Roger Federer joined the legendary Pete Sampras on seven Wimbledon titles today with a fascinating four set win over Andy Murray which also so the Swiss rise to world number one yet again. The two weeks of Wimbledon always attracts people to their tv's and people become enthralled by the sport. For many, now that it is over they won't watch more tennis until the Olympics and then the US Open. It was a great fortnight of tennis and although it has come to an end we don't have to wait until the Olympics to see some of the top stars take to the court again. This week we have no less than four tournaments taking place where a number of top quality players are participating. Three of this week's events (Umag, Bastad and Stuttgart) are on the red clay which many players who had disappointing grass court campaigns will use to boost their confidence and raise their rankings ahead of the upcoming hard court swing. The other event is in Newport and is on grass and has attracted some big hitters who are still looking to fine tune their game for the Olympics. So for this post I'm going to be previewing those events briefly and discuss who the likely contenders for each title will be. So let's start with the tournament in Stuttgart.
Stuttgart is a 250 event on the red clay and has attracted some big names to it this year. Defending champion Juan Carlos Ferrero has not chosen to return so we will have a new champion by the end of the week. Top seed Janko Tipsarevic will be hoping to recover from a disappointing Wimbledon which promised so much. On the clay I don't thinkhe will win the title however as there are some clay court specialists in the field who might just outclass him. I think second seed Juan Monaco might be the favourite for the title here. He has had a phenomenal season so far and on clay he should be too good for the remainder of the field. There is one player in his quarter he won't want to face though and that's veteran Tommy Haas who has impressed in his form this season and although he lost in the first round of Wimbledon he has won on German soil already this year beating Federer in the final of Halle. Another contender is Spaniard Pablo Andujar who has got some clay court credentials himself but it will take a great effort for him to win his way through the week. Unseeded Thomaz Bellucci is another who can cause trouble for anyone on this surface and he is one to watch this week as is third seed Bernard Tomic but for me the favourite is Argentine Juan Monaco and I expect him to take another clay court title.
Umag, Croatia is the venue for the second of our tournaments this week and contains a number of talented clay courters. Top seed Fernando Verdasco might consider himself a contender but I don't think the seeding is reflective of the form or ability of the field as I don't see Verdasco as a main contender. I see him losing to 2010 champion Juan Carlos Ferrero in the quarter finals as Ferrero has had a great year is one of the best clay courters around even at his age. I don't think Ferrero has got a full week in him to win the title but it wouldn't be a major shock if he did pull off the title win. Defending champion Aleksandr Dolgopolov will be looking to hit some form by defending his crown but he will face some stiff competition from a number of top players. Second seed and beaten finalist twelve months ago Marin Cilic has been great this year so far and I could see him going one step further this year and winning the title. Unseeded Italian Fabio Fognini has been surprisingly consistent this year and so has been very successful and I could see him having a good week on clay but I think they main man this week is Marin Cilic and I see him beating either Ferrero or Marcel Granollers in the final.
The red clay in Bastad, Sweden is a much more predictable tournament this year. I think the top seed David Ferrer will be very difficult to topple. Of those trying I like a few players who are capable of big things on clay. Second seed Nicolas Almagro is a great clay courter and will fancy his chances of making another final at the very least. He won the title in 2010 and is now eleventh in the world and playing some of the best tennis of his career. Third seed Albert Ramos is a player I really like and he's having a good year. He's reached a final this year on clay and will be looking for a first ATP title to back it up. He's got the ability but I don't think he will go all the way. Italian Filippo Volandri is another potentious player on clay and might cause a few shocks during the week as could Jarkko Nieminen but I don't see either winning the title. Tommy Robredo is looking for a third title here but might be found wanting in the fitness area. Talent wise Robredo can match anyone in the draw but his lack of tour level match fitness might cost him a win here. There is some great talent in the tournament but David Ferrer is the man I think will win the title.
Finally to Newport, USA where the grass court season continues with some of the game's biggest hitters are taking part. Top seed and defending champion John Isner returns this year with a chance to get his final competitive practice before heading to the Olympics in a few short weeks. Isner was very disappointing at Wimbledon but I would expect him to be much better here and go very close to defending his title. Kei Nishikori is second seed and I would expect him to follow up his good play at SW19 with a run here this week but I would be highly surprised if he managed to win the title. Having said that, I think he will be a top ten player in the coming years as he finally starts to develop into the talent we saw when he was first breaking onto the scene. Sam Querrey was outstanding at Wimbledon and I would imagine he will follow it up here with another strong showing as he continues his return to the top twenty. Ryan Harrison is another going to the Olympics looking to hit some form and I thought he was very good against Djokovic at Wimbledon last week and I think he might be taking another step towards the top ten this week. I have no doubt he will be a top ten player at the very least in the next year or two. Another player certain to join him is Canadian Milos Raonic. I think Raonic is a future Grand Slam winner and future top five player. I expect a semi final battle between Raonic and Isner this week and the winner of that will go on to lift the title. Picking one over the other is tough but giving Isner's poor run at Wimbledon I think this means more to him to play near his best so I will give John Isner a slight nod over Raonic.
That's my predictions for the week and I hope that above all results we see some great tennis that leaves us looking forward to the remainder of the season. Anyone wanting to express their views please visit my facebook page or twitter page and leave comments or feel free to e-mail me.
Monday 9 July 2012
Sunday 8 July 2012
Roger Federer vs Andy Murray: History Beckons
It's been an incredibly entertaining fortnight at SW19 and it all comes to close today as the men's singles final takes place with history on the line for both players. For Andy Murray he can finally win a Grand Slam and get rid of that demon that's been haunting him for years. It would fulfil all his dreams and to do it here at Wimbledon would be a magnificent moment for the Scot. For Federer he's competing in his eighth Wimbledon final and a win here would be his seventh title which would tie legendary Pete Sampras' record of seven titles here. The only final Federer has ever lost here was when he was beaten in the greatest match in Wimbledon, and possibly tennis, history to Rafa Nadal in 2008. So no matter what the outcome we will see a piece of history made when the final point is played.
