis player. He achieved a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 120 in September 2020. Wolf played collegiately at The Ohio State University, where he was the #1 ranked player in college tennis. J. J. sat with Karl Corbett of Tennis Acumen at the Knoxville Challenger in November, 2019.  Here is part of that exclusive interview. 

Tennis Acumen: We are with Jeffrey John Wolf talking about the college game.  J.J., when did you make the decision to play college tennis, as opposed to going straight on the tour?

J. J. Wolf: For me it was never an option to go straight onto the tour.  I always knew I was going to go to college. My parents raised me with that idea in my head and   I wanted to get a feel for the education. I also loved the team environment college provides. So, it was a great idea for me to go to college. It  helped my game a lot and I made some of the best friends I could ask for.

 

Tennis Acumen: Tell me about that team experience it's a bit different on the tour

J. J. Wolf: Yeah,   I'm pretty lucky. I've got one of my former teammates on tour with me right around the same ranking. So, we get to play the same tournaments, which is nice. I still get a little bit of that feel but I know a lot of these guys are out there on their own. That's not my personality. I'd rather have a team around me. S

 

Tennis Acumen: In college, it seems everything is pretty structured. Things are arranged for you:  food, meals, travel. All you have to do is play tennis and go to class, right? How would you describe that shock when you go on the pro tour and have to do everything yourself?

J. J. Wolf:  I've been lucky in this regard, also. I've had a lot of help from the agency I signed with, my coaches as well as my family, helping make that transition as smooth as possible. It is  definitely a little bit of a shock when you all you're thinking about is tennis. At school, I could socialize with my friends, went to classes, but   after   a month or two, I got used to it a little more. I kind of had a shaky start there, but   I'm getting accustomed to it.

 

Tennis Acumen: What was the biggest surprise making that transition?

J. J. Wolf: I don’t know if it was a surprise, but the biggest shock was just   how consistently high the  level of play was, with everyone. I just hadn't thought about it before     You make jumps and strides so quickly at all levels, up until the pros. This is, obviously, the last place you can go. After the first couple tournaments, you learn that  every match can be a hard one. You know it's a  privilege to play against a lot of these guys, so, I’m having fun.

 

Tennis Acumen: Excellent, JJ, thanks for sharing your experience with us.

J. J. Wolf: Thank you very much. I  appreciate it.  

 

For more in our series on college tennis, select the 'College Tennis' category, upper right. 

Sharapova vs. Halep in Cincinnati 2014

PETE ZIEBRON

The Maria Sharapova - Simona Halep rivalry was fierce, fiesty and extremely competitive.  They met for the third time in a little over two months in the 2014 Western & Southern quarterfinals.

Sharapova held a 4-0 H2H heading into the match in Cincinnati, having won the Roland Garros and Madrid finals earlier in the year, both in three sets.  This match would be their first meeting on hard courts since Beijing in 2012.

An overflow crowd packed Grandstand court for the first match of the Evening Session in Cincinnati and at least thirty Romanian flags greeted Halep as the players arrived on court.  Halep took the opening set 6-3 but was never able to get a stranglehold on the match.  

My vantage point was in the photo pit opposite the Chair and directly below the Sharapova camp, where coach Sven Groenfeld kept urging on his charge over and over with "You were made for this" shouts and reminders.  Sharapova must have agreed and she was able to win the following two sets 6-4 6-4 to advance to the semifinals.

Following the match, both players expounded on the occasion:

Sharapova on changing tactics in the second and third sets:  "I think just getting myself in the point and making her realize that I'm there, that my presence is someone there instead of giving her so many looks on second serves and giving her so many easy points, having the opportunity to move in."

Sharapova on facing a crowd more in favor of her opponent:  "Yeah, I'm very used to that.  I've been on the tour for so many years to face against opponents that have small support groups that come out with bells and whistles and the circus act and all of that.
I'm very well‑prepared and I use that to my advantage.  I use that to get energy as opposed to getting angry, and that's worked really well for me in my career."

Halep on the second and third sets:  "I think this second set for sure I made a step behind the baseline and was a mistake.
Then in the third set I wanted just to stay aggressive.  Now I don't know if I did this, but for sure she played really well.  She was hitting the ball really strong.  I made few mistakes, easy mistakes.
But I am okay.  I played well, and I'm happy with the way I played today.  So I have just to looking forward for the next one."

Halep on what she will need to do the next time they play: "I think it's about experience.  Maybe you saw the match.  At the important moments she was hitting the ball very strong.  Maybe she's doing this every time and now it's working.
I was a little bit nervous at 4‑3 for me.  But, you know, I need experience.  I need more matches, and then maybe I will play better in this moment.  I feel okay.  The match was good.
I just want to forget it and to take another one, the next one."

