Tennis Acumen

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.

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.

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.

Australian Open final expert picks: Djokovic vs. Medvedev

 

This article originally appeared on The Grandstand with contributions from Ricky Dimon, Cheryl Murray and Pete Ziebron.

 

Only one Big 3 member has advanced to the Australian Open final, but Sunday features nothing less than an absolute blockbuster of a matchup. It’s Novak Djokovic vs. Daniil Medvedev. A three-team panel previews the action and makes its predictions.

Ricky (The Grandstand): Djokovic will be confident because of the past. He is an eight-time Australian Open champion and is 8-0 lifetime in finals at this event. Medvedev will be confident because of the present. He is on a 20-match winning streak and is a hard-to-believe 12-0 in his last 12 matches against top-10 opponents. As tough as it is to pick against Djokovic in Melbourne, I’m leaning toward the present in this one. Medvedev has quite simply been the best player on the planet dating back to last fall and nothing has changed this fortnight. The world No. 4 has won five of his six matches in straight sets, including against eighth-ranked Andrey Rublev and sixth-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas. Djokovic, who at times was less than 100 percent physically, has required five sets once (vs. Taylor Fritz) and four sets on three other occasions. And it’s not as if the past entirely favors the world No. 1. He is a less than dominant 4-3 in the head-to-head series and has lost three of his last four matches against Medvedev. My pre-tournament final pick was Medvedev over Djokovic and nothing we have seen so far gives any reason to waffle. Medvedev in 5: 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-4.

Cheryl (The Grandstand): These were the two players I picked for the final from the start of the tournament. It’s tempting to just assume that Djokovic is a slam dunk for his ninth Oz title, but there isn’t going to be anything simple about this match. First, the intimidation factor isn’t there for Djokovic; Medvedev isn’t afraid of him in the least. In fact, the last time they met (at the Nitto ATP Finals), Medvedev dismantled the Serb. Also, although Medvedev hasn’t won a slam title yet, he’s been in a final (U.S. Open 2019) and he wasn’t scared there against Rafael Nadal, either. So this is going to come down to straight form, and surprisingly that favors the Russian. Djokovic has mostly been good enough this fortnight–not actually good. Medvedev, on the other hand, was sizzling against Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. At present, he looks like a very long-tentacled octopus wielding at least six racquets. He seems to be everywhere all at once. Medvedev in 4: 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-3.

Pete (Tennis Acumen): All of the sudden, a Djokovic-Medvedev matchup could very well be considered the most intriguing H2H on the ATP Tour. In a bit of a surprise, it is Medvedev that has won three of the last four meetings. This run includes the 2019 Cincinnati Masters semifinals, in which the Russian threw down the hammer and concurrently announced that his brand of tennis was consistently capable of defeating Djokovic–and defeating all others near the pinnacle of the ATP rankings. However, this match will take place Down Under where Djokovic is king. Despite concerns that he may not have been able to continue during this fortnight, the Serb always has answers and paths to victory, especially serving his way out of jams. No matter what Medvedev throws at Djokovic in Melbourne, the world No. 1 will send a return coming back with interest. Medvedev will eventually claim his first major and most likely more to follow, but not just yet. Djokovic wins his ninth Australian Open and “La Decima” will once again make its way into tennis conversations leading into the 2022 AO. Djokovic in 5: 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.

2011 Nadal vs. Verdasco in 3 hours 38 minutes in Cincinnati

PETER ZIEBRON

Rafael Nadal addresses the media in Cincinnati.  Peter Ziebron Images

The twelfth installment of Rafael Nadal vs. Fernando Verdasco took place at the 2011 Western & Southern Open.  Two and one half years prior, the two Spaniards played for five hours and ten minutes in the 2009 Australian Open semifinals.    It would be the last set Verdasco would win against Nadal until this encounter in Cincinnati as he would would lose in straight sets in four consecutive events during the next thirty months.

On August 18, 2011 in the round of 16 in Cincinnati, Verdasco would win a set and battle Nadal for three hours and thirty eight minutes.  On that day, I was fortunate to watch the entire match from the Center Court photo pit alongside Ricky Dimon @Dimonator.  We watched as Nadal took the opening set in a breaker 7-5.  Next Verdasco levelled by winning the second set 7-4 in the tiebreaker.  Finally, Nadal would secure victory with a 9-7 final set tiebreak win.

