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Madrid Masters Predictions May 9, 2013

8 May

Predicted Winners in BOLD

Roger Federer vs. Kei Nishikori - Federer has had a mediocre 2013 by his standards.  He also has points to defend.  I expect Roger to advance, but a loss would not be shocking.

Andy Murray vs. Gilles Simon - In 2008, Simon looked like Murray’s mini-me.  This could go either  way on clay.  I still think Murray advances.

David Ferrer vs. Tommy Haas - A rematch of their Miami semifinal.  Haas just won a tournament, but Ferrer on clay in Spain has to be the pick.

Rafael Nadal vs. Mikhail Youzhny - In 2006 at the US Open, I’d pick the Russian.  Rafa advances

Tomas Berdych vs. Kevin Anderson - The big Czech should win on clay.  Still, Anderson keeps winning matches.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Fernando Verdasco - My first upset pick for May 9th’s slate of matches.  Tsonga nearly beat Nole at Roland Garros last year and pushed Rafa in Monte Carlo this year.  Still, clay favors Verdasco who needs a signature win.

Stanislas Wawrinka vs. Grigor Dimitrov - This match is worth the price of admission.  Wawrinka just won a tournament beating #4 David Ferrer in the final.  Dimitrov took a set off of Rafa at Monte Carlo and beat Djokovic in Madrid.  I think Wawrinka’s momentum helps him hold off Dimitrov, but the youngster is making waves.

Daniel Gimeno-Traver vs. Pablo Andujar - I love Pablo.

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Masters Miami 2013: Semifinal Predictions

29 Mar

Predicted Winners in BOLD

Semifinals

Gasquet Posted a Huge QF Win

Andy Murray (2) vs. Richard Gasquet (8) – Gasquet is re-establishing himself in a big way, but I think Murray is going to win in an entertaining match.

Haas has Beaten Djokovic and Federer Over the Past 52 Weeks

David Ferrer (3) vs. Tommy Haas (15) – I picked against Haas twice, I won’t do it this time.  I think Haas can dictate play versus Ferrer is he is zoning, and he appears to be zoning.

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Masters Miami Predictions 27 March 2013

27 Mar

Predicted Winners in BOLD

Quarterfinals
David Ferrer (3) vs. Jurgen Melzer - Jurgen could win, but Ferrer is a guy who tends to win the matches he is supposed to win.

Gilles Simon (11) vs. Tommy Haas (15) – Simon is the player who may be fatigued.  Haas beat Federer at Halle last year and Nole in Miami this year.  Not bad for a guy in my age range.  Still, I think Gilles will grind out a 3 set win.

Quarterfinals

Maria Sharapova (3) vs. Sara Errani (8) – A rematch of the 2012 French Open final will likely produce the same result.

Roberta Vinci (15) vs. Jelena Jankovic (22) – JJ is just not someone I will pick very often in later rounds at this stage of her career.

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March 13, 2013: Indian Wells Match Predictions

13 Mar

Predicted Winners in BOLD

Fourth Round

Andy Murray (3) vs. Carlos Berlocq - Murray should win in two easy sets as Berlocq has no weapons to threaten Murray.

Rafael Nadal (5) vs. Ernests Gulbis - Gulbis is on a hot streak and Nadal is maybe not sure about hard courts.  Still, Rafa is the smart pick.

Gilles Simon (13) vs. Kevin Anderson - Simon has struggled versus Isner who is the best analog for Anderson I can find.  Also, Anderson beat Ferrer who is a good analog for Simon.  I love Gilles’ game, but the big man advances.

Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Sam Querrey (23) – Sam beat Nole last fall.  Lightening is not going to strike twice.

Roger Federer (2) vs. Stanislas Wawrinka (18) – Stan may seem due to beat Roger , but for the most part this is a one-sided friendly Swiss rivalry.

Tomas Berdych (6) vs. Richard Gasquet (10) – Two of the hottest players in 2013 collide.  I think Berdych wins due to having more weapons even if his game is less imaginative than Gasquet’s.

Juan Martin del Potro (7) vs. Tommy Haas (19) – Delpo already got to beat up on Davydenko and Hewitt.  I think the oldest man in the draw pulls off a mild upset to avenge the other veterans.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (8) vs. Milos Raonic (17) – Milos has to breakthrough at some point; why not now?

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March 12, 2013: Indian Wells Match Predictions

12 Mar

Predicted Winner in BOLD

Third Round

Juan Martin del Potro (7) vs. Bjorn Phau - Delpo should win in a straightforward match.

