Tag Archives: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Tennis Power Ranking 2013: Post Monte Carlo

22 Apr

Dan Martin’s 2013 Power Ranking #6

1.  Novak Djokovic – Nole ends a nearly 9 year winning streak by Nadal in Monte Carlo and in straight sets no less.  He’s #1.

2.  Rafael Nadal - Rafa has played 5 events in 2013.  His results: 3 titles and 2 runner-up finishes.

Did someone really knock over his water bottles?

3.  Andy Murray – A top tier player will drop