Nadal d. Verdasco 7-6(5) 6-7(4) 7-6(9)

Following the match, Nadal had this to say: 

"Was important victory for me. Wasn't an easy match. I think for moments I played well; for moments I played not that well, especially with the 5-1 of the tiebreak. I played a few really bad points.

I'm very happy I'm through; I'm in the quarterfinals. It's positive result for me. I need to spend hours on court. I would like to have one hour less than what I have, but was positive. It was a positive one.

Probably this match will help me for the -- I don't think for this tournament, but for the next one (US Open) yes. For this tournament, probably tomorrow I going to be a little bit more tired than what I would like to be. These kind of matches feel this pressure, finally winning one match like this when I had a few mistakes, when I had the match under control, even after I suffered a lot, because the end of the match was very close and emotional for me.

Was a positive thing to end with the victory. Hopefully I will be ready for tomorrow. I will try my best. He's playing really well. I think this kind of matches helps a lot for the US Open."

Verdasco was asked about the similarities between this match and the Australian Open semifinal from 2009:

"Every match is different, and there was five sets match, also very close. Just the difference of today it was in the tiebreak of the last set; there it was no tiebreak.

No big difference, because he played the same style as in Australia, and I also tried to do the same as I play in Australia.
So just there are many points during one match, so there are many situations. Every match is different."

Nadal's victory that day resulted in a 12-0 H2H mark against Verdasco.  Today, it stands at 17-3 with Verdasco's most recent win in the first round of the 2016 Australian Open - a match that also went five sets.

 

Part II with Chris O Connell - A Tennis Life

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 at the Columbus Challenger, where he reached the final and hit a career high ranking.

TENNIS ACUMEN: We are happy to be with Chris O'Connell, here in Columbus Ohio. Chris, you've been on the tour for a while. How did you first get started in tennis?

CHRIS O’CONNELL: I started playing tennis when I was about four or five, at a pretty young age. My mom used to play social tennis. She just brought me along and put me into a couple of lessons and that's how I got started.

 

TENNIS ACUMEN: At what point did you realize you were good at the game?

CHRIS O’CONNELL: Pretty early on, really. In Australia, I was in the top of my age group from. 12:00 and under all the way through 18 and under.  At a young age, I knew I was quite decent. And. You know.

 

TENNIS ACUMEN: What's it been like, getting on the road and being a full-time player? What was the transition like for you? The switch flips and you realize: “I'm a pro tennis player.” When did that happen for you?

CHRIS O’CONNELL: I guess once I started making a little bit of money. Playing the tournaments. And once you start making a bit of money and profiting each week, then you realize: “Oh, you can actually do this for a living.” So, that's when I figured it out.

 

TENNIS ACUMEN: You still get support from your family?

CHRIS O’CONNELL: Yes, I do. I speak to them all the time and they support me a lot. But financially, it's all up to me.

 

TENNIS ACUMEN: I understand that. What is it about the game that makes you want to do this more than anything else?

CHRIS O’CONNELL: I mean I've been playing for a long time, so it's been my life. I've been doing it for my whole life, so I can't really put a finger on it, what I love about it so much. But, as a young kid, I loved running around and hitting a tennis ball. It’s as simple as that.

Getting to Know Chris O'Connell

With the 2021 Australian Open in the headlines this week, Tennis Acumen today features Australian Chris O'Connell.  

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.

TENNIS ACUMEN: Do you get support from other Australian players or Tennis Australia, the federation down there?

CHRIS O’CONNELL: I don't play too many times against Australian guys.  I play a lot in Europe. A lot of the Australian guys don't really play over there that much. The last couple of years, I haven't had too much support from Tennis Australia. But I'm getting a bit of support this year, and they also gave me a wildcard into the Australian Open this year. That was a huge help financially as well.

 

TENNIS ACUMEN: OK very cool you know. Are you close with John Millman?

CHRIS O’CONNELL: Yes, I used to train with him, a little bit a few years ago when I was living in Brisbane for a while. Whenever I see him, we speak. Yeah, he's a nice guy.

 

TENNIS ACUMEN: He really is one of the sweetest guys ever. A very nice guy. Other favorite players on the tour, people that you spend time with?

CHRIS O’CONNELL: Mostly the Aussie guys. I'm pretty friendly with a guy called Danilo Petrovic, a Serbian guy. I'm friendly with a lot of Swedish players. I trained in Sweden a little bit. And then, all the Aussie players are very close.

 

TENNIS ACUMEN:  What are your passions, outside of tennis? Music, movies, food, fashion?