Murray began his journey against Russian Nikolay Davydenko in the first round and was a comfortable winner but faced a stiff test from giant Ivo Karlovic in round two. He could have found himself in serious trouble when he went into a third set tiebreak but he came through it and took the match in four sets. Murray was again pushed to four sets in the third round against Marcos Baghdatis but under the Centre Court roof he came through 6-1 in the fourth to book his place in the second week. That week began with a potentially tricky tie against Marin Cilic but Cilic wasn't at his best after playing the second longest match in Wimbledon history the previous round while Murray played near his best to take it in straight sets. David Ferrer had a great chance to end the Scot's run but after winning the first set he couldn't capitalise on numerous chances and made so many uncharacteristic errors which are criminal when you face Murray. Murray took the match in four very tight sets in a highly entertaining match. Yet another semi final appearance for Murray came on Friday but this time there was a major difference. This time Murray wasn't facing Rafa Nadal who has beaten Murray time and time again in Grand Slams in recent years. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was his opponent and the Frenchman simply didn't turn up at all. He wasn't near his aggressive best and played very passive tennis which against Andy Murray is sinful. Murray is a master of long rallies like that and if your not going to go for your shots then Murray will take you apart. Murray took that game in four sets and so reached his first Wimbledon final.
Roger Federer began his tournament with a straight forward win over Albert Ramos and he then disposed over Italian Fabio Fognini in similar fashion and going into the third round had only lost nine games. Playing the day after Nadal's shocking exit Federer found himself in all sorts of trouble against Julian Benneteau. Benneteau won the first two sets and seemed to have the belief that if Rosol can beat Nadal he can beat Federer but the Swiss star showed why he's the greatest player of all time and came back to win in five. Roger again faced trouble in round four against Xavier Malisse when he was suffering from a back injury and was a set all but a break down in the third. Roger again proved his class and came through in four sets. In the quarter final Federer was simply astonishing. He showed no signs of the back injury that threatened to ruin his quest to return to number one. Mikhail Youzhny was his victim this time and the Russian managed just five games as Federer brushed him aside. After the US Open last year Federer claimed he would get back the number one ranking and in the semi final against Djokovic it all came down to one match. Beating Djokovic would give him the opportunity to win the Grand Slam they said he wouldn't and return to the top of the rankings like they said he wouldn't. Roger was brilliant in the semis and beat Novak in four sets to reach yet another final.
It looks like rain is going to be a major factor in the final and it could possibly be played entirely under a roof. That, for me, would suit Federer. Roger is one of the greatest indoor players I've ever seen and he's probably the greatest grass court player ever along with Sampras. So combine the two and it's a daunting task to beat him under the roof at Wimbledon. Murray would be expected to have the crowd on his side but I don't think it will be that simple. Federer is loved throughout the world and especially here so I would expect the crowd to get behind both players. Murray will have to handle the pressure better than he has in his three Grand Slam finals so far. He has been simply destroyed in all three by Djokovic at the Australian Open and more importantly twice against Federer in New York and Melbourne. The key for Murray is to start well and hold serve comfortably early on and find his rhythm as soon as he can or else Federer will sense the nerves and feats upon them.
I've made no secret of what I think of Murray's second serve and I was very disappointed by Tsonga and Cilic and how they approached the game against Murray. Murray has a strong tendency to kick his second serve into the middle of the box with no real pace and for me that is not good enough. I think it's very attackable and if you keep being aggressive and attacking it then you will get the rewards. Not only do you win points off the second serve but it puts him under pressure to get the first serve in and under that pressure he starts to take the pace off the serve and then his first serve becomes a target to attack. Cilic has got the weapons to destroy Murray but he was too passive. He got involved in long rallies and Murray picked him apart with ease. Tsonga then done the same thing, he didn't show the aggression we seen against Fish or for that matter anytime we've seen Tsonga. He was slicing every second shot and Murray was all too comfortable. Murray has had a very high percentage of first serves in but I think that's a direct result of no pressure on second serve. Against Federer he won't have that freedom. Roger will not sit back and defend it's simply not his style. The Swiss maestro will be aggressive and that's why he's the greatest. Now I know I expected Tsonga to play that way and be aggressive and he failed but I have no doubt Federer will play that way. I seen part of his warm up this morning and he was hitting with the legend that is Fabrice Santoro and that's very interesting. Santoro has got a wide variety of slices and Federer will have experienced all sorts of shots with Santoro. Federer spent a considerable amount of time returning serves and I noticed that he was stepping up into the court and hitting through the ball which leads me to believe he will be attacking the serve.
We could all see how Murray felt after winning on Friday and he was very emotional which was in contrast to Federer's reaction to beating Djokovic. Federer spoke of how little a reaction he made yesterday. "I'm aware that the tournament's not over yet. I didn't break down crying and fall to my knees and thought the tournament is over and I achieved everything I ever wanted. Honestly, it happens faster than you think it does. Then all of a sudden you come out the next match and you're not the same anymore because you're emotionally too drained already and you think it's been a great tournament. That could be interpreted as a reaction to the tears we saw from Murray and dramatic reactions we saw. Since that devastating loss to Djokovic at last year's US Open Federer has been astonishing. He could have been forgiven for losing interest at his age and seeing Nadal and Djokovic dominating the sport but instead he said he will make number one again and he will win another Grand Slam. Since then he's won seven ATP titles and today he can add both that number one ranking and the Grand Slam and complete a remarkable year for the Swiss star.
In my opinion this match will be very similar to their Australian Open final. I think that Federer is going to win this one and unfortunately for Murray fans I think it might just be comfortable. Federer will expose Murray's weaknesses and I would bet my life that we see Murray lose his temper at stage of the match. I don't buy into the media belief that Murray is no longer mentally poor and is now an aggressive player since Lendl took over as his coach. I think that's rubbish and we only see the aggression in early round matches and as Rod Laver said today "He might be up a break and serving 40-30 and he just puts the ball in play". That's not aggression that's weak play and the disappointing part of it is that Murray has got seriously good shots when he does hit through the ball. Murray isn't stronger mentally either. We've seen him shouting and slapping his racquet throughout this year under Ivan Lendl. I just think that Federer is so much stronger mentally and will handle the occasion better and at the end of the day Roger Federer has got tons more talent than Andy Murray and that's going to show today. I think it's going to be Federer in three straight sets.
