Tennis Acumen

2022 Australian Open final expert picks: Medvedev vs. Nadal

This article originally appeared on The Grandstand.

Expert picks are back for the Australian Open final on Sunday night, when both Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal are battling for not only the title but also for some serious history. With a victory, Medvedev would become the first player to back up his first slam title by winning the very next major. He would also become world No. 1 for the first time next month. Nadal, of course, would get to No. 21 with a win. A three-team panel previews the action and makes its predictions.

(6) Rafael Nadal vs. (2) Daniil Medvedev

Ricky Dimon: Matteo Berrettini? Great matchup for Nadal. Daniil Medvedev? Not a great matchup. It’s easy to see why. Berrettini may serve even bigger and hit his forehand even bigger than Medvedev, but the Italian’s backhand is a major weakness and he doesn’t defend well. What are two absolute must-haves to defeat Nadal? A world-class backhand and elite defensive skills–especially in terms of defending the backhand side. Medvedev has both. In fact, his combination of backhand and defense is better than everyone else’s on tour other than Novak Djokovic.

The second-ranked Russian also has the edge in endurance. That’s not a knock on Nadal; that’s just the nature of things when the Spaniard is 35 and his opponent is 25. Medvedev played for four hours and 42 minutes against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals and then came out two days later and wore down Stefanos Tsitsipas physically even though Tsitsipas was coming off a lightning-quick quarter against Jannik Sinner. In their epic 2019 U.S. Open final, Nadal was closer to his prime and Medvedev was further away from his prime than they are now. Nadal won that one in five. I expect roles to be reversed in this one. Medvedev in 5: 5-7, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-3.

Cheryl Murray:  Nadal is in the final of the Australian Open for the sixth time. Despite his best efforts–some of which have been flat-out Herculean–he has just one title (2009). He is chasing history, of course, The Spaniard is tied at 20 majors apiece with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. That his first real shot at No. 21 should come in Melbourne is delightfully ironic; Oz is his least-successful slam, after all. Oh, and there’s the fact that he just tiptoed back to tennis after a half a year nursing foot pain from a congenital issue. He really has played remarkably well this fortnight. Aggressive serving, crowding the baseline on returns, and making an obvious (and often successful) attempt at shortening points to be kinder to his 35-year-old body…. That is why he has the chance.

Unfortunately for Nadal’s place in the history books, Medvedev is standing in his way as the other best player in the draw. The world No. 2 snagged his first major at the 2021 U.S. Open, handing Djokovic a beatdown as the Serb made a bid for No. 21 and the calendar-year Grand Slam. That he’s well-positioned to do the same to Nadal in Melbourne is no accident. Medvedev hasn’t been at his best some of the time over the past two weeks. A wonky match in the fourth round against Maxime Cressy had the Russian out of sorts…but he has a way of showing up in the big moments. On hard courts, Medvedev’s best is probably better than Nadal’s best. He is deceptively fast and his offense is more lethal than Nadal’s. Still, with this much on the line the Spaniard is going to show up.
Medvedev in 5: 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Pete Ziebron: With his semifinal victory over Tsitsipas, Medvedev certainly answered any stamina-related “questions” following his lengthy quarterfinal against Auger-Aliassime. Even a Medvedev meltdown or other mid-match detour at a major no longer appears to have any significant impact or an ability to flip a match in favor of his opponent. However, the man on the other side of the net this time is Nadal–who perhaps benefitted from the Russian’s antics at the 2019 U.S. Open and beat him in that final.

In his AO semifinal on Friday, Nadal simply outclassed Berrettini for two full sets and then withstood a serving barrage before picking his spot to do damage and secure the break in the fourth–leading to the win less than five minutes later. Even if Nadal is able to duplicate the caliber of his game from the initial two sets in the semi into the final, it will not be enough against Medvedev. The world No. 2 seemingly has all the answers, gets nearly everything back in play, and goes big at the most unexpected of times. Medvedev in 4: 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-5.

Aleks Vukic: College tennis to the Pro Tour

In 2021, Tennis Acumen interviewed Australian Aleks Vukic at the Champaign Challenger tournament. Here is a part of that conversation:

Tennis Acumen: And making the transition to playing as a pro. What's the same about the game? What's different?