Sharapova and Halep would play four more times, with the Russian winning the next two matches and Halep the last two for a final H2H of 7-2 in favor of Sharapova.

 

 

College Tennis - Aleksander Kovacevic - Part Two

American Aleks Kovacevic talked with Tennis Acumen at the Knoxville Challenger, November of 2019. This is part two of his thoughts on the college tennis experience.

Photo credit - The Daily Illini

 

Tennis Acumen:  So, you talk about team atmosphere. You've had a little taste of life in the pros, playing Futures and Challengers. What is it about college, the  team tennis environment that works best for you?

Aleks Kovacevic:  Well, there's a lot of adversity you have to face here (on the pro tour). It's very different in college. For example, you'll have huge crowds showing up for our matches. We have a really big fan base for Illinois tennis. You don't really see that, not at this level in the pros (the Challenger tournaments). You see maybe one or two guys come out to watch you and cheer for you, but it's not like you have a whole city behind you, in a way. That’s really cool, but it can also be stressful when you're on the road and you have a crowd of people chirping at you.

And the way that college tennis is structured with no ad points, it's just a lot more of a stressful situation when you're on the court. There's a few ways look at it. Some people love that. What's been interesting is this: I used to really, really love that stress.  I always thrived in that. And this summer, I came out to  some of these Challenger matches and there was no one there. I struggled, because I was thinking: “Where's everyone to boost me or even just chirp at me?”. I wanted people that get me going somehow, and I had to find new internal motivation. I got so used it here that when I came back to college it was a shock to my system. It was so much noise that I kind of  wanted it to be quiet again. It can be good and it could be bad. It depends on the player and your mindset about how you look at it. A lot of things.

 

Tennis Acumen:  Quite interesting. That's quite interesting. And you're a couple of months away from graduation.

Aleks Kovacevic:  I don't know if I'll finish my schooling, but iIn terms of like my tennis eligibility I'll be done.  My fourth year, I'll be done.

 

Tennis Acumen:  So, Aleks, are you putting together a team to support you, to keep you on the road:   your trainer or physio, flight arrangements, all of that?

Aleks Kovacevic:  That's one thing that I'm trying to work on. It hasn't really come together as much as  I thought. mean. Some of those things, I worry about a lot. My plan after college in terms of where I am going to train. Who’s going to travel with me. It's pretty sad, in a way, because I'm gonna miss being in college with my friends all the time. I'll be on my own, in a way. But I think those kind of things will figure themselves out as I get on the pro tour. I meet a lot of people that can put me in touch with with whoever I need. I haven't had really that pro experience, where I'm going week to week, out there by myself.  Right now, I'm playing this pro tournament, and I'm driving back to school right away. I'm going back to see my friends. So, it's a lot different when you're playing Challengers and pro tournaments while you're in college than it will be playing strictly pro so. Some things, I might have to adjust to.  I'm looking forward to it, but I'm also very anxious about it. You know life is gonna be different and I know I’ll miss college.

 

Tennis Acumen:  Well you will have to create your own structure. It’s all there for you right now, all provided.  But you're sharp. I know you’ll figure that out. Last question. Where would you like to be in one year.

Aleks Kovacevic:  In one year? I want to be able to crack the top 200 I guess. That's a fairly reasonable goal. I'm going to be ranked around 490 next week. My goal right now is to set myself up for this summer in terms of getting into these Challengers on my own ranking. I've gotten a lot of wild cards and I think I've used them pretty well. But I'd like to kind of push into that 300 to 400 range soon, sooner rather than later so I can kind of just consistently  play at the Challenger level, and peck away  at the higher level. That’s the plan.

 

Tennis Acumen:  Thank you very much Aleks. This really is fascinating. People love this stuff. See you soon.

 

For more in our series on college tennis, select the 'College Tennis' category, upper right. 

College Tennis - Aleksander Kovacevic - Part One of Two

American Aleks Kovacevic talked with Tennis Acumen at the Knoxville Challenger, November of 2019. This is part one of his thoughts on the college tennis experience.

photo credit - The Daily Illini

 

Tennis Acumen:  February 26, 2020. Columbus, Ohio. Tennis Acumen sits down with Aleksander Kovacevic. Aleks, at what point did you decide you were going to play tennis in college as opposed to go on the tour.