Murray began his journey against Russian Nikolay Davydenko in the first round and was a comfortable winner but faced a stiff test from giant Ivo Karlovic in round two. He could have found himself in serious trouble when he went into a third set tiebreak but he came through it and took the match in four sets. Murray was again pushed to four sets in the third round against Marcos Baghdatis but under the Centre Court roof he came through 6-1 in the fourth to book his place in the second week. That week began with a potentially tricky tie against Marin Cilic but Cilic wasn't at his best after playing the second longest match in Wimbledon history the previous round while Murray played near his best to take it in straight sets. David Ferrer had a great chance to end the Scot's run but after winning the first set he couldn't capitalise on numerous chances and made so many uncharacteristic errors which are criminal when you face Murray. Murray took the match in four very tight sets in a highly entertaining match. Yet another semi final appearance for Murray came on Friday but this time there was a major difference. This time Murray wasn't facing Rafa Nadal who has beaten Murray time and time again in Grand Slams in recent years. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was his opponent and the Frenchman simply didn't turn up at all. He wasn't near his aggressive best and played very passive tennis which against Andy Murray is sinful. Murray is a master of long rallies like that and if your not going to go for your shots then Murray will take you apart. Murray took that game in four sets and so reached his first Wimbledon final.
Roger Federer began his tournament with a straight forward win over Albert Ramos and he then disposed over Italian Fabio Fognini in similar fashion and going into the third round had only lost nine games. Playing the day after Nadal's shocking exit Federer found himself in all sorts of trouble against Julian Benneteau. Benneteau won the first two sets and seemed to have the belief that if Rosol can beat Nadal he can beat Federer but the Swiss star showed why he's the greatest player of all time and came back to win in five. Roger again faced trouble in round four against Xavier Malisse when he was suffering from a back injury and was a set all but a break down in the third. Roger again proved his class and came through in four sets. In the quarter final Federer was simply astonishing. He showed no signs of the back injury that threatened to ruin his quest to return to number one. Mikhail Youzhny was his victim this time and the Russian managed just five games as Federer brushed him aside. After the US Open last year Federer claimed he would get back the number one ranking and in the semi final against Djokovic it all came down to one match. Beating Djokovic would give him the opportunity to win the Grand Slam they said he wouldn't and return to the top of the rankings like they said he wouldn't. Roger was brilliant in the semis and beat Novak in four sets to reach yet another final.
It looks like rain is going to be a major factor in the final and it could possibly be played entirely under a roof. That, for me, would suit Federer. Roger is one of the greatest indoor players I've ever seen and he's probably the greatest grass court player ever along with Sampras. So combine the two and it's a daunting task to beat him under the roof at Wimbledon. Murray would be expected to have the crowd on his side but I don't think it will be that simple. Federer is loved throughout the world and especially here so I would expect the crowd to get behind both players. Murray will have to handle the pressure better than he has in his three Grand Slam finals so far. He has been simply destroyed in all three by Djokovic at the Australian Open and more importantly twice against Federer in New York and Melbourne. The key for Murray is to start well and hold serve comfortably early on and find his rhythm as soon as he can or else Federer will sense the nerves and feats upon them.
I've made no secret of what I think of Murray's second serve and I was very disappointed by Tsonga and Cilic and how they approached the game against Murray. Murray has a strong tendency to kick his second serve into the middle of the box with no real pace and for me that is not good enough. I think it's very attackable and if you keep being aggressive and attacking it then you will get the rewards. Not only do you win points off the second serve but it puts him under pressure to get the first serve in and under that pressure he starts to take the pace off the serve and then his first serve becomes a target to attack. Cilic has got the weapons to destroy Murray but he was too passive. He got involved in long rallies and Murray picked him apart with ease. Tsonga then done the same thing, he didn't show the aggression we seen against Fish or for that matter anytime we've seen Tsonga. He was slicing every second shot and Murray was all too comfortable. Murray has had a very high percentage of first serves in but I think that's a direct result of no pressure on second serve. Against Federer he won't have that freedom. Roger will not sit back and defend it's simply not his style. The Swiss maestro will be aggressive and that's why he's the greatest. Now I know I expected Tsonga to play that way and be aggressive and he failed but I have no doubt Federer will play that way. I seen part of his warm up this morning and he was hitting with the legend that is Fabrice Santoro and that's very interesting. Santoro has got a wide variety of slices and Federer will have experienced all sorts of shots with Santoro. Federer spent a considerable amount of time returning serves and I noticed that he was stepping up into the court and hitting through the ball which leads me to believe he will be attacking the serve.
We could all see how Murray felt after winning on Friday and he was very emotional which was in contrast to Federer's reaction to beating Djokovic. Federer spoke of how little a reaction he made yesterday. "I'm aware that the tournament's not over yet. I didn't break down crying and fall to my knees and thought the tournament is over and I achieved everything I ever wanted. Honestly, it happens faster than you think it does. Then all of a sudden you come out the next match and you're not the same anymore because you're emotionally too drained already and you think it's been a great tournament. That could be interpreted as a reaction to the tears we saw from Murray and dramatic reactions we saw. Since that devastating loss to Djokovic at last year's US Open Federer has been astonishing. He could have been forgiven for losing interest at his age and seeing Nadal and Djokovic dominating the sport but instead he said he will make number one again and he will win another Grand Slam. Since then he's won seven ATP titles and today he can add both that number one ranking and the Grand Slam and complete a remarkable year for the Swiss star.
In my opinion this match will be very similar to their Australian Open final. I think that Federer is going to win this one and unfortunately for Murray fans I think it might just be comfortable. Federer will expose Murray's weaknesses and I would bet my life that we see Murray lose his temper at stage of the match. I don't buy into the media belief that Murray is no longer mentally poor and is now an aggressive player since Lendl took over as his coach. I think that's rubbish and we only see the aggression in early round matches and as Rod Laver said today "He might be up a break and serving 40-30 and he just puts the ball in play". That's not aggression that's weak play and the disappointing part of it is that Murray has got seriously good shots when he does hit through the ball. Murray isn't stronger mentally either. We've seen him shouting and slapping his racquet throughout this year under Ivan Lendl. I just think that Federer is so much stronger mentally and will handle the occasion better and at the end of the day Roger Federer has got tons more talent than Andy Murray and that's going to show today. I think it's going to be Federer in three straight sets.