Aleks Vukic: It's SO different. I think it's a lot more mentally tough because in college, you're very comfortable. In college, you have everything you need. You have coaches. You have everything set up and then you show once or twice a week and play a match. On the pro tour, you're alone, you're traveling from place to place. Depends on the place, but it might not be so nice. You have to do that for thirty weeks of the year! Sometimes you go through spells where you don't win a match or just win a few matches in a few months, and you need to bounce back. It's a lot more mentally challenging, and it's not for everyone. But I think if you find ways to love it, it's unreal.

 

 

Tennis Acumen: So, what was the best thing about the college experience and what are some of your best memories there?

Aleks Vukic: I think it is developing the game, having time to develop the game with the coaches. I mean, this is an unbelievable program, so the coaches really helped me here, but it gives you time. You look at the top 20 guys in college, they're all ranked inside the top 400. You're playing those guys and you're building a game. So, it's a really great experience. You also develop as a person. There's more to life than tennis. You can tell sometimes who's gone to college and who hasn't on the tour.  You can see guys whose whole life is tennis. They think a little differently than the guys that have gone to college and have seen other things..

 

 

Tennis Acumen: And I've heard people say one of the differences is this: coming into the Challengers, you can be playing on Monday afternoon and there's absolutely nobody in the stands, but in college, you do get a lot of fan support, right?

Aleks Vukic: Yeah, you do. Everyone loves playing to the fans. Obviously, it depends on the tournament. Some Challengers, actually, they get quite a good crowd, so it depends on the week. But every week is different.

 

 

Tennis Acumen: How sensitive are you to the crowd when you're in a match? Does the crowd affect you?

Aleks Vukic: A little bit? But I'd rather the crowd be against me, than to have no crowd, to be honest. I would rather have 10,000 people cheering against me than to have zero people in the stands. It just makes for a better atmosphere.

 

 

More of this exclusive interview is available at Tennis Acumen. Go to the interviews category, shown on the upper right hand side of the screen.

Tags: aleks.vukic, Vuki_SMASH23

2022 Australian Open semifinal expert picks: Nadal vs. Berrettini, Medvedev vs. Tsitsipas

This article originally appeared on The Grandstand.

Expert picks are back for the Australian Open semifinals on Tuesday, when Rafael Nadal battles Matteo Berrettini and Daniil Medvedev goes up against Stefanos Tsitsipas. A three-team panel previews the action and makes its predictions.

(7) Matteo Berrettini vs. (6) Rafael Nadal

Ricky Dimon: The simple question is which Nadal is going to be on display. Will it be the one who was dealing with physical problems during his five-set struggle against Denis Shapovalov on Tuesday? Or is it going to be the one who is 8-0 this season and had been pretty much dominating all of his opponents prior to the quarterfinals? If it’s the latter, I can’t see Berrettini winning this matchup–not on anything other than grass or a lightning fast indoor hard court. There will be too many long rallies in which his vulnerable backhand gets exposed by the Spaniard’s heavy topspin forehand. To be clear, I wouldn’t bet with confidence on either side because of Nadal’s somewhat questionable status. But all things being equal the 20-time major champion should win this one. Nadal in 4: 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

Cheryl Murray: The outcome of this match will depend heavily on whether Nadal has recovered from his five-set victory over Shapovalov. The Spaniard reported suffering heat stroke during the match and described himself as “physically destroyed” in his post-match presser. If the two days’ rest is sufficient, Nadal has to be considered the favorite in this match for several reasons. First, despite earning a spot in his first Australian Open semifinal Berrettini has been a bit vulnerable this fortnight. Only one of his matches was a routine straight-set win. Next, the slower surface (blue GreenSet) neutralizes some of the free points he usually gets on his first serve. Lastly, except for the issue with heat Nadal has been in impressive form. He has some extra pop on his serve and he has taken a more aggressive position on the baseline than usual. Nadal in 4: 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2.