Aleks Kovacevic:  I didn't see it as that big of a choice. I was honestly looking at going to Ivy League schools, but I decided not to,  which is not saying anything against Ivy League schools. It's just, for me, if I went to an Ivy League school, I'd be more focused on the school and  after that, somehow  find my tennis. My dad was always a scholar. He was a Ph.D. in computer science at UCLA. So, my parents were kind of pushing me to go the elite school route. I had the SAT scores and all that. Then, by the very end of my high school tenure,  I started doing better and better and started competing with the guys that were top in  the nation. My ranking  was in the top 20.  

Aleks Kovacevic:  And nowadays, guys are making these decisions.  For example, my friend Axel Geller from Argentina. He was the number one junior in the world in 2017. He decided to go to college instead of go pro. So for me, seeing something like that, it was not even a question.  I wasn’t saying: “I don't think I can make it as a pro.” This was going to be a long way to go. It's tough out here. Tennis is a  tough sport to make money in. Mentally, it's just a tough sport. So I wanted to have a backup if tennis wasn't really going as well as I wanted it to.

 

Tennis Acumen:  And how did you decide which school then?  Specifically the University of Illinois? How did you end up there?

Aleks Kovacevic:   It's kind of a long story. I was looking at a bunch of schools before I decided on Illinois. And I did like those schools. I had nothing nothing against them. I liked all the schools. But for me, school was school… and I didn't really like school in general. It was kind of daunting.  I didn't want to do the actual school work. I'd much rather focus on tennis. I'm a lazy kid, in terms of school. Then, I played my now teammate Zeke Clark in the final round of qualifying in the Futures. I think it was in Little Rock, Arkansas. We had a grind of a match, and Zeke beats me 7-5 in the third set. I'm sitting on the sideline,  looking at flights on my phone, talking my dad about where I'm going to go next, drinking a Coke on the sideline. After the match, Zeke  comes out to me, saying: “Hey, man, you're a really good player. You should contact Brad Dancer. He’s  head coach at Illinois.”

Aleks Kovacevic:   I didn't really know Zeke, but he was one of the top players in the nation at the time. I had respect for him. So I thought: “Maybe I will.”  I reached out to Brad. I guess Zeke had talked to Brad in the meantime and Brad was excited to have me on campus. I came on a visit and fell in love with the team, fell in love with everything about the place. I don't really know why, because it's kind of different from where I’ve ever lived. A lot different from Boca (Boca Raton, Florida),  right? Illinois is a very different place,  but it clicked. I committed to school a few weeks before it started. I was a really planning to go in in January and take some time just to hang out. But then I visited, I loved it, and I said: “ Let's do it. Let's start now.” That's my story when it comes to Illinois.

 

Tennis Acumen:  So another player recruited you. Now your teammate, Zeke Clark.

Aleks Kovacevic:  Right. I think he's ranked around 700 right now. He’s good player. Greatest guy ever. I loved him  from the first day I met him and he's just an amazing person. He’s one of the top recruiters in college, as a player. In terms of  everyone that comes to visit Illinois, Zeke’s just been there, encouraging people. Everyone that comes on a visit there has just loved the team atmosphere.

 

Tennis Acumen:  Interesting, the way that works.

 

For more in our series on college tennis, select the 'College Tennis' category, upper right. 

J. J. Wolf - Favorite Cities on the Tennis Tour

Jeffrey John "J. J." Wolf (born December 21, 1998) is an American professional tennis player. He achieved a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 120 in September 2020. Wolf played collegiately at The Ohio State University, where he was the #1 ranked player in college tennis. J. J. sat with Karl Corbett of Tennis Acumen at the Knoxville Challenger in November, 2019.  Here is part of that exclusive interview. 

Karl: You know, you're getting to travel more and more. What are some of your favorite cities and why do you like them?

J.J.: My favorite city always be Cincinnati. You know, I'm a real hometown kid. I like Cincinnati a lot. For professional tournaments, I really enjoy the U.S., mostly. Indian Wells was very nice. I got to play qualies there. My favorite city in Europe is Barcelona. I was there playing juniors. It was a training week, so I got to have some fun. As far as the other cities, I've got to get better at seeing the sights while am at their tournaments. You know, not being too, too focused. So, I'm sure I'll learn a lot more about different cities and find my favorites.

 

Karl: So, what was it about Barcelona? You had some time. What caught your fancy.

J.J.: I had a couple of. Spanish coaches work me out while my coach was also there. Get to see the different ways they train over there. The red clay is kind of new and different which makes it fun. I also got to see the Sagrada Familia, their most famous church, which is very cool, coming from a Catholic background. That’s an important piece of history. One of my buddies, Sebastian Arcila, who plays at Florida State now, was training with me there. We were able to have fun together, and relax a little bit. I improved my game and had some fun, too.