Thursday 5 July 2012
Wimbledon Women's Semi Finals
With the Women's event at Wimbledon drawing to a close it's time to have a look at the final four in the draw and discuss who will be raising the trophy aloft over the weekend. So far we've had some high quality entertainment and an even higher standard of tennis. The rain may have come in strong but with some good scheduling and late night drama we've got the semi final line ups for the women's singles completed with all players getting a full day of rest before their semi finals. That means all players are on an even footing and there are no excuses from here on in, the player who produces their best will be rewarded greatly.
It's been a very exciting tournament and the standard of tennis has once again been very high. All eyes will be on the second match on Centre Court between four time champion Serena Williams and Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka but before that two women who have been outstanding this season and are both looking for their first Grand Slam final appearance will take the court. Agnieszka Radwanska and Angelique Kerber both came through very difficult quarter final matches on Tuesday and will both feel confident in their games having battled through tough final sets where they both could easily have been beaten. Radwanska faced a stiff challenge from Russian Maria Kirilenko and when they were moved under the roof it looked as though the Russian would be going through but an amazing drop shot which clipped the net saved Radwanska and she eventually took the match 7-5 in the third. Having watched that match I thought the Pole was playing very well. She's a solid player with very consistent shots off both sides and is good on serve. I think she struggles more when players take the game to her and play with no fear which is what I'd expect Kerber to be like. Angelique has been one of the best players of the year and her Wimbledon campaign has been very good so far. She showed no nerves when facing the legend that is Kim Clijsters on Monday and absolutely hammered the Belgian in her final Wimbledon and her win on Tuesday was even more impressive. Having beaten Sharapova, Sabine Lisicki was playing the best tennis of her life but Kerber played amazing tennis and even when it looked like Lisicki was going to win having saved match points and gone ahead in the third set Kerber somehow managed to find a way through to her second Grand Slam semi final, and first at Wimbledon. Without a doubt the match between Lisicki and Kerber was the best and most exciting match of the tournament and I feel that having come through it Kerber will raise her level again. The fact that Kerber has flat ground strokes will work against her if she allows nerves to take control of her play but I'd expect her to play with some more freedom having already achieved more than people expected. It's a great opportunity for both players to reach a Grand Slam final and having seen Kvitova win last year who's to say one of these two won't be crowned Wimbledon champion on Saturday? I think Kerber will play the way she did against Lisicki and Clijsters and really step up into the court and dictate play and if she manages to do that then I think she will overpower Radwanska and fire winners off her powerful forehand and backhand shots. I'd expect Kerber to just about get through.
The main attraction for Thursday will of course be the Williams-Azarenka match. It's an intriguing match up and one that will split the public right down the middle. Williams has demonstrated why her serve is recognised as one of the greatest serves the women's game has ever seen. It's the reason she's got this far and the reason she still has a chance of winning a fifth Wimbledon crown. She looked down and out against Jie Zheng and she was simply overpowered and outclassed from the baseline and she managed an incredible 23 aces during that match to get through 9-7 in the third. Again against Shvedova she needed her serve to bail her out on numerous occasions to get through. Whether it's first or second serve it's very difficult to read and it contains so much power she is able to get on the front foot straight away in the rally which makes her very difficult to beat. I didn't think she would get through Kvitova on Tuesday if I'm honest. I thought Kvitova would match her on serve and be strong enough mentally to overcome Williams and she wouldn't be intimidated by Serena. I thought Kvitova played very well but Williams was a step ahead on the big points and was fully deserved of her win. Azarenka, in my opinion, has been the player of the tournament. She has been sensational and I think she could very well be the woman lifting the title on Saturday. If she does win it then it will put her back to number one and prove to everyone that her slight drop in form was simply because of the change to clay. She was brilliant on hard courts and has been stunning here on the grass of Wimbledon. Ana Ivanovic was in great form this championships but she was crushed by Azarenka and the in form Paszek was also dismissed in straight sets which shows just how dominant the Belorussian has been. Her statistics on the return of serve have been outstanding and that's the reason I think she could beat Williams. Williams won't get as much free points on serve and Azarenka will try her best to take time away from Williams. I think Williams movement is her weak point and at this stage of a Grand Slam the very best players should be exposing that, and Azarenka is one of the best. Her attitude is magnificent, from her walk out with the ipod on and the hood up in her own world to her patience in the rallies and positive reactions between points. I think she will constantly make Williams play that extra ball and eventually I think that will take it's toll on Williams. If Azarenka is allowed to play on the baseline then Williams won't be as dominant as she has been against other players because Azarenka has got the power to mix it with her and is more than capable of hitting huge winners. This match should be one of the highest quality and I think that in the end if she can stay on the baseline and not allow Williams be the aggressor then Azarenka will be in the Wimbledon final on Saturday.
So that's my preview of the semi finals of the women's singles at Wimbledon which take place tomorrow. It's very difficult to say who will be in Saturday's final as we have four top class players in the semi finals and all have their own ambitions and beliefs of how far they can go. If I had to pick then I'd go for Azarenka and Kerber to be in the final and I think that would be a fitting way to end the fortnight as these two have probably been the most consistent of the year so far. With this being my 50th post I'd just like to quickly thank all the people who read my work and as always your feedback is much appreciated by e-mail at Deano24893@live.ie or on the Amateur Sports Journalism facebook page. So thanks again to all of you, it's your support that motivates me to write.