Pete Ziebron: Despite five appearances in the final, the AO is Nadal’s “least” successful major.  Currently he has a prime opportunity to accomplish the double-career Grand Slam with a win this year in Melbourne. After surviving a tougher than expected quarterfinal against Shapovalov, Nadal will not want to put himself in such dangerous scenarios in this match against even better competition. Similarly, Berrettini also blew a two sets to love lead in his quarter against a spirited and loose Gael Monfils before recovering in the fifth. The Italian now must face a man who has won 20 majors rather than someone with two major semifinal appearances to his name. At this stage of a slam, Nadal carries the banner for the Big 3 and will likely display the brand of tennis that the Big 3 absolutely deliver time and time again on the grandest of stages. Nadal gets to the doorstep of 21 as experience–especially at key junctures–wins this match. Nadal in 4: 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-4.

(4) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. (2) Daniil Medvedev

Ricky: My popcorn is popped for this one. They don’t necessarily hate each other at this point, but they definitely don’t like each other. Last year’s Grand Slam matchups were never going to be good. Tsitsipas was sapped of energy after beating Nadal in five sets in the Aussie Open quarterfinals, after which he got smoked by the Russian in the semis. Medvedev is probably never going to compete with the Greek on clay, and he didn’t in the French Open quarters. This one features a more level playing field. It is true Medvedev is coming off a four-hour and 42-minute thriller against Felix Auger-Aliassime, but the world No. 2 is one of the fittest guys in the business and he has never had any stamina-related issues. He should be fine. Tsitsipas played his best match in ages against Jannik Sinner, but asking for two in a row when he had previously been in a significant slump may be too much–especially against a backboard of an opponent who is going to make him hit tons and tons of tennis balls. Medvedev in 4: 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(6), 6-2.

Cheryl: Of the two semifinals, this is perhaps the more intriguing. Medvedev and Tsitsipas are not…friends. The two men had a highly publicized on-court argument at the Miami Masters in 2018, in which Medvedev accused Tsitsipas of calling him “a bullshit Russian” following a controversy over a strategically timed bathroom break by Tsitsipas. Since then their meetings have ranged from displays of simmering dislike and frosty indifference. The matchup heavily favors Medvedev, who holds a 6-2 record over Tsitsipas, but the Greek got a big win at the French Open last year. Honestly (and surprisingly), it’s Tsitsipas who has been the better player during week two. He dispatched Sinner in easy straight sets in the quarters, while Medvedev had to claw his way back from a two sets to love deficit against Auger-Aliassime. I still like the Russian in Melbourne, but this is not likely to be a straight set repeat of Medvedev’s SF win a year ago. Tsitsipas is going to make him work for it. Medvedev in 5: 5-7, 7-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.

Pete: This will be the third time Medvedev and Tsitsipas will meet in the last five majors. The last four overall meetings have been split, with the victor winning in straight sets each time. Medvedev once again exhibited how difficult it is to oust him at a major in his resilient win over Auger-Aliassime in the quarters. In each of the five previous rounds he has faced a completely different opponent. Now he is standing two wins from consecutive major titles. Credit Tsitsipas for showing heart and determination in his round of 16 comeback win against Fritz. Despite being outplayed, he found a way to advance. After being able to exhale, he then mowed down Sinner in routine fashion in the quarters with a clean 4-for-4 in break points won. Although this match features world No. 2 and world No. 4, the rank order scale does not do justice to the vast gap in current form between these two. Medvedev, following a long exhale of his own after going the distance and saving a match point, should win this one in an easier manner. Medvedev in 4: 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-3, 7-5.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2022 Australian Open quarterfinal expert picks: Nadal vs. Shapovalov, Berrettini vs. Monfils

This article originally appeared on The Grandstand.

Expert picks are back for the Australian Open quarterfinals on Tuesday, when Rafael Nadal faces Denis Shapovalov and Matteo Berrettini meets Gael Monfils. A three-team panel previews the action and makes its predictions.

Expert picks are back for the Australian Open quarterfinals on Tuesday, when Rafael Nadal faces Denis Shapovalov and Matteo Berrettini meets Gael Monfils. A three-team panel previews the action and makes its predictions.

Denis Shapovalov vs. (6) Rafael Nadal

Ricky: Nadal played Yannick Hanfmann instead of Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round, Adrian Mannarino instead of Hubert Hurkacz or Aslan Karatsev in the fourth round, and now Shapovalov instead of Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals. If he wins this one, the Spaniard will run into either Matteo Berrettini or Gael Monfils instead of Novak Djokovic in the semis. Are the stars aligning for a 21st major title and a double career Grand Slam? It’s starting to feel that way. Nadal has been very good in his own right in addition to the good fortune. He is now 7-0 this season with a title at the Melbourne 250 and four convincing wins at this Aussie Open. Shapovalov is dangerous, but he probably doesn’t have the consistency to topple Nadal in a best-of-five situation. Make it four in a row for the Spaniard in this head-to-head series. Nadal in 4: 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3.