 

Karl: When you are traveling, J.J., what's your day to day routine? Sometimes you have a morning match, sometimes you play at night. How do you make the day to day routine work for you?

J.J.: Oh, we keep it pretty structured, but not too strict, no. There's always a guideline we go by, maybe more of an outline. When I have a morning match. I always like to have finished warmups an hour before I'm playing. I like a little downtime before I stencil my rackets. I think what I'm going to do, relax a little bit. I talk to my family and then strap the headphones on before I play. Then after, I’ll cool down If it's a night match, I like to get a hit in, maybe late morning. And then another hit before the match. You follow the same routine to get your body moving a little bit. I haven’t had too many night matches yet, maybe three or four.

 

Karl: That'll be coming.

J.J.: I hope so.

Denis Istomin Talks About Winning and Losing

Denis Istomin  is an Uzbek professional tennis player, born in Russia. He has won two singles titles (at the 2015 Aegon Open Nottingham and 2017 Chengdu Open) and achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 33 in 2012. In January 2017, he defeated defending champion Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Australian Open. This interview was an exclusive for Tennis Acumen, held in November 2019 at the Columbus, Ohio Challenger. 

 

Tennis Acumen: Thanks for sitting down with us, Denis. First off, how did you get started in tennis? Most guys start at a very young age. How about you?

Denis Istomin: Me, I also started very young. I was four years old, maybe younger. My mother is a  coach and she was working in a club in Uzbekistan. I was with her on the court all the time, so I just did what you might expect:  I started to play.

 

Tennis Acumen: When did you discover that you loved tennis?

Denis Istomin: Probably around seven years old. I do love to play tennis and I just love to compete,  actually. I cannot say exactly what age it was, but ever since I started to play tournaments, say around 7, I realize that I like to play and I like to compete.

 

Tennis Acumen: So, some guys Denis, they love to win. That's really important. Some guys hate to lose. And that's very important. Where are you on that spectrum, loving to win more or hating to lose?

Denis Istomin: Actually it's on both sides. I mean you go on court and you want to win. And of course, you don't like to lose, but, if you lose you just realize that you are not good enough on that day. So, you just need to work harder than before and to win as much as you can. So, I love to win and I hate to lose.

Donald Young - Winning and Losing

Donald Young has been playing professional tennis for more than half of his life. Now 30 years old, he turned pro at age 15. Ranked as high as #38 in the world at one time, Donald Young sat down with Tennis Acumen for an exclusive interview with Karl Corbett. Here's part of that interview at the Knoxville Challenger, November of 2019. 

 

Karl: Let’s talk tennis, Donald…. Some guys absolutely love to win. That's the most important thing. And some guys hate to lose more than anything. Where are you on that spectrum? What drives you the most?

DY: Yes, I'm in the middle of both. I really hate losing. The feeling is awful. But I love to win as well. That feeling is great. So, you try to miss out on one feeling and get the other one all the time.

Karl: So, when it comes to losing, afterwards, do you need to go off by yourself, or be with somebody?

DY: Yeah, I need some time, but I've gotten better about taking a loss as I've gotten older. For a while, it would last a lot a long time. Coming up, it was more tragic, because it didn't happen often. especially in Juniors. (Young won the both the French Open and Wimbledon juniors titles.) I certainly did not lose as often as in the pros, so it wasn't a feeling I was used to. You play the pros and you are probably going to lose more weeks than you win, in general. Even the top players lose more events than they actually win, if you look at the numbers.

Karl: When you're out on court, Donald, playing singles, do you hear the crowd? Do you pay attention to the crowd, or do you totally zone out and just focus on what's on court?

DY: It depends on where I am. I'm serious. Somewhere like the US Open, I'm really listening for it, because the support is normally for me. In another country, you probably tune it out a little more. But I like the crowd. I like the energy they bring, positive or negative. You relate to the crowd in that that experience. The bigger the audience the better it is.

Karl: And what do you think your life will be like a year from now? What are your goals?

DY: Hopefully, out of the Challengers and back in the top 100, you know. Playing Slams again and tour events. That would be what I would like to envision. But I'm definitely still playing, God willing. And that's what I would love, to be healthy and be out here competing, to do what I love to do. I still 30 yet, so I'm still good.

Karl: I wish you a long and healthy career. Thank you for sitting down with Tennis Acumen.

DY: Thank you. Appreciate it.