Sam Querrey (23) vs. Marinko Matosevic - USTA, “Help us Sam Querrey.  You’re our only hope.”

Andy Murray (3) vs. Yen-Hsun Lu - Murray wins

Kei Nishikori (16) vs. Carlos Berlocq - On paper, Nishikori should win, but I think Berlocq’s Latin American clay court run has him match tough.

Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Grigor Dimitrov (31) – Nole in 2, but this match is worth the price of admission.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (8) vs. Mardy Fish (32) – Will Tsonga take out Blake and Fish?

Nicolas Almagro (11) vs. Tommy Haas (19) – Almagro should win based on his 2013 Australian Open run, but I think Haas will advance due to a friendly crowd and surface for his game.

Marin Cilic (12) vs. Milos Raonic (17) – This is the most interesting match of the day.  The Croatian versus the Canadian with Serbian roots.  One is reclaiming lost momentum in his career.  The other is trying to move into another tier.  I think Raonic will win because he does have a top 5 serve even if the rest of his game is a work in progress.

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March 10, 2013: Indian Wells Match Picks

9 Mar

Predicted Winner in BOLD

STADIUM 1 Start 11:00 am

[32] Mardy Fish (USA) v [Q] Bobby Reynolds (USA)

[3] Andy Murray (GBR) v Evgeny Donskoy (RUS)

[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) v Fabio Fognini (ITA) – This should be entertaining, but Nole should also roll.

[WC] James Blake (USA) v [8] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) - An upset is possible here, but only if Tsonga is off of his game.

STADIUM 2 Start 11:00 am

[12] Marin Cilic (CRO) v Albert Ramos (ESP) – Cilic has made a nice return to the top 20 after his promising 2009 and early 2010.  Ramos is capable of the upset though as Cilic can throw in a bad match from time to time.

Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) v [7] Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) – The 2009 World Tour Final  championship match revisited.  JMDP should advance.

[23] Sam Querrey (USA) v [Q] Ivo Karlovic (CRO) – Expect tie-breaks to be played

STADIUM 3 Start 11:00 am

Marinko Matosevic (AUS) v [14] Juan Monaco (ARG) - Monaco has had a quiet 2013.

[11] Nicolas Almagro (ESP) v Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) – After his Australian Open collapse, it is possible that Almagro is going to struggle.

[Q] Philipp Petzschner (GER) v [16] Kei Nishikori (JPN) – My first upset pick.

COURT 7 Start 11:00 am

[22] Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) v Carlos Berlocq (ARG) – Berlocq is match tough after the Latin American swing of the tour.

Pablo Andujar (ESP) v [19] Tommy Haas (GER) – A 50-50 match in my mind.  Haas gets the nod due to the surface, but the old man of the tour should not take Andujar lightly.

[Q] Matthew Ebden (AUS) v [31] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) – Is he due for a breakthrough or not?

COURT 8 Start 11:00 am

[25] Jeremy Chardy (FRA) v Bjorn Phau (GER) – Chardy should beat the diminutive veteran.

Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) v [26] Martin Klizan (SVK)

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US Open Day 3 Men’s Picks

29 Aug

US Open Day 3 Men’s Picks

Predicted Winners in BOLD

Grigor Dimitrov vs. Benoit Paire – Grigor is an enigma, but I think he can make strides toward the top 20.

Benjamin Becker vs. Ryan Harrison – Ryan should win this match, but he’s capable of melting down.

Igor Sijsling vs. Daniel Gimeno-Traver

Viktor Troicki (29) vs. Cedrik-Marcel Stebe - I see a mild upset here

Lukasz Kubot vs. Leonardo Mayer

Mikhail Kukushkin vs. Jarkko Nieminen – Jarkko should be comended for still plugging away, but I think his US Open ends in round 1.

Janko Tipsarevic (8) vs. Guillaume Rufin – Tipsy has had a solid year outside of the slams.  Playing through to his seed would be a great accomplishment.

Andreas Seppi (26) vs. Tommy Robredo – I’d love to pick Robredo whose fitness and professionalism always make him a tough out in a 3 out of 5 set match, but …

Philipp Kohlschreiber (19) vs. Michael Llodra – This is a potentially great match.

Grega Zemlja vs. Ricardo Mello

Brian Baker vs. Jan Hajek – Baker’s feel good 2012 continues

John Isner (9) vs. Xavier Malisse – Isner should win, but if the X-Man finds a way to return well, this could be dicey.