Cheryl: Honestly, I had fairly low expectations for Nadal at this Australian Open. The 2009 champion had been sidelined with his chronic foot injury for more than six months. He also had a nasty bout of Covid-19 in December, from which he only just recovered right before landing in Melbourne a few weeks ago. Nadal was handed a tough draw and I figured he’d just be too rusty. But here he is, in the quarters — and more importantly he is playing well. His serve looks better than it has in some time, and he’s getting plenty of pop on his forehand. Shapovalov has had a fantastic tournament so far. The Canadian shellacked Zverev and he helped lead his country to the ATP Cup crown. Shapovalov defeated Nadal in their first-ever meeting back in 2017, and he came within a few points of knocking the Spaniard out of the Rome Masters last year. His big-hitting game is the sort that can give Nadal difficulty, and he’s playing especially well in 2022 so far. Nadal should come through, but Shapovalov is going to make him work for it. Nadal in 5: 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.

Pete: Ironically, it is Nadal now that has commanded front and center attention at the Australian Open as a few key obstacles (Djokovic and Zverev) to his path to a potential 21st major title have been eliminated in the last week.Instead of Zverev as his opponent in the quarterfinals it is Shapovalov, who brushed away the Olympic and 2021 Nitto ATP Finals champion in straight sets. The Canadian will be grateful to have been able to conserve energy in the last round, as he was tested earlier in the tournament — even rallying from a two sets to one deficit in the second round. Nadal has taken a more direct route to the quarters, dropping just one set thus far. The 2009 AO champion has exited Melbourne at the quarterfinal stage seven times, including in three of the last four years. He has his eyes squarely on the prize that has eluded him for more than a decade and will likely power into the semis. Facing Shapovalov rather than Zverev at this stage of the tournament is certainly a break in getting closer to history. Nadal in 3: 7-5, 6-4, 6-3.

(17) Gael Monfils vs. (7) Matteo Berrettini

Ricky: I had Monfils in the semifinals before the tournament started and I’m not about to waffle — not when he has reeled off four consecutive straight-set victories. The Frenchman has always been one of the most talented players in the world. When he is healthy and motivated, he is also one of the best. Monfils is both of those things right now. Berrettin has been tested in all four of his matches, even though he didn’t lose a set to Pablo Carreno Busta on Sunday. The Italian has been good this fortnight, but not great. Their only previous Grand Slam encounter (2019 U.S. Open quarterfinals) went to a fifth-set tiebreaker. I expect something similar…but this time with Monfils winning. Monfils in 5: 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-3.

Cheryl Murray: This is one of the more surprising quarterfinals. While Berrettini has been impressively consistent in majors for the past year or so, Monfils has been the exact opposite. The Frenchman could barely manage to win a single match a year ago. In the past week, he has dispatched all four of his opponents in straight sets. With Berrettini’s monster game, I expect that Monfils’ straight-set wins are going to come to an abrupt end. The Italian’s serve hasn’t been quite as effective on these slower hard courts as it is on grass, but it’s still a fierce weapon and will do some damage. The crowd will almost certainly be behind Monfils, who is one of the more popular veteran players on tour. But in the end I expect Berrettini to earn a spot in his first Australian Open semifinal. Berrettini in 4: 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Pete Ziebron: Let us not forget the torrid start to 2020 that Monfils exhibited, going 16-3 with two titles and losses only to Novak Djokovic twice and to Dominic Thiem. The pandemic seemed to impact Monfils to a greater extent than anyone else on the ATP Tour. The Frenchman lost the only four matches he played when he returned in September, then lost his initial three matches in 2021 before finally winning a match in May — a stretch of nearly 15 full months without a victory.  As a result, he is absolutely relishing his success to begin 2022 — already winning a title in Adelaide and recording four straight-set wins in Melbourne. In fact, Monfils dropped just five games in each of his first two matches. This is only the second quarterfinal appearance for Monfils in his 17th visit to the AO.  Berrettini has now earned quarterfinal berths at each of the last four majors. The Italian is 4-0 in tiebreakers in the tournament and certainly received his wakeup call in his third-round encounter with Alcaraz that went the distance. For Monfils, this is a significant increase in talent level across the net compared to his first four matches. Berrettini in 4: 7-6(4), 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

 

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Aleks Vukic: Work Ethic

In 2021, Tennis Acumen interviewed Australian Aleks Vukic at the Champaign Challenger tournament. Here is a part of that conversation:

Tennis Acumen: Among your fellow Australians, are you close with John Millman?