CHRIS O’CONNELL: I’m obsessed with music and I like reading as well. So, I spend most my time off court listening to music and reading quite a bit.

 

TENNIS ACUMEN: Your favorite bands?

CHRIS O’CONNELL: A lot of pretty underground Australian bands and I stick to the surf rock sort of genre.

Dennis Ralston, 6 Time Davis Cup Champion - Player, Coach & Captain

PETE ZIEBRON

As host of The Dennis Ralston Show in 2017 and 2018, I had the unique opportunity to discuss the current status of tennis as well as ask questions regarding stories from the past with Dennis Ralston.  These stories included his playing days as well as coaching Davis Cup teams and Chris Evert, Gabriela Sabatini, Yannick Noah and Roscoe Tanner.

Today, in Austin, Texas at age 78, Dennis departed the earth to be with the Lord.

Dennis won five major doubles titles in his storied career and reached the Wimbledon singles final in 1966.  

My favorite segment of The Dennis Ralston Show was when I was able to ask questions in the "Dennis Remembers" portion.  Winning the Davis Cup as a player in 1963 was certainly a career highlight and achievement, however the best stories came from 1968-1972.  During these first four years, Ralston led the United States to four consecutive Davis Cup triumphs as the Coach of the squad.  The following year, Ralston served as Captain and the USA won yet again, for the fifth straight year.

Ironically, my late Father, who attended one of Nick Bollettieri's first tennis camps in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1969, was on hand to watch the United States win the Davis Cup Finals in Cleveland in both 1969 and 1970.  Several times in my younger years, I would hear these stories of when Arthur Ashe and Stan Smith defeated Ion Tiriac and Illie Nastase of Romania in 1969 as well as when Ashe and Cliff Richey defeated West Germany in 1970.

Dennis, I am so glad and honored to have hosted your tennis show not long ago.  Rest in Peace.

 

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: Andrey Rublev

Andrey Rublev fights off a shot to the body, and loses his first-round  match in Cincinnati, 2018. Kei Nishikori won the contest, 7-5, 6-3. Rublev’s  world ranking dropped from #38 to #71, as he dropped points from the US Open in 2017, where he reached the quarterfinals. At this posting, Rublev has just made it in to the top 10 for the first time.

photo credit: Karl Corbett (c) Tennis Acumen

London Final expert picks: Thiem vs. Medvedev

This content originally appeared on The Grandstand

Expert picks are back for the last match of the ATP season: the Nitto ATP Finals title tilt between Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev. A three-team panel previews the action and makes its predictions.

Ricky Dimon (The Grandstand): It will be quite a story for whoever wins on Sunday when Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev battle for the Nitto ATP Finals title. Thiem came within two points of lifting the trophy last year; Medvedev went 0-3 in round-robin play last year. One will turn it all around and be the last man standing in this tumultuous 2020 tennis season. Both are immensely deserving. Although they survived tough semifinals on Saturday, Thiem and Medvedev have been by far the two best players from start to finish this week. The Russian is undefeated, while Thiem has beaten both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic–losing only a meaningless dead rubber against Andrey Rublev. Mentally and physically, Thiem has endured a tougher path; his wins over Nadal and Djokovic were both incredible. Medvedev absolutely crushed people–including Djokovic–until finally being tested by the Spaniard in the semis. The world No. 4 just seems slightly more confident (and also more consistent from the baseline) than Thiem right now, as his current nine-match winning streak includes the Paris Masters title. I think that will make the different in the pressure-packed moments of what should be another thriller. Medvedev in 3: 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Pete Ziebron (Tennis Acumen): Any of the four semifinalists could have won this tournament and it really would not have been much of a surprise to anyone. The margins between all four men are razor thin at this point, as evidenced by Thiem’s edging Djokovic after being just three points from defeat and Medvedev surviving Nadal after the Spaniard served for a straight-set win. Thiem’s victories in the U.S. Open final as well as Saturday over Djokovic are two prime examples of how difficult it is to beat the Austrian not just on clay but now on hard courts, as well, going forward. Medvedev cruises into the final on a nine-match winning streak. Had Nadal been the opponent, Thiem would have needed to defeat Djokovic and Nadal twice to win this event. Instead, he will need to outfox the crafty Russian who willed his way to victory over Nadal. Just as in their most recent match in the U.S. Open semifinals, Thiem’s belief and steely determination will be the difference. Thiem in 3:  6-7(4) 6-3 7-5.

