Tennis Acumen

Ricky Dimon & Pete Ziebron Preview Friday's Action at Roland Garros

PETE ZIEBRON

This content appeared earlier today on www.tenngrand.com

French Open Day 6 picks, including Monfils vs. Cuevas and Berdych vs. Paire

Ricky Dimon of The Grandstand and Pete Ziebron of Tennis Acumen preview and pick the four best men’s singles matches on Friday at the French Open. A French-heavy slate includes Gael Monfils vs. Pablo Cuevas and Tomas Berdych Benoit Paire.

(13) Gael Monfils vs. (21) Pablo Cuevas

Ricky: Cuevas could be a trendy pick in this one given his stellar current form, prowess on clay, and Monfils’ relative struggles against Diego Schwartzman on Wednesday. But did anyone actually think Monfils was going to lose, even down two sets to one? He has to go through at least one dramatic match at each French Open and he just did in round two (although by his standards it featured only medium drama). Some more theatrics will be in store when Monfils plays Roger Federer in the fourth round, so look for him to be mostly no-nonsense against Cuevas. The Frenchman will get through a high-quality contest.Monfils 7-6(5), 6-2, 1-6, 7-5.

Pete: Including Challengers, Cuevas currently holds six clay-court titles since last June.  However, his arrival into the third round marks the best-ever result to date in a major for the world No. 23. On the other hand, Monfils has reached the Roland Garros semis once and the quarters three other times, including last year. Through the first two rounds Cuevas has been the sharper player while Monfils was one set away from exiting the tournament in his last match. As Monfils plays with fire yet again, Cuevas concurrently continues his march, setting up a potential round of 16 match with Roger Federer–whom the Uruguayan has taken to tiebreakers twice already this year. Federer certainly appreciates the end result here as Monfils, his recent clay-court nemesis, is dismissed by Cuevas. Cuevas 7-6(4), 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Benoit Paire vs. (4) Tomas Berdych

Ricky: Paire has been in decent form as he returns form an injury-plagued 2014, but at No. 71 in the world he has done extremely well to reach the third round. It helps when you get to play Fabio Fognini! This is where Paire’s favorable draw ends, as Berdych has once again been one of the most consistent players on tour in 2015. Count on the Czech’s level being rock-solid throughout, while Paire goes through spurts of dreadful play mixed with spectacular shot-making. For the most part this will be straightforward. Berdych 6-3, 6-0, 7-6(3).

Pete: The last five matches that Berdych has lost have been to each member of the Big 4, including Federer twice–and each time in a Masters 1000. In fact, of the nine matches Berdych has lost this year, all but two have been to the Big 4 (Wawrinka and David Ferrer). In short, the Czech wins the matches he is expected to win. Dropping the second set against Radek Stepanek last round woke Berdych up and he took care of business immediately thereafter. This third-round matchup against Paire is one that Berdych is tipped to win…and he does convincingly. Berdych 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.

(WC) Nicolas Mahut vs. (12) Gilles Simon

Ricky: Ernests Gulbis should have been a terrible matchup for Mahut in round two, but the veteran Frenchman got the job done. Unfortunately Mahut, Simon also presents a scary matchup…and Simon isn’t Gulbis. In fact, he is the anti-Gulbis, maximizing what is a relatively small talent pool. The world No. 13 leads the head-to-head series 4-1 and all five of their previous meetings have come on fast indoor hard courts–which favor Mahut. On clay, Simon will break down his countryman without any difficulty. Simon 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

Pete: In this, his 13th appearance at Roland Garros, Mahut finds himself advancing past thefirst round for only the third time. Meanwhile, Simon is attempting to match a career-best fourth-round berth for the third time. Even though this will be the fifth time that these two Frenchmen will meet in France, it will be their first ever meeting on a clay court. In a battle between two guys in their 30s, the 12th-seeded Simon wins quite handily. Simon 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

(8) Stan Wawrinka vs. Steve Johnson

Ricky: Hypothetically this should be routine on clay. Technically, it won’t be. Not much (aside from a first-rounder vs. Marsel Ilhan) has been easy in 2015 for Wawrinka, who has mostly been a disaster since the Australian Open (aside from a Rome upset of Rafael Nadal). Whereas the Swiss may be short on confidence, Johnson is playing the best tennis of his life. The American has also been a mental giant this week in gutsy wins over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Sergiy Stakhovsky. The upset alert will go off during this match, but the discrepancy in backhands (Wawrinka’s one of the best, Johnson’s one of the worst) will be the difference. Wawrinka 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Pete: Yet another player in our previews is enjoying his best-ever result at Roland Garros, as Johnson continues his impressive march on the dirt. Coming into the tournament, Johnson could only manage a 3-5 record on clay in 2015. Meanwhile, following a solid start to the season and a win in Rotterdam in February, Wawrinka had been only 8-7 prior to his two wins in Paris. Going forward, Johnson will be able to build on his early-round wins over Garcia-Lopez and Stakhovsky, but it will be Wawrinka who continues to steady his game in this first-ever meeting between the upstart American and the veteran Swiss. Wawrinka 6-3, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