Aleks Vukic: Not close. But I know him. Yeah.

 

 

Tennis Acumen: My wife and I have met him several times. Well, he is the sweetest guy, the nicest guy. I will tell you a story about John. I live in Cincinnati. So I am always at that tournament, right? But I went down to Lexington in 2017 for the Challenger event. I just fell in love with John. His style, his personality. I came back up to Cincinnati for the Saturday qualities. I look across the stadium and there's Gerry Armstrong and Mohammed Leyani. I said:  “Guys, good to see you this year. I just fell in love with a player, John Millman.” They both said: “Oh, he's the sweetest guy. He's such a class act.” Then, the next spring in Indian Wells, we ran across John. I said: “The last time I saw Gerry Armstrong and Mohammed Leyani, I told them about you, and they both said you are a class act.” And John just looked at me and said: “My parents raised me well.” He's such a humble, authentic guy.

Aleks Vukic: He's just, gritty, a person that might not be the most talented, but he just works and works. And I know he trains so much. So, it is all about the hard work for him.

 

 

Tennis Acumen: You've got friends here. I mean, friends on the tour. What's it like playing against a friend? Is there a different mindset?

Aleks Vukic: No, there's no different mindset in the way you treat each opponent. You just you try to take that part away. You just know the guy personally, it's different. But at the end of the day, when I play someone, I play on their tennis game. So, if you play a friend, it's based on their tennis game. You play to win that match based on that. Of course, it's impossible to just take away who you're playing. But you play the ball, so it's like, you are NOT my mate over there. I'll be playing the shot that he hits at that moment.

 

 

 

More of this exclusive interview is available at Tennis Acumen. Go to the interviews category, shown on the upper right hand side of the screen.

Tags: aleks.vukic, Vuki_SMASH23

Photo of the Day: Nikolay Davydenko

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

 

photo credit: Karl Corbett, (c) Tennis Acumen

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

J. J. Wolf: Match Prep

In 2021, Tennis Acumen interviewed American J. J. Wolf at the Champaign Challenger tournament. Here is a part of that conversation:

Tennis Acumen: Now today we have nine singles matches. None of these guys have ever played each other before. There's no head-to-head record for any of these matches.

J. J. Wolf: Really, that's crazy.

 

 

Tennis Acumen: So, going into a match like that, do you watch matches your opponents have played if you've never seen them before?

J. J. Wolf: More so my coaches will watch and come back and talk to me about it. I don't worry about it too much, but I usually get a little scouting report, maybe from coaches.

 

 

Tennis Acumen: And what would that scouting report sound like? What would that look like?

J. J. Wolf: It’s all about patterns I'm looking for against a certain guy. Nothing really detailed. I keep everything very simple. Most of the stuff has to do with me most of the time anyway.

 

 

Tennis Acumen: What sort of patterns? This is intriguing.

J. J. Wolf: You just look for favorable patterns. It could be different with any player. But a lot of players look at making forehands or shots they're good at. So, it doesn't really matter to me where I'm hitting the ball. I just want to hit it hard.

 

 

Tennis Acumen: Even analyzing opponents, you keep it simple.

J. J. Wolf: Give me one or two games and that's what I'll try to do. Just try to do your best every point. That's all you can do. If someone hits a winner on you, they hit a winner on you. It's just the sport. Everybody's good out here. Anyone can beat anyone. Yeah. We've seen all that, then. We've seen all of that.

 

More of this exclusive interview is available at Tennis Acumen. Go to the interviews category, shown on the upper right hand side of the screen.