Cheryl Murray (The Grandstand): This is a tasty final matchup. Both Medvedev and Thiem are playing well and they both had big wins in the semis over Nadal and Djokovic, respectively. They would also both be a first-time Nitto ATP Finals champion. Thiem holds a 3-1 record over Medvedev, but I don’t put much stock in that statistic because they are essentially 1-1 since the Russian found his top form. Medvedev, who comes into London off the Paris Masters title, is probably playing slightly better indoor tennis right now–especially when he’s serving well. Still, Thiem and his glorious backhand are always a factor. In the end it may just come down to which player holds his nerve better. Medvedev in 3: 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(5).

Jurij Rodionov - Getting Started

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 Tennis Acumen for an exclusive interview at the 2020 Columbus Challenger.  

 

Tennis Acumen: Jurij, thanks for sitting down with us and sharing your story. How did you get started in tennis, from the very beginning?

Jurij Rodionov: Oh, when I was a little kid I was very active. I always wanted to do sports, jump around and I was running all over my little flat. My parents were not always happy about it. I was making a lot of commotion and I was very loud. So, my parents decided to get me into sports when I was four years old. Originally, I wanted to do football. You call it soccer, yes? But in my hometown, only kids from six years and older were allowed to play. So, I had to make the decision: I could play tennis or basketball. I decided to play tennis. So, yeah, that's how it started.

 

Tennis Acumen: So, at four years old, you're picking up a racket?

Jurij Rodionov: Yeah, and, obviously, in the summer there are outdoor courts In Austria.

 

Tennis Acumen: Did you have access to indoor courts, so you could play year-round?

Jurij Rodionov: Yes, we could play all year. Everything was played on clay, indoor and outdoor. I started to play some hard-court tennis when I was eleven, twelve years old. By then I was starting to play international tournaments.

 

Tennis Acumen: At what point did you realize you love the game. Jurij?

Jurij Rodionov: I have always loved the game. Why? Well maybe so much tennis itself, but there is a lot of moving, running around in this game. That's why I really like tennis because it I always wanted to be in motion, and in tennis, there is not much else you can do except running.

 

Tennis Acumen: Being in motion. That’s always been part of you.

Jurij Rodionov: Yes, but I realized when I was about fourteen, fifteen, that I was talented and I had potential to become a tennis pro. So, at fourteen, fifteen, I decided to take it more seriously. Just become a pro.

Tennis Acumen: Your parents threw you in there to keep you quiet. ....(to be continued)... 

Photo of the Day: Reilly Opelka

Reilly Opelka had a great run in Atlanta at the 250 tournament in July,  2019. On the way to the semifinals, he beat former Atlanta champion John Isner. His ranking leaped from #57 to #43, his first entry into the top 50.

photo credit: Karl Corbett (c) Tennis Acumen

French Open Final Expert Picks: Djokovic vs. Nadal

This article appeared earlier today on The Grandstand.

It will be No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 2 Rafael Nadal for the French Open title on Sunday afternoon at Roland Garros. Expert picks are back for a match that could hardly get any bigger.

Ricky Dimon: Nadal has quietly righted the ship in his recent head-to-head history with Djokovic heading into Sunday’s French Open final. “Quietly” in the sense that I expected to see Djokovic H2H dominance still in progress when I went to the ATP website for a refresher on their most recent meetings. Well, it turns out Nadal is a respectable 3-3 in their last six. His three wins were “quiet” in the sense that they came outside of Grand Slams and none was particularly competitive. Djokovic, on the other hand, famously triumphed 10-8 in the fifth set in the 2018 Wimbledon semis and in beatdown fashion in the 2019 Australian Open final. But that obviously isn’t to say that the Serb automatically has an edge in any Grand Slam. Results in SW19 and Melbourne–the Spaniard’s two worst majors–mean nothing when it comes to Roland Garros, where he is a laughable 99-2 lifetime. It is also worth noting that during this 3-3 H2H stretch, Nadal is 3-0 on clay and Djokovic is 3-0 on hard/grass. Sure, conditions aren’t quite as perfect as they usually are for Nadal at this event, but Court Philippe-Chatrier is actually playing relatively fast and high-bouncing–more than Lenglen and the outside courts in those departments. Nadal has not dropped a set through six matches, so he isn’t about to drop three in one match alone on Sunday. Nadal in 4: 6-3, 6-7, 6-4, 7-5.