 

Barry University Wins Battle of Unbeatens over Hawaii Pacific to Win NCAA Division II Championship

PETE ZIEBRON in SURPRISE, AZ

Barry Bucs, the undefeated 2015 NCAA Division II National Champions  Pete Ziebron Images

In a battle of unbeaten squads, #2 Barry University topped #1 Hawaii Pacific University 5-3 to claim the 2015 NCAA Division II Championship two days ago in Surprise, AZ.  

A very unseasonable cool 75F sunny day greeted both teams as they stepped onto center court for introductions, followed by 3 concurrent doubles matches.  Barry took command out of the gate as the #2 ranked doubles team of Fabian Groetsch and Ahmed Triki upset the best doubles tandem in the nation, Thibaud Berland and Yann Renault 8-4 to stake Barry to a 1-0 lead.  Shortly after the conclusion of play on center court, Hawaii Pacific leveled the Championship at 1 as Maik Burlage and Marko Lenz defeated Dominik Haider and Kevin Sielmann by the same 8-4 scoreline.

Ahmed Triki and Fabian Groetsch talk strategy during their doubles victory.  Pete Ziebron Images 

Nearly everyone on the grounds then flocked to Court 3 to see which team would take control of the Championship with a win in the 3rd doubles match.   Finally, on their 7th Match Point, the Barry team of Franco Echenique and Renato Lombardi got past Clemens Graute & Jaume Martinez-Vich 8-6.

Next, 5 of the top 15 players in NCAA Division II tennis took to the court for singles action with Barry holding a 2-1 lead.  Center Court featured #2 Marko Lenz facing off against #3 Malik Triki of Barry.  Lenz  quickly took the opening set 6-2 as I headed to court 2 to see #9 Thibaud Berland of Hawaii Pacific close out the first set against #4 Fabian Groetsch 6-3.  

 

• Those spectators on the grounds who were familiar with the depth of both programs shared with me that it would most likely be the result on court 3 that would ultimately determine the Championship.
• Truer words have never been spoken, as their predictions would be prophetic beyond belief.

 

As Lenz and Berland won their opening sets, Nico Dreer of Barry took the first set 6-3 from #15 Jaume Martinez-Vich.  Meanwhile, Maik Burlage of HPU won a tight 6-4 set from Kevin Sielmann on court 4 and Dominik Haider and Renarto Lombardi of Barry each won their opening sets comfortably on courts 5 & 6 respectively.

Action on courts 6 and 5 would then wrap up rather quickly as Lombardi defeated Clemens Graute 6-2 6-2 and Haider beat Jakub Hadrava 6-0 6-2.  Moments later, Maik Burlage of Hawaii Pacific would defeat Kevin Sielmann 6-4 6-0.   Following the wins by Burlage and Haider, Barry now led 4-2 and shouts of "Go Bucs" echoed throughout the Surprise Tennis Complex.  Barry players and coaches and spectators on the grounds raced to court 3 as Nico Dreer was close to sealing the Championship for Barry.

While NCAA officials were setting up tables and preparing to issue Championship shirts, the camera that streamed the match above court 3 was suddenly manned and a flurry of commotion could be seen and felt adjacent to the court.  Everything seemed to be happening as Nico Dreer held a match and Championship point for Barry University.  But, Dreer would be denied by Jaume Martinez-Vich, who fought valiantly and would roar back to ultimately win the second set 7-5.

Attention now shifted back to center court where Triki won a 2nd set tiebreaker and also to court 2 where Groetsch took a 7-5 set.  

 

• Barry seemed to be in control of the Championship with a 4-2 lead, needing but a single victory, however the events that took place in the final 30 minutes of play were full of tension and drama.

 

First, Thibaud Berland would keep Hawaii Pacific alive with a 6-2 3rd set win over Groetsch on court 2.  Barry was now clinging to a 4-3 lead and holding on for dear life as  Marko Lenz was up a break against Triki on center court and Martinez-Vich raced to a 5-2 final set lead on court 3.