It's been a very exciting tournament and the standard of tennis has once again been very high. All eyes will be on the second match on Centre Court between four time champion Serena Williams and Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka but before that two women who have been outstanding this season and are both looking for their first Grand Slam final appearance will take the court. Agnieszka Radwanska and Angelique Kerber both came through very difficult quarter final matches on Tuesday and will both feel confident in their games having battled through tough final sets where they both could easily have been beaten. Radwanska faced a stiff challenge from Russian Maria Kirilenko and when they were moved under the roof it looked as though the Russian would be going through but an amazing drop shot which clipped the net saved Radwanska and she eventually took the match 7-5 in the third. Having watched that match I thought the Pole was playing very well. She's a solid player with very consistent shots off both sides and is good on serve. I think she struggles more when players take the game to her and play with no fear which is what I'd expect Kerber to be like. Angelique has been one of the best players of the year and her Wimbledon campaign has been very good so far. She showed no nerves when facing the legend that is Kim Clijsters on Monday and absolutely hammered the Belgian in her final Wimbledon and her win on Tuesday was even more impressive. Having beaten Sharapova, Sabine Lisicki was playing the best tennis of her life but Kerber played amazing tennis and even when it looked like Lisicki was going to win having saved match points and gone ahead in the third set Kerber somehow managed to find a way through to her second Grand Slam semi final, and first at Wimbledon. Without a doubt the match between Lisicki and Kerber was the best and most exciting match of the tournament and I feel that having come through it Kerber will raise her level again. The fact that Kerber has flat ground strokes will work against her if she allows nerves to take control of her play but I'd expect her to play with some more freedom having already achieved more than people expected. It's a great opportunity for both players to reach a Grand Slam final and having seen Kvitova win last year who's to say one of these two won't be crowned Wimbledon champion on Saturday? I think Kerber will play the way she did against Lisicki and Clijsters and really step up into the court and dictate play and if she manages to do that then I think she will overpower Radwanska and fire winners off her powerful forehand and backhand shots. I'd expect Kerber to just about get through.
The main attraction for Thursday will of course be the Williams-Azarenka match. It's an intriguing match up and one that will split the public right down the middle. Williams has demonstrated why her serve is recognised as one of the greatest serves the women's game has ever seen. It's the reason she's got this far and the reason she still has a chance of winning a fifth Wimbledon crown. She looked down and out against Jie Zheng and she was simply overpowered and outclassed from the baseline and she managed an incredible 23 aces during that match to get through 9-7 in the third. Again against Shvedova she needed her serve to bail her out on numerous occasions to get through. Whether it's first or second serve it's very difficult to read and it contains so much power she is able to get on the front foot straight away in the rally which makes her very difficult to beat. I didn't think she would get through Kvitova on Tuesday if I'm honest. I thought Kvitova would match her on serve and be strong enough mentally to overcome Williams and she wouldn't be intimidated by Serena. I thought Kvitova played very well but Williams was a step ahead on the big points and was fully deserved of her win. Azarenka, in my opinion, has been the player of the tournament. She has been sensational and I think she could very well be the woman lifting the title on Saturday. If she does win it then it will put her back to number one and prove to everyone that her slight drop in form was simply because of the change to clay. She was brilliant on hard courts and has been stunning here on the grass of Wimbledon. Ana Ivanovic was in great form this championships but she was crushed by Azarenka and the in form Paszek was also dismissed in straight sets which shows just how dominant the Belorussian has been. Her statistics on the return of serve have been outstanding and that's the reason I think she could beat Williams. Williams won't get as much free points on serve and Azarenka will try her best to take time away from Williams. I think Williams movement is her weak point and at this stage of a Grand Slam the very best players should be exposing that, and Azarenka is one of the best. Her attitude is magnificent, from her walk out with the ipod on and the hood up in her own world to her patience in the rallies and positive reactions between points. I think she will constantly make Williams play that extra ball and eventually I think that will take it's toll on Williams. If Azarenka is allowed to play on the baseline then Williams won't be as dominant as she has been against other players because Azarenka has got the power to mix it with her and is more than capable of hitting huge winners. This match should be one of the highest quality and I think that in the end if she can stay on the baseline and not allow Williams be the aggressor then Azarenka will be in the Wimbledon final on Saturday.
So that's my preview of the semi finals of the women's singles at Wimbledon which take place tomorrow. It's very difficult to say who will be in Saturday's final as we have four top class players in the semi finals and all have their own ambitions and beliefs of how far they can go. If I had to pick then I'd go for Azarenka and Kerber to be in the final and I think that would be a fitting way to end the fortnight as these two have probably been the most consistent of the year so far. With this being my 50th post I'd just like to quickly thank all the people who read my work and as always your feedback is much appreciated by e-mail at Deano24893@live.ie or on the Amateur Sports Journalism facebook page. So thanks again to all of you, it's your support that motivates me to write.
Monday 2 July 2012
Andy Murray vs Marin Cilic
Andy Murray continues his quest for Grand Slam glory today when he comes up against tall Croat Marin Cilic on Court 1. Murray has defeated Russian Nikolay Davydenko, Ivo Karlovic and Marcos Baghdatis so far and although he beat Davydenko with ease his last two matches have not been too impressive. Karlovic is severely lacking with movement and ground strokes and yet he managed a set off Murray and wasn't far off getting another one. Baghdatis also took a set off Murray and it wasn't until they closed the roof that Murray took control. To beat Murray players need to adopt a simple three step tactic, attack the second serve, be strong in your own service games and be aggressive in the rally. I've always said that any player who plays aggressive against Murray and attacks his second serve regularly will beat him. It's not just abut hitting the ball hard like Karlovic did, you must hit it cleanly and with purpose. When players do that we see two things happen. Murray's first serve percentage drops which draws negative body language from him and then we see him take the pace off the first serve. This then gives players the chance to be aggressive on his first serve and if players can combine this with holding their own serve they have a very strong chance of winning against Murray. Players also need to approach the net against him. Karlovic won't trouble Federer, Nadal or Djokovic at a Grand Slam because their too experienced and they play patient tennis and take their opportunities but Murray was in all sorts of trouble against him. Karlovic has got 2 out of the 3 points needed to beat Murray. He had the easy service games, he had the net approach but he didn't have enough of the aggression off Murray's serve. Baghdatis was in almost all of Murray's service games in the opening three sets beacuse he played aggressive but he lost his own serve too often and was engaging in way too many long rallies. Murray's next opponent is Marin Cilic who's natural game ticks all three boxes.