Cheryl Murray: The most prolific rivalry in the history of men’s tennis is about to add a 56th installment on Sunday. Ordinarily I would discuss current form (Nadal has looked more convincing over the fortnight), the head-to-head record (Djokovic has been far more dominant in recent years), and the surface. But in this case, current form and the head-to-head probably won’t mean very much. When they play, that stuff seems to melt away. But surface? Yeah, that matters. The fact that they’re on clay in Paris favors Nadal. There’s a reason he is 99-2 (because seriously, how ridiculous is that statistic?) with 12 titles, and it’s not because he’s extraordinarily lucky. Although the fact that Djokovic gave Nadal a shellacking in their last slam final in Melbourne is a tick in the Serb’s column, in the end this is Nadal on Chatrier in the final…and I just can’t pick against him. Nadal in 4: 7-5, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3.

Pete Ziebron (Tennis Acumen): At first thought, the Djokovic disqualification at the US Open would allow him to prepare more adequately for the “fall” clay court season of 2020. That it most certainly did, as the Serb would record his fifth title in Rome. Nadal’s early exit in Rome at the hands of Schwartzman did provide him with key information on the current game of the Argentine, as he was easily able to defeat him in their rematch in the Roland Garros semifinals.  Both Nadal and Djokovic recorded two bagel sets in the opening three rounds in Paris and from there Nadal continued his blistering pace, winning all 18 sets contested to date. Djokovic will put an end to that impressive string in the final, but on Sunday he will look at the scoreboard and see that he is one set all despite playing exceptional tennis and probably feeling that he should have a two sets to none lead. Nadal yet again prevails as he successfully holds off a valiant and determined effort from Djokovic throughout the match. Nadal in 4: 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Photo of the Day: James Blake

Dateline Cincinnati, Ohio   |     August 7, 2002

Two weeks prior to his second Cincinnati Masters appearance, James Blake made it to the finals in Newport, Rhode Island. Next, he won his first round match at the Masters event in Toronto. That was enough to put James Blake in the top 30 for the first time as he came into Cincinnati. Blake beat Andrei Pavel in the first round, and lost to Juan Carlos Ferrero in the second. Blake's career high ranking was # 4 in the world.

 

photo credit: Karl Corbett,  Tennis Acumen

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.

 

 

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

U.S. Open semifinal expert picks: Medvedev vs. Thiem

This post originally appeared on The Grandstand

Expert picks are back for a highly-anticipated U.S. Open semifinal between Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev on Friday night. A three-team panel previews the action and makes its predictions.

(3) Daniil Medvedev vs. (2) Dominic Thiem

Ricky: These two guys are aligning themselves to be the best players in the world whenever the Big 3 era comes to an end. The Big 3 were mostly absent in some way shape or form from the U.S. Open and both Thiem and Medvedev have risen to the occasion. The outcome of this blockbuster battle probably comes down to the surface and setting. Thiem would obviously dominate on clay and it would probably be an eyesore of a contest on grass. This one, however, will be outstanding. Thiem has suddenly become good on hard courts over the past two or three seasons. The problem for him is that Medvedev is great. The Russian’s 2019 run in New York was nothing short of epic (for several reasons!), so it’s clear that the stage is not too big for him. I think Thiem’s peak is higher than Medvedev’s, but I don’t see peak Thiem being on display for an entire best-of-five match against a such an effective counter-puncher and consistent ball-striker like Medvedev. In the end, last year’s runner-up will likely be too solid. Medvedev in 5: 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-3.

Cheryl: Since the moment Djokovic got his walking papers, this is the match I’ve looked forward to the most and I can’t help but consider it the de facto final. Whether it makes good on its promises is a different matter altogether. Their previous matches haven’t exactly been barnburners, but the potential for a classic is there. Thiem is quick; he’s a shot-maker with a beauty of a one-hand backhand. In some ways, he’s a sort of a tennis player prototype. Medvedev is the opposite of a prototype. His game is unconventional by almost any standard. He doesn’t look like he’s quick, but he manages to be everywhere and seemingly all at once. He can switch lightning-fast from loopy, almost slow-motion forehands to stinging, clean winners. Current form would give the nod to Thiem, but I feel like the Russian might just squeak this one out in the end. Medvedev in 4: 6-4, 6-7(5), 7-6(7), 7-5.