 NCAA #2 Marko Lenz serving to NCAA #3 Ahmed Triki on Center Court.  Pete Ziebron Images

Nico Dreer would hold serve and break Martinez-Vich to get closer at 4-5.  It was at this time that Martinez-Vich started to cramp and was hardly able to move on the court.  Meanwhile, Lenz maintained his break advantage over Triki on center court.  Dreer held serve to square the final set at 5.  Somehow, Martinez-Vich found some mobility despite being in complete agony and was able to rally during the first few points of his service game.  Unfortunately though, the pain was too great and a hobbled Martinez-Vich would be broken.  

During the changeover, Martinez-Vich lay in the corner of the court in agony.  As the chair umpire stood over him like a boxing referee ready to call a TKO and issuing verbal time violation warnings and threatening point penalties, a Hawaii Pacific teammate eventually carried Martinez-Vich to the other side of the court.  

Jaume Martinez-Vich moments before he was carried to the other end of the court by a teammate.  Pete Ziebron Images

Jaume Martinez-Vich refused to retire from the match.  He simply had to watch as he was unable to move for any of Nico Dreer's serves and Dreer would win the deciding game at love to clinch the National Championship for Barry University.

The Championship was decided on Court 3, just as I was advised it would by a handful of Division II tennis aficionados on the grounds hours earlier in the day.  Concurrent to the absolutely dramatic events on Court 3, on Center Court, Hawaii Pacific's Marko Lenz led Ahmed Triki 5-3 in the 3rd set and was serving for the match...................

Hawaii Pacific - THAT close to going undefeated had Martinez-Vich won on Court 3.  Pete Ziebron Images

WOW!

 

Special Olympics Arizona Tennis 2015 Competition

PETE ZIEBRON

Special Olympics Arizona tennis competition found itself in its third different venue in the last 3 years last Saturday as the Games were played at Kellis High School in Glendale.  However, this year, the tennis courts were located adjacent to the track and field competition, rather than at a separate venue.  Next year, Special Olympics Arizona expects to return to the campus of Grand Canyon University, following the completion of major construction projects at GCU.  

The athletes were treated to unseasonably cool weather as temperatures topped out at 76F, a welcome reprieve from the triple digits that the tennis players experienced at the 2014 Games.  This year, 9 athletes competed in Singles, 14 in Quickstart Singles and 12 in Skills competition.  

The Special Olympics Arizona Tennis Operations Team would like to thank the Paradise Valley Community College women's tennis team, who fed balls to the athletes during the Skills competition and kept score during Singles and Quickstart Singles action.  Additional thanks go to The Thunderbirds who awarded medals to the athletes following the competition and who concurrently provide support to Special Olympics Arizona throughout the year.

4 Multiple Major Winners Comprised the Madrid Semifinals

PETE ZIEBRON

Svetlana Kuznetsova continues her magnificant run in Madrid and advances to tomorrow's final.                        Photo courtesy of Stephanie Neppl

Week after week on the WTA tour, the entire order of play on consecutive days at several tournaments tends to be very appealing.  Sometimes a half dozen or more intriguing matches appear out of the gate in the first and second rounds at tan event.  Other times, the middle rounds sizzle.

Today in Madrid, somewhat of an oddity showed up on the semifinals schedule, as all 4 players left in the draw had all won at least 2 majors.  Only 6 active WTA players have won multiple majors and 4 of those 6 in the Madrid draw won their quarter.  (Ironically the 2 players with multiple majors who did not advance to the semis, Victoria Azarenka and Venus Williams played each other in the 1st round, with Azarenka winning the match.)  In the 3rd round, Serena Williams defeated Azarenka in 3 tense sets.

World #1 Serena Williams won the top quarter and remained undefeated in 2015 heading into her semifinal against Petra Kvitova.  Earlier this year, Kvitova surprised the tennis world by deciding not to play Indian Wells and Miami in March, opting instead to rest.  Her decision may be paying dividends as she defeated Serena Williams today 6-2 6-3 to advance to the final and concurrently end Williams' 27 match winning streak.

Maria Sharapova, the #3 seed in Madrid was tested throughout the tournament before ultimately advancing to the semis.  Meanwhile fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova racked up several impressive victories on her way to the semis, including wins over Ekaterina Makarova,  Garbine Muguruza, Sam Stosur and Lucie Safarova.  Today, Kuznetsova rolled past Sharapova 6-2 6-4, setting up tomorrow's showpiece final against Petra Kvitova.