Cilic was a player threatening to break through in 2010 when he reached the Australian Open semi final but he fell away in the remainder of that year and last year. He is a talented player and at 23 he still has time to develop into a top five player and I think he can do it. He's got the game to beat the very best and it wouldn't surprise me to see him win Grand Slams in the future, possibly the near future. The key for him is learning to utilise his serve to it's maximum potential and make it as unbreakable as possible. Then he needs to improve his consistency on the groundstrokes and learn when to be aggressive and when to be patient. If he can do that then he will reach the top ten at least. His fitness is something I would have questioned in the past but having watched quite a lot of him this season I think he has the fitness levels to compete consistently at the highest level. So I think he has it in him to win multiple titles he just needs to adopt the right mentality and find the sort of confidence that saw him win at Queens this year.
I think today could be a huge day not only in his year but for his career. Beating Murray would do wonders for his game and put him into a Wimbledon quarter final which would give him a huge boost. If Cilic plays the way I expect him to which would be his natural game then I see him exposing all the weaknesses in the Murray game. The first step for Cilic is to get his serve working from the start and give Murray no chances of breaking early. Cilic had 61% first serves in against Querrey and if he can post that number again he should be very solid on serve. That is the first step for him, being steady on serve. The next step is unsettling Murray and attacking his second serve. Murray will second serve into the middle of the box with no pace the majority of the time and it will sit into the comfort zone of Cilic. He restricted Querrey to just 47% of second serve points won and Querrey has got a very strong serve. Against Murray he will get a lot of joy from being aggressive. If he does that then he will cause Murray to drop his first serve speed and then he can attack the first and second serve. That's step two and possibly the most important, attacking the second serve, never leaving Murray get into a full rhythm. Finally he needs to play his ground strokes well. He has to play with some aggression and by that I don't mean hitting the ball his hardest every time. By that I mean he has to pick his spot and stick with it. As part of that aggression he needs to come into the net and take advantage of his big serves and heavy ground strokes. Against Querrey he came in to the net 70 times and won 50 of those points. He'll need to win a slightly bigger percentage today to find success.
If Cilic plays at his best today and has the right game plan then I see no reason he won't win this game and eliminate Murray. Fitness levels might be a little low after his epic encounter with Querrey Saturday but by playing the right way he won't waste too much energy. I think Cilic will win this match and if he plays at his best then he could win it comfortably like he did at the US Open in 2009 for the loss of just nine games. If he doesn't play aggressively and gets drawn into Murray's game then won't be successful but I have a feeling he will get it right today.
Cilic was a player threatening to break through in 2010 when he reached the Australian Open semi final but he fell away in the remainder of that year and last year. He is a talented player and at 23 he still has time to develop into a top five player and I think he can do it. He's got the game to beat the very best and it wouldn't surprise me to see him win Grand Slams in the future, possibly the near future. The key for him is learning to utilise his serve to it's maximum potential and make it as unbreakable as possible. Then he needs to improve his consistency on the groundstrokes and learn when to be aggressive and when to be patient. If he can do that then he will reach the top ten at least. His fitness is something I would have questioned in the past but having watched quite a lot of him this season I think he has the fitness levels to compete consistently at the highest level. So I think he has it in him to win multiple titles he just needs to adopt the right mentality and find the sort of confidence that saw him win at Queens this year.
I think today could be a huge day not only in his year but for his career. Beating Murray would do wonders for his game and put him into a Wimbledon quarter final which would give him a huge boost. If Cilic plays the way I expect him to which would be his natural game then I see him exposing all the weaknesses in the Murray game. The first step for Cilic is to get his serve working from the start and give Murray no chances of breaking early. Cilic had 61% first serves in against Querrey and if he can post that number again he should be very solid on serve. That is the first step for him, being steady on serve. The next step is unsettling Murray and attacking his second serve. Murray will second serve into the middle of the box with no pace the majority of the time and it will sit into the comfort zone of Cilic. He restricted Querrey to just 47% of second serve points won and Querrey has got a very strong serve. Against Murray he will get a lot of joy from being aggressive. If he does that then he will cause Murray to drop his first serve speed and then he can attack the first and second serve. That's step two and possibly the most important, attacking the second serve, never leaving Murray get into a full rhythm. Finally he needs to play his ground strokes well. He has to play with some aggression and by that I don't mean hitting the ball his hardest every time. By that I mean he has to pick his spot and stick with it. As part of that aggression he needs to come into the net and take advantage of his big serves and heavy ground strokes. Against Querrey he came in to the net 70 times and won 50 of those points. He'll need to win a slightly bigger percentage today to find success.
If Cilic plays at his best today and has the right game plan then I see no reason he won't win this game and eliminate Murray. Fitness levels might be a little low after his epic encounter with Querrey Saturday but by playing the right way he won't waste too much energy. I think Cilic will win this match and if he plays at his best then he could win it comfortably like he did at the US Open in 2009 for the loss of just nine games. If he doesn't play aggressively and gets drawn into Murray's game then won't be successful but I have a feeling he will get it right today.
Wimbledon Day 7 Preview
The second Monday of Wimbledon is upon us and no matter what court you watch today your sure to find tennis of the highest quality. With all the fourth round men's and women's matches being played today we've got plenty to look forward to and I'm going to preview some of the top matches starting with a quick run through of the order of play. First up in Centre Court is Roger Federer, who survived a close five set match on Friday, and today he takes on Belgian Xavier Malisse. Following that game two stars of the women's game face off as Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka meets Serbian Ana Ivanovic. Two more Serbs as Novak Djokovic takes on countryman Victor Troicki in what is expected to be the final match on Centre. However, with showers expected throughout the day we could see a match moved from an outside court into Centre under the roof. Court 1 contains three high quality matches too as favourite for the title and world number one Maria Sharapova meets talented German Sabine Lisicki in a repeat of last years semi final. Marin Cilic, involved in the second longest match in Wimbledon history on Saturday, takes on Andy Murray in the second match on Court 1 and finally, David Ferrer and Juan Martin Del Potro meet in what looks to be an intriguing clash. Court 2 sees Serena Williams take on Yaroslava Shvedova, Agnieszka Radwanska plays qualifier Camila Giorgi and then Mardy Fish takes on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. On Court 3 defending champion Petra Kvitova faces Italian Francesca Schiavone, Kim Clijsters takes on Angelique Kerber and Richard Gasquet meets Florian Mayer. Court 12 has got Tamira Paszek and Roberta Vinci, Maria Kirlenko and Shuai Peng and finally, Brian Baker and Philip Kohlschreiber wrap up proceedings on Court 12 while Mikhail Youzhny and Denis Istomin play on Court 17.