Pete Ziebron {Tennis Acumen}: This is most likely one of the best possible matchups of the tournament given who actually showed up to play the 2020 U.S. Open. Last year in Cincinnati, I was privileged to watch when Medvedev became MEDVEDEV–when he stormed past Djokovic in the semifinal, brilliantly going huge on second serves in the final two sets. After playing a boatload of exhibition matches prior to the ATP Tour resuming, Thiem fell flat and won just three games in his only match of the Western & Southern Open, causing several in the tennis world to question his preparation leading into the U.S. Open. The two players have combined to drop just one set through five rounds in New York. Medevdev takes another step in hoisting the hardware he came so close to winning last year. Medvedev in 4: 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-3.

Vasek Pospisil and the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA)

On August 29, 2020,  the New York Times reported that world No.1 Novak Djokovic  announced his resignation from the presidency of the ATP players' council to help form the PTPA (Professional Tennis Players Association). Canadians Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil announced their intentions to join. American John Isner suggested that he favors the PTPA.

We had an exclusive interview with Vasek Pospisil about the ATP player council, published here in May of 2020, reproduced below. A notable quote from this interview:  Vasek Pospisil says of the ATP: "I can't say that I like everything that I'm seeing over there....."

 

Karl Corbett:  You know, tennis is interesting. There's the game of tennis and then there is the business of tennis. And then there are the fans. There are different ways these three circles intersect. The players interact with the fans. And there is the business structure that supports the players and gets the fans in the seats.  You're kind of at the heart of it with the player council. Most guys won't go that extra mile and jump in, to help make the structure better for other players. What's that about? 

 

Vasek Pospisil:   I just got passionate about it. I knew that it would take up a lot of my time and there's a lot of work, if you want to go on the council and you want to try to effect change. That requires a certain amount of work and time. I am just passionate about all of that. I want to improve the sport that I love so much.

 

Obviously, I had heard about some of the issues that the players have, which kind of stemmed from the business side of tennis, right? If  it's anything, it's just for players to have a bigger voice. That's what I've been fighting for on the council.

 

I have been working really hard, spending a lot of time there. The demands of being on the ATP council, it's one of the reasons why I've had less time for myself. But it's been a very educational process, a real  learning experience. I wasn't quite sure what to expect and I can't say that I like everything that I'm seeing over there (at the ATP) , from a player's perspective. But, that's how it is. You keep fighting and trying to improve life on tour for the tennis players.

 

Karl:  Well if there wasn't any room for improvement, you would not need to get involved.

 

Vasek: That’s exactly right, yeah.

 

#ptpa #novakdjokovic #vasekpospisil #ATP #tennis

We had an exclusive interview with Vasek Pospisil about the ATP player council, published here in May of 2020, reproduced below. A notable quote from this interview:  Vasek Pospisil says of the ATP: "I can't say that I like everything that I'm seeing over there....."

 

Karl Corbett:  You know, tennis is interesting. There's the game of tennis and then there is the business of tennis. And then there are the fans. There are different ways these three circles intersect. The players interact with the fans. And there is the business structure that supports the players and gets the fans in the seats.  You're kind of at the heart of it with the player council. Most guys won't go that extra mile and jump in, to help make the structure better for other players. What's that about? 

 

Vasek Pospisil:   I just got passionate about it. I knew that it would take up a lot of my time and there's a lot of work, if you want to go on the council and you want to try to effect change. That requires a certain amount of work and time. I am just passionate about all of that. I want to improve the sport that I love so much.

 

Obviously, I had heard about some of the issues that the players have, which kind of stemmed from the business side of tennis, right? If  it's anything, it's just for players to have a bigger voice. That's what I've been fighting for on the council.

 

I have been working really hard, spending a lot of time there. The demands of being on the ATP council, it's one of the reasons why I've had less time for myself. But it's been a very educational process, a real  learning experience. I wasn't quite sure what to expect and I can't say that I like everything that I'm seeing over there (at the ATP) , from a player's perspective. But, that's how it is. You keep fighting and trying to improve life on tour for the tennis players.

 

Karl:  Well if there wasn't any room for improvement, you would not need to get involved.

 

Vasek: That’s exactly right, yeah.

 

#ptpa #novakdjokovic #vasekpospisil #ATP #tennis

Photo of the Day: Dayana Yastremska

PETE ZIEBRON

Dayana Yastremska faced 5 major Champions in the 13 matches she played in 2020.  Peter Ziebron Images

 

Although Dayana Yastremsmka played just 13 matches in 2020, she faced 5 former major Champions, winning twice.