Tags: @jjwolf5

Cincinnati Tennis Fans Express Their Thoughts About Novak Djokovic

 

KARL CORBETT has collected commentary from the Cincinnati tennis community regarding the Novak Djokovic / Australian Open scenario.  Here are the viewpoints:

 

• Nobody should work that hard 
• Follow the rules, dude.
• NoVax, as he will be forever be known now, should have been tossed for lying on his visa application. He claimed a medical exemption and in court said it was because he tested + on 12/16. Trouble is he couldn't have known he was going to get Covid when he applied for his visa in November. And he posted photos of himself at a ceremony for his stamp AFTER he supposedly tested +, with no mask on. Nor was he in quarantine. While the whole mask and quarantine rules seem archaic with Omicron spreading like wildfire, there is no denying that he lied to bypass the vax rules. My guess is he didn't test positive on Dec 16 at all. In short, he's smeared his legacy unnecessarily.  He wasn't popular before this and now the Aussies are going to roast him on a barbie then throw him to the crocs. 
• To me, it's a self inflicted wound. His amazing career on court will always be overshadowed by his questionable actions and demeanor off the court. He's always seemed to have this notion that he's above the rules and just reinforced all the negative opinions anyone already held. Those who are devoted to him won't change their minds though but it certainly doesn't endear him to anyone new. Can you imagine Roger ever doing something so shady? I can't. 
• I'm rooting for Andy Murray in this tournament.
• If I were Novak, now that the courts have released him, I would get on the next plane out of Australia before they cancel his visa a second time or put him in one of the Covid Concentration Camps. And I would also tell the Aussies they can have a good jolly old effing time without him.
• Ok, it sounds like Novak just lied, if it was really important to him to win this tournament, he would have done everything possible to put himself in the best position to do that. And he just didn't do that,  but everyone else did, soooo, they get to compete and he doesn't.  Also, what the heck Novak, why is there always so much controversy around,  get it together, Serbia may revolve around you, but not the entire world 

J. J. Wolf: Friends on the Tour

In 2021, Tennis Acumen interviewed American J. J. Wolf at the Champaign Challenger tournament. Here is a part of that conversation:

Tennis Acumen: J. J., who do you enjoy spending time with on the tour?

J. J. Wolf: I always like being around some of the Ohio State guys , (Mikael) Torpegaard. I'm very close with (Aleks) Kovacevich, some of the Illinois guys that I grew up playing against. OK, Marcus Giron, , Mackey (Mackenzie McDonald) and Reilly Opelka. A lot of the Americans have been really nice. Veterans like (Sam ) Querrey and (John) Isner and Stevie (Johnson) have always been really nice to me. Not so much to hang out with them, but they’ll always say “Hi.” in the locker room.

 

 

Tennis Acumen: So is it different playing against a friend?

J. J. Wolf: Some people feel weird about it. I think it's fun. I say, be friends off the court. Once you get on the court, I just worry about myself, so I don't think about it too much.

Tennis Acumen: OK, tell me more about that.

J. J. Wolf: In tennis, you try to control what you can control. So thinking about who you're playing against doesn't really do much for you.

 

More of this exclusive interview is available at Tennis Acumen. Go to the interviews category, shown on the upper right hand side of the screen.

Tags: @jjwolf5

ESPN+ is the Home for Australian Open Qualifying

PETE ZIEBRON

Beginning at 6 PM EST, 3 PM PST on Sunday, January 9, ESPN+ will have coverage of the Qualification rounds of the Australian Open.  Twelve courts are listed on the ESPN+ schedule.  The Qualifying rounds will continue through Thursday on the stream.

Next, concurrent to coverage of the Main Draw on ESPN & ESPN2,  ESPN3 will also show matches as well as significantly more on ESPN+.  

In addition, it appears that beginning with the Women's Semifinals, the coverage on ESPN+ will only be in Spanish.  However, the schedule shows that all Men's & Women's Semis as well as both Finals will be shown on ESPN+ in Spanish.

As a newer subscriber to ESPN+, I must say that this is wall to wall coverage of the first major of the year.  In addition to tennis, I also enjoy robust coverage of the NHL as well as High School Basketball, College Basketball and Russia's KHL.  Meanwhile, a comprehensive library of documentaries are available as well as the current Tom Brady feature: Man in the Arena.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the On Demand matches that are available - namely, Australian Open, Wimbeldon and US Open Finals from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.  