So starting with that Roger Federer and Xavier Malisse game and this should be an entertaining match. Malisse is a talented grass court player and has been impressive so far. He faced a tough opener against big serving Marinko Matosevis but came through with ease and then had brilliant wins over 13th seed Gilles Simon and then 17th seed Fernando Verdasco. Facing Federer will be a different challenge for him but not a new challenge. They met at Wimbledon in 2001 when the Swiss star came through in five tight sets. Federer leads the head to head 9-1 but many of their encounters came a decade ago and were tight affairs and I think Malisse might just give Federer a scare here. The Belgian is generally a more counter punching player but I expect him to be more aggressive and take the game to the six time Wimbledon champion. It should be a quality match but I would expect Federer to come through in four, maybe five sets but an upset wouldn't be totally out of the question.
Novak Djokovic should have a much more comfortable time when he takes to the court against Victor Troicki. I expect this to be a relatively straight forward game for the defending champion and he should come through in three sets. I've watched Troicki on a number of occasions and been impressed but when he faces players in the top ten he looks like a very average player. He plays very defensively against the top players and he's nowhere near good enough to get away with that game and that's why Djokovic is going to pick him apart here. Djokovic will be looking to conserve energy with tough meetings coming up later this week and I expect him to be firing on all cylinders today.
An interesting match in the women's draw takes place on Centre Court as Ana Ivanovic takes on Victoria Azarenka. Both players have had very contrasting but good seasons so far. Ivanovic has been on the rise again following a dramatic fall from the top of the game in the past few years but this season she's been back at her best and seems to be playing some of the tennis that saw her lift the French Open in 2008. Azarenka, on the other hand, has hit the heights of the sport having lifted her first Grand Slam in Australia and has been in great form this year. I think this one will be high entertainment as both players are very fit and move around the court well but I think Azarenka will have too much power for Ivanovic on these grass courts and should be able to progress. Ivanovic will look to take time away from the Belarussian and force mistakes out of her but I'm not sure that's a winning tactic against Azarenka these days.
The most intriguing of the day's matches has to be match between Kim Clijsters and Angelique Kerber. Kerber has been the most improved player of the year by a country mile this season. She's improved her serve and her ground strokes are now carrying more pace and she's become a dominant player on the tour. She's played super so far here at Wimbledon and only for the fact that she's run into Clijsters I would think she could go all the way. Having said that if she managed to beat Clijsters then I wouldn't rule out her chances of winning the title here. Clijsters, though, is a player on a mission and will not be stopped easily. It's her final year here at Wimbledon and her final chance to win the title here where she's never been successful. It would be one of the finest moments of her fine career as she's made no secret of her want to win here. She's been sensational in her opening three rounds and playing some stunning tennis in the process. I expect Clijsters to win this one although she might just drop her first set of the tournament.
Mardy Fish and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will be a very very tight match. It could be straight sets either way but every point will be planned out and every shot will have a purpose. Tsonga is such an enigmatic player he becomes a crowd favourite everywhere and often draws on that support to produce his best tennis. Fish has had some heart problems in recent months which is a huge shame to him and to tennis fans. He is such a joy to watch on the court especially on a hard court or grass court. His aggressive style makes him so difficult to play against and I expect him to really take it to Tsonga today. In the opening few rounds it looked as though Fish was in big trouble but he has turned it around and his last match against Goffin was an example of how brilliant he can be. Fish will serve and volley alot today and make Tsonga have to hit winners to beat him and I think that strategy will be good enough today. Tsonga may be instilled as the favourite for this one but I think Fish is capable of causing the upset and it would be nice to see a guy who has worked incredibly hard in the past few years go deep into the second week. Last year was the best of Mardy's tennis career and a win here would see him face Kohlschreiber or Baker for a semi final spot. I tipped Fish to have a good week at the beginning of the tournament and I fancy him to edge this one in probably four or five sets.
Juan Martin Del Potro and David Ferrer play each other for a quarter final place in what should be a very entertaining match. Ferrer has been very good so far in his opening three matches especially in his dismantling of Andy Roddick on Saturday. His game will be tested to the limit against his Argentine opponent who has been imperious at times himself. Del Potro wasn't given a strong chance at the beginning of the tournament due to his lack of movement but I think he makes up for it in his shot making ability. I like the way he's adapted to the grass and I think he has a great chance to go all the way and pick up his second Grand Slam. He's been aggressive in his opening three games and has hit through his opponents and was very impressive against Nishikori on Saturday. This one has potential go very deep into a fifth set as both players leave no points behind them and fight for everything on court. I think Del Potro will get through this one and it will depend on how well he plays whether he can win it in three or four sets.
Finally back to the story of the American Brian Baker who continues his incredible comeback and fairytale run here at Wimbledon when he takes on German Philip Kohlschreiber. Kohlschreiber is the man benefitting from Rafa Nadal's exit and that has allowed him to reach the second week here. This match is going to be a good one as both players are creative shot makers and I would expect to see alot of long rallies with plenty of winners. I like the German's grass court game and I think he can trouble some of the top players on the surface which we saw in Halle when he beat Nadal a few weeks back. I think the key to this game will be the backhand crosscourt exchanges and who can come out on top in that battle. Both players are strong off that wing and I think to win that exchange one of the two will need to be creative playing other shots to open up the short ball to attack. I would expect some serve and volley play from both at times and if one can be very successful they might find a winning play from that tactic. Baker has been phenomenal so far this year in what he's accomplished and it would be magnificent to see him go another step at least. I think Baker will find the inspiration needed to get through this one and reach what would be an unbelievable quarter final for him.