Tobias Kamke vs. Lleyton Hewitt – Rusty FTW

Jurgen Melzer vs. Bradley Klahn

David Ferrer (4) vs. Kevin Anderson – Not a great 1st round draw for Ferrer

Richard Gasquet (13) vs. Albert Montanes – Not a great 1st round draw for Gasquet

Mikhail Youzhny (28) vs. Gilles Muller

Steve Johnson vs. Rajeev Ram -The pride of Indianapolis advances

 Tommy Haas (21) vs. Ernests Gulbis – This would be a fun match to watch from court-side.

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Olympic Tennis Review: 2000 Venus and YK Reign in Y2K

25 Jul

Like the Seoul Olympics of 1988, Sydney fell after the US Open.  The easier schedule along with a somewhat solid 1996 for tennis led to another successful games.

Venus’ 2000 Dominance

Venus Williams won Wimbledon and the US Open in 2000.  She posted a 35 match winning streak that spanned Wimbledon through the US Open and 2000 Olympic games.  Venus also won the doubles titles at Wimbledon and the Sydney Olympics with her sister Serena Williams.  2 Grand Slam singles titles, 1 Grand Slam doubles title, and Olympic gold in singles and doubles capped off the best stretch of Venus’ career.  Elena Dementieva took home a silver medal in singles.  Monica Seles, who failed to medal in 1996, picked up the bronze medal in 2000.  Seles’ career trajectory was derailed in a heinous manner in 1993 so this medal is one of the brighter accomplishments as her career was winding down.  The 2000 games confirmed Venus’ status as the best player in the world despite the WTA computer not reflecting this fact.

Yevgeny Loves Rebound Ace

Yevgeny Kafelnikov won the 1999 Australian Open and was runner-up in Melbourne in 2000.  The rebound ace surface used at the Australian Open from 1988-2007 was used by the Sydney Olympics as well.  Kafelnikov won gold in singles defeating Tommy Haas 7-6, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.  This was an epic match to decide the gold medal.  Arnaud Di Pasquale defeated a young talent named Roger Federer in the bronze medal match 7-6, 6-7, 6-3.  Kafelnikov’s gold medal joined his 1996 French Open and 1999 Australian Open singles titles.  This along with his doubles Grand Slam successes would seemingly have put Kafelnikov into the Hall of Fame (a topic for another day).  Mark Wooforde and Todd Woodbridge had to settle for a silver medal in doubles as Sebastien Lareau and Daniel Nestor took the gold for Canada.  Alex Corretja and Albert Costa claimed a bronze medal in doubles.  Costa did win the 2002 French Open in singles.  Corretja is one of the best players to never win a slam, but a bronze medal along with winning the 1998 ATP World Championships and his 2 French Open runner-up finishes (1998 and 2001) leave him with a strong career.

Final Verdict – The Big Story of All Williams All the Time

Venus and Serena winning the doubles title foreshadowed the historic run they shared from 2003-2004.  Considering that the two have combined to win 21 singles slams, 13 women’s doubles slams, 3 Olympic Gold Medals, and 4 Mixed Doubles Slams, this remarkable story is still being written.  Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Tommy Haas were worthy competitors for a gold medal in 2000.  They produced a grueling 5 set match in the final round.  Overall, these games were a fairly solid success for tennis.

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Predictions for Atlanta, Gstaad, and Hamburg

22 Jul

Predicted Winners in BOLD

Atlanta Surface – Hard Court

Different tournament, but the same result for these future doubles partners

4 Andy Roddick vs. Gilles Muller

Roddick won Eastbourne and should have a slight edge vs. Muller to win a 2nd title in 3 outings.  Muller has had a knack of upsetting higher ranked players throughout his career.  He beat Andy Roddick in the first round of the 2005 US Open.  Still, Roddick should win this match and head to London with confidence.

Gstaad Surface- Clay Court

1 Janko Tipsarevic vs. Thomaz Bellucci

Janko won last week and should win again this week.  It is nice to see Bellucci playing well as he should be a solid player week in and week out.

Hamburg Surface – Clay Court

Tommy Haas vs. 3 Juan Monaco

I enjoy watching both of these guys play.  Monaco seems like the classic over achiever who competes so well.  Haas is 34 and is the last man to beat Roger Federer on grass.  I think Haas gets the nod as he is playing in Germany and has to be close to the end of his career.  On paper, Monaco has to be favored, but I think Haas wins his second title in Germany for 2012.

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Tennis Abides Podcast Number 1

18 Jun

Just click on the link and listen to the first Tennis Abides podcast

- Dan

Listen to this episode

PS – You can even download the file if you would like

Download this episode (right click and save)

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