Outside of Finals, I also came across the 2001 Wimbeldon match between Pete Sampras and 19 year-old Roger Federer available On Demand.  A bonus regading that match is that Mohamed Lahyani is in the Chair.

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.

Alexander Zverev Makes Inroads vs. Novak Djokovic in 2021 in 269

PETE ZIEBRON

Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic played five matches in 2021 with the Serb winning three times.  However, it was Zverev that ended the Golden Slam dreams of Djokovic in Tokyo in the Semifinals.  Then at the end of the year, the German once again eliminated the world #1 in the semis at the ATP Finals.

Prior to the Olympics, Djokovic won the previous four meetings and held a 6-2 H2H advantage.  Currently the series stands at 7-4 but Zverev has made progress against Djokovic.  

After dropping the opening set 6-1 in Tokyo, Zverev won twelve of the final sixteen games to advance to the Gold Medal match and ultimately win Gold.  Again they would meet in the semis on a grand stage, this time at the US Open where Djokovic was now attempting to hold all four majors in the same calendar year.  The Serb won in five sets but had little left for the final and lost to Daniil Medvedev.

Next, yet again in the semifinals of the ATP Finals, Zverev prevailed over Djokovic and would then hoist the Finals hardware to conclude a stellar season.

Djokovic was one set away from the Gold Medal match and was rolling.  Still, Zverev played solid tennis despite the lopsided 6-1 scoreline in the opening set.  The German continued to serve big, just as he had in the first set, stayed the course with his game plan, and was rewarded with a tremendous victory.

The two men played a total of eighteen sets in 2021.  Djokovic won ten and the two split the four tiebreakers that were contested.  ONWARD! 

 

 

Aleks Vukic: Favorite Cities on the Tour

In 2021, Tennis Acumen interviewed Australian Aleks Vukic at the Champaign Challenger tournament. Here is a part of that conversation:

Tennis Acumen: You've done some traveling. What are your favorite cities on the tour?

Aleks Vukic: London and New York. New York is just smashing. I love big cities and New York is unbelievable. London, I had a great experience this year. I played Queens at  this tennis center that it's in the suburbs of London. You walk in through the building, and you walk to the other side and this grass court complex just appears out of nowhere. And in the middle of that, I was playing Jason Jung, who's playing here this week. He and I played the qualifiers there at Queens. We were playing on the back courts. It's surrounded by apartments in the middle of the suburbs. OK, and in those apartments, there were two balconies with Aussie flags. Families just sat out watching, cheering me on from their balconies. And that was one of the coolest experiences I've had. And I love London. My brother studied there for a few years, and I love London as a city and it's very similar to Australia, the people.

 

 

Tennis Acumen: So, what would you go out and do if you had free time: sample the food, go sightseeing?

Aleks Vukic: This year has been different because of Covid. Yeah, but I'd just go experience it. There is so much to do. It's endless, you can do whatever you want. I like the outdoors. And you have live music, restaurants, bars, that kind of stuff. And meeting cool people. It's more about that.

 

 

Tennis Acumen: So, it's more about the people. as opposed to the place.

Aleks Vukic: Yeah, but I also keep my circle pretty, tight as it is. So, I do just like to experience things with them, basically.

 

 

More of this exclusive interview is available at Tennis Acumen. Go to the interviews category, shown on the upper right hand side of the screen.

Tags: aleks.vukic, Vuki_SMASH23

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

This article originally appeared on The Grandstand.

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

Sakkari vs. Halep & Giorgi vs. Rus in 269

PETE ZIEBRON

Camila Giorgi in action.  Pete Ziebron Images

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

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

 

 

Jurij Rodionov: Favorite Places, Favorite Things

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

 

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

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

 

Karl: That's very interesting.

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

John Patrick Smith - Favourite Places on the Tour

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

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

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

 

Tennis Acumen: Why is that?

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

Tennis Acumen: Good luck.

Reilly Opelka: Favorite Places on the Tour

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

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

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

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

 

Karl: What is it about Milan that you love?

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

Vasek Pospisil: Favorite Places on the Tour

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

#VasekPospisil , @vasek.pospisil

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

This article originally appeared on The Grandstand.

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

(1) Novak Djokovic vs. Daniil Medvedev

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

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

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