Going 8-5 overall in January and February, here are the Ukrainian's results against the major Champions this year:

 

6-3 2-0 RET WIN vs. Angelique Kerber in Adelaide 2nd round

2-6 5-7 LOSS to Ash Barty in Adelaide Final

5-7 5-7 LOSS to Caroline Wozniacki in Australian Open 2nd round

6-3 7-6(4) WIN over Sofia Kenin in Qatar 2nd round

2-6 4-6 LOSS to Garbine Muguruza in Qatar 3rd round

 

 

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: Karolina Pliskova

Karolina Pliskova has achieved quite a bit in her career.  She has been world #1 for eight weeks, has been a Fed Cup Champion three times and reached the US Open final.

The best stretch of her career at the majors started when she reached the US Open final in 2016.  This propelled the Czech as she then reached at least the quarterfinals in five of the next six majors.

 

 

Karolina Pliskova

Peter Ziebron Images

Vasek Pospisil: Off Court

Vasek Pospisil is a Canadian tennis player, ranked as high as number 25 in the world in singles, number 3 in doubles. In 2014, playing with American Jack Sock for the first time, Pospisil won the Wimbledon championship. The pair also reached the finals of Cincinnati that year and won the Indian Wells title in 2015. In singles, Pospisil reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2014.  This interview was an exclusive with Tennis Acumen, in Knoxville, Tennessee, November 2019.

Karl: Moving on, Vasek, in your personal interests. Are you more into food or fashion or music…? What attracts your attention when you really have a moment that belongs to you?

Vasek:   I was doing a lot of music over the last four or five years. I started playing the guitar in 2014. Actually, for three or four years I didn't go a day without playing. Then, when I learned how to write songs, I started writing songs on my spare time on the tour. I have written 90 songs so far, so that has been a big part of my life. Any time I had free time, I picked up the guitar. I traveled with one every week of the year, so I really got into music big time. And that's a family thing, just like tennis.

My brothers have a band and my dad had a band as well when he was younger, in Eastern Europe. So, I think it's in my genes.  But, if anything, I did that as a kind of escape, a way to disconnect from tennis and the tour and the stresses of life in general. It’s one of the few things I can do to disconnect from everything. Lately, I haven't actually spent too much time on my music. I really want to get back to that as I have a bit more free time.

Now, I'm into some businesses and looking out for my career after tennis a little bit. But that's only been the last six months or so, with my injury. Prior to that, I was playing guitar  almost every day. So, I think that's something I'll get back to shortly. It’s in the blood, and you have to follow your heart, you know.

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: Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanovic enjoyed a wildly successful run beginning in the spring of 2007, when she reached the Roland Garros final and the Wimbledon semifinals.  She then reached the 2008 Australian Open final and then won Roland Garros a few months later and became the #1 player in the world.

Ivanovic narrowly missed an incredible Triple Crown at Roland Garros in 2007, when she defeated #3 Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals and #2 Maria Sharapova in the semifinals before falling to #1 Justine Henin in the final.

 

Ana Ivanovic spending time with Tennis Acumen's veteran journalist, Pete Ziebron.

(c) 2016  Peter Ziebron Images

Growing up in Belgrade, Ana had to schedule her practice sessions in between bombing runs on the city, during the Kosovo crisis of 1999. In winter, she practiced in an abandoned Olympic-sized swimming pool,  drained of water and converted into indoor courts.

 

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Photo of the Day: Caroline Wozniacki

Caroline Wozniacki concluded 2010 & 2011 as the #1 player in the world on the WTA tour.  The Dane won the 2018 Australian Open and was a finalist at the US Open in 2009 & 2014. Caroline's career prize money exceeds $32 million dollars. One of our favorite quotes from Caroline: "I never give up. Doesn't matter what the score is." She has reportedly retired after 2020's Australian Open.

 

     Caroline Wozniacki addresses media

     Peter Ziebron Images

 

 

Photo of the Day: Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova reached #1 or #2 in the world in nine different years in her career.  In addition, she is the most recent woman to win the career Grand Slam when she won Roland Garros in 2012 - she would add a second Roland Garros title in 2014. Maria's career prize money exceeds $38 million dollars. 

The best match I ever saw her play live was a 2014 quarterfinal on Grandstand court in Cincinnati where she defeated Simona Halep 4-6 6-3 6-3. Each player converted 8 out of 10 break chances. Sharapova won the first seven times they played each other, Halep won the last two times. 

 

Maria Sharapova at a WTA Round Table

Peter Ziebron Images

Vasek Pospisil: Life After Tennis

Vasek Pospisil is a Canadian tennis player, ranked as high as number 25 in the world in singles, number 3 in doubles. In 2014, playing with American Jack Sock for the first time, Pospisil won the Wimbledon championship. The pair also reached the finals of Cincinnati that year and won the Indian Wells title in 2015. In singles, Pospisil reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2014.  This interview was an exclusive with Tennis Acumen, in Knoxville, Tennessee, November 2019. Karl Corbett poses the questions.

KARL: We’ve talked about retirement, and when you will know it’s time for you to retire. I have talked with athletes well past their prime, and even they say: “I can still get better. I still have more to do.” How does that sit with you?

VASEK: Well, it's a slippery slope, because you can still be improving certain parts of your game, and do it forever really, if you want to break it down. But obviously, from the global perspective, you can be getting worse in most areas, but improving in other ways. I think it's  more about results. Of course, the game itself changes, too. You can’t stay in it unless you're able to evolve with. Back to results versus improving your game, I can improve my slice, for example, and that's fine but if I can't get to the ball, then I won't be playing it.

 

KARL: Ever thought about broadcasting?

VASEK: Actually, I just had a funny conversation with my coach about broadcasting. We were listening to some commentators and I was joking around, talking about them. I mean, yeah, I would entertain the idea, for sure. I think it would be fine, but the only way that I would get into broadcasting is if, you know, they were okay with the fact that  I just speak my mind. If one of the commentators said something stupid, or something I disagree with, I'd just call him out on it. I'm joking, of course, I’d not be completely outspoken.

 

KARL: But I think I've heard other people say the same thing.

VASEK: I think people would tell me to be careful, for sure. But, I’m pretty easy going.  

 

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Photo of the Day: Milos Raonic

Despite being a threat to the majority of the ATP field, Milos Raonic has just eight career titles.  In 2016, Andy Murray had a terrific year and went 6-0 against Raonic, including a straight set win the in the Wimbledon final.  Here are two matches that were significantly closer from 2016.  

Australian Open Semifinal:  Murray wins 4-6 7-5 6-7(4) 6-4 6-2

ATP Finals Semifinal: Murray wins 5-7 7-6(5) 7-6(9)

Milos Raonic at the Western & Southern Open

Peter Ziebron Images

Photo of the Day: Gael Monfils

Gael Monfils had won twelve consecutive matches this February as well as title in back to back weeks in Montpellier and Rotterdam.  Monfils won 25 consecutive sets before losing in the quarterfinals in Dubai to Novak Djokovic by a 6-2 6-7(8) 1-6 scoreline.  At the moment, Monfils is world #9.

Gael Monfils in action on Court 3 in Cincinnati

Peter Ziebron Images

#gaelmonfils

Photo of the Day: Anastasia Potapova

Anastasia Potapova, a former Junior #1, dropped just one set in winning the 2016 Junior Wimbledon Championship. Potapova won 77 games and lost just 31, losing only one set.

The 19 year-old Russian appeared in two WTA finals in 2018 - in Moscow and Tashkent.

In February 2017, in just her second pro tournament following the Wimbledon Junior victory, Potapova played the $25K Surprise {AZ} ITF event.  She won all three qualifying matches as well as one main draw match in Surprise, losing to former world #35 Sesil Karatantcheva in the second round.

Anastasia Potapova in her first round qualifying match in Surprise in 2017.

Peter Ziebron Images

#anastasiapotapova

 

Photo of the Day: Ernests Gulbis

In 2014, Ernests Gulbis arrived at Roland Garros with a 27-10 mark on the year.  He won the tournament in Nice the week prior and reached the semifinals at Roland Garros, defeating Roger Federer in the round of sixteen.  After losing to Novak Djokovic in the semis, Gulbis shared the following:

How far do you think you can get?
ERNESTS GULBIS:  All the way to No. 1.

Following his run at Roland Garros, Gulbis reached a career high of world number ten.

 Ernests Gulbis in action on the Grandstand Court at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. 

 Peter Ziebron Images

Photo of the Day: Tennys Sandgren

Just turned 22, American tennis player Tennys Sandgren caught our eye at the 2013 Lexington, Kentucky Challenger event. 

He qualified into the tournament on his birthday, ranked at # 253 in the world. Read our exclusive 2019 interview with Tennys Sandgren here: (LINK)

tennyssandgren