Jurij Rodionov - Goals, Dreams, Family

Jurij Rodionov (born 16 May 1999) is an Austrian tennis player. Rodionov has a career high ATP singles ranking of 166 achieved on 16 March 2020. He represents Austria in Davis Cup tennis. Rodionov has won three ATP Challenger singles titles: the 2018 Almaty Challenger,  the 2020 RBC Tennis Championship of Dallas  and the 2020 Challenger at Cuernevaca, Mexico. Jurij sat with us for an exclusive interview at the 2020 Columbus Challenger. 

 

 

Tennis Acumen:  How's the family support been as you've gotten more serious about tennis?

Jurij Rodionov: Very good. Very good . My father is supporting me financially. You need that to get started, for sure. My whole life, my mom was always my biggest fan. She is always writing me, after every match, congratulating me, telling me what I should do better. I have two great supporters and I am very honored to have such parents.

 

Tennis Acumen:  That's beautiful. Jurij, where would  you see yourself a year from now? What would your goal be?

Jurij Rodionov: The dream for me here? I would see myself playing in the Next Gen Final this year, that's for sure. I really don't focus on points and rankings. I don't like to have ranking goals, because that just gives me unnecessary pressure. Right now, I'm number 160 in the world. I am not going to tell myself: “I need 200 points to be in the top one hundred, so I need to win two Challenger tournaments.” I just have to play one match at a time, with the attitude of: “ I don't care if I lose or win.” Well, of course I care if I win, but I just want to play. I care more about my game, developing that game and just step by step improving myself.

 

Tennis Acumen: Life after tennis. Have you ever thought of that?  

Jurij Rodionov: No, not yet. I mean, I'm probably going to be a coach. But, actually, having enough money that I don't have to work anymore: That is an absolutely great thought.

 

Tennis Acumen: This has been really refreshing, Jurij. Thank you.

Roy Smith at the 2019 Knoxville Challenger

Roy Smith is an American tennis professional from New Haven, Connecticut. He played two seasons of college tennis at Baylor, 2017 and 2018, before turning pro in 2019. Roy sat for an exclusive interview with Tennis Acumen at the Challenger tournament in Knoxville, November 2019.

 

Tennis Acumen: One question we ask a lot of guys is this, Roy: Some guys just love to win. That's the most important thing to them. Some guys hate to lose more than anything. So, avoiding the loss is more important than actually winning. Where do you fall on that spectrum?

Roy Smith: Well, I'm just trying to better each day.

 

Tennis Acumen:  Let’s talk about coming to the net and hitting a winner. You just won the match. What’s the feeling? Is it more the joy of winning or the relief, the pressure off your shoulders?

Roy Smith: I do like the pressure off my shoulders. You're going to have your wins and losses, of course. I feel like everyone hates to lose. But, for me, it’s just getting better every day and it's really trusting the process. I feel like that can carry you pretty far.

 

Tennis Acumen: Tell me more about that trusting the process.

Roy Smith: It’s all about trying to get better. Because I feel like I haven't done tennis full time. In school, I would practice two or three hours a day. I haven't really been out playing for long. I am less than a year playing professional, full time tennis. I talk about trying to get better, trusting the process more, because I really haven’t been doing it that long.

 

Tennis Acumen:  I really appreciate the way you explained that.  So, when did you first pick up a racket?

Roy Smith: I first picked up a racket when I was 4 years old,  but I wasn't serious about it. I started playing tennis seriously when I was 12. So ,at 12 I started to play in tournaments and that sort of thing.

 

Tennis Acumen: When you were younger, say still in school, How did you deal with losses and struggles and frustration at that point.

Roy Smith: I was into other sports, so tennis wasn't really my first choice. I had to choose between basketball, baseball and tennis in high school. I chose tennis then, just a few years ago.

 

Tennis Acumen: Well, for a lot of guys, from the time they're four years old, there's nothing else. You've had a lot more variety in your life and had some choices to make. So, if someone had said: “Roy, listen, the sports thing is just not for you.”,  what would you be doing?

Roy Smith: If it weren’t for athletics, I’d be in college taking business classes. Yeah. Private industry, a business degree.

 

Tennis Acumen: Are you good with numbers and math and that kind of thing?

Roy Smith: Yes, I'm pretty good, at least when I want to be, yeah. Anyway, I don't want to be just about that.

 

Tennis Acumen: Even though you put aside a pro career, and played college tennis at Baylor, you have still  traveled a bit. Have you picked up any foreign languages or phrases that help you get along?

Roy Smith:  A little Spanish, but not that much. I could find a bathroom or find a restaurant. Maybe ask for some food.

 

Tennis Acumen: Hey, it's been fun watching you play. Thanks a lot for sitting down with us. It’s been a pleasure. Best of luck going forward.

Roy Smith: Thank you. I appreciate it.