So there you have my take on some of the fourth round matches taking place today, weather permitting of course. The final match I will cover is going to be the Andy Murray and Marin Cilic match which will be in a separate post in about a little while.
So starting with that Roger Federer and Xavier Malisse game and this should be an entertaining match. Malisse is a talented grass court player and has been impressive so far. He faced a tough opener against big serving Marinko Matosevis but came through with ease and then had brilliant wins over 13th seed Gilles Simon and then 17th seed Fernando Verdasco. Facing Federer will be a different challenge for him but not a new challenge. They met at Wimbledon in 2001 when the Swiss star came through in five tight sets. Federer leads the head to head 9-1 but many of their encounters came a decade ago and were tight affairs and I think Malisse might just give Federer a scare here. The Belgian is generally a more counter punching player but I expect him to be more aggressive and take the game to the six time Wimbledon champion. It should be a quality match but I would expect Federer to come through in four, maybe five sets but an upset wouldn't be totally out of the question.
Novak Djokovic should have a much more comfortable time when he takes to the court against Victor Troicki. I expect this to be a relatively straight forward game for the defending champion and he should come through in three sets. I've watched Troicki on a number of occasions and been impressed but when he faces players in the top ten he looks like a very average player. He plays very defensively against the top players and he's nowhere near good enough to get away with that game and that's why Djokovic is going to pick him apart here. Djokovic will be looking to conserve energy with tough meetings coming up later this week and I expect him to be firing on all cylinders today.
An interesting match in the women's draw takes place on Centre Court as Ana Ivanovic takes on Victoria Azarenka. Both players have had very contrasting but good seasons so far. Ivanovic has been on the rise again following a dramatic fall from the top of the game in the past few years but this season she's been back at her best and seems to be playing some of the tennis that saw her lift the French Open in 2008. Azarenka, on the other hand, has hit the heights of the sport having lifted her first Grand Slam in Australia and has been in great form this year. I think this one will be high entertainment as both players are very fit and move around the court well but I think Azarenka will have too much power for Ivanovic on these grass courts and should be able to progress. Ivanovic will look to take time away from the Belarussian and force mistakes out of her but I'm not sure that's a winning tactic against Azarenka these days.
The most intriguing of the day's matches has to be match between Kim Clijsters and Angelique Kerber. Kerber has been the most improved player of the year by a country mile this season. She's improved her serve and her ground strokes are now carrying more pace and she's become a dominant player on the tour. She's played super so far here at Wimbledon and only for the fact that she's run into Clijsters I would think she could go all the way. Having said that if she managed to beat Clijsters then I wouldn't rule out her chances of winning the title here. Clijsters, though, is a player on a mission and will not be stopped easily. It's her final year here at Wimbledon and her final chance to win the title here where she's never been successful. It would be one of the finest moments of her fine career as she's made no secret of her want to win here. She's been sensational in her opening three rounds and playing some stunning tennis in the process. I expect Clijsters to win this one although she might just drop her first set of the tournament.
Mardy Fish and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will be a very very tight match. It could be straight sets either way but every point will be planned out and every shot will have a purpose. Tsonga is such an enigmatic player he becomes a crowd favourite everywhere and often draws on that support to produce his best tennis. Fish has had some heart problems in recent months which is a huge shame to him and to tennis fans. He is such a joy to watch on the court especially on a hard court or grass court. His aggressive style makes him so difficult to play against and I expect him to really take it to Tsonga today. In the opening few rounds it looked as though Fish was in big trouble but he has turned it around and his last match against Goffin was an example of how brilliant he can be. Fish will serve and volley alot today and make Tsonga have to hit winners to beat him and I think that strategy will be good enough today. Tsonga may be instilled as the favourite for this one but I think Fish is capable of causing the upset and it would be nice to see a guy who has worked incredibly hard in the past few years go deep into the second week. Last year was the best of Mardy's tennis career and a win here would see him face Kohlschreiber or Baker for a semi final spot. I tipped Fish to have a good week at the beginning of the tournament and I fancy him to edge this one in probably four or five sets.
Juan Martin Del Potro and David Ferrer play each other for a quarter final place in what should be a very entertaining match. Ferrer has been very good so far in his opening three matches especially in his dismantling of Andy Roddick on Saturday. His game will be tested to the limit against his Argentine opponent who has been imperious at times himself. Del Potro wasn't given a strong chance at the beginning of the tournament due to his lack of movement but I think he makes up for it in his shot making ability. I like the way he's adapted to the grass and I think he has a great chance to go all the way and pick up his second Grand Slam. He's been aggressive in his opening three games and has hit through his opponents and was very impressive against Nishikori on Saturday. This one has potential go very deep into a fifth set as both players leave no points behind them and fight for everything on court. I think Del Potro will get through this one and it will depend on how well he plays whether he can win it in three or four sets.
Finally back to the story of the American Brian Baker who continues his incredible comeback and fairytale run here at Wimbledon when he takes on German Philip Kohlschreiber. Kohlschreiber is the man benefitting from Rafa Nadal's exit and that has allowed him to reach the second week here. This match is going to be a good one as both players are creative shot makers and I would expect to see alot of long rallies with plenty of winners. I like the German's grass court game and I think he can trouble some of the top players on the surface which we saw in Halle when he beat Nadal a few weeks back. I think the key to this game will be the backhand crosscourt exchanges and who can come out on top in that battle. Both players are strong off that wing and I think to win that exchange one of the two will need to be creative playing other shots to open up the short ball to attack. I would expect some serve and volley play from both at times and if one can be very successful they might find a winning play from that tactic. Baker has been phenomenal so far this year in what he's accomplished and it would be magnificent to see him go another step at least. I think Baker will find the inspiration needed to get through this one and reach what would be an unbelievable quarter final for him.
So there you have my take on some of the fourth round matches taking place today, weather permitting of course. The final match I will cover is going to be the Andy Murray and Marin Cilic match which will be in a separate post in about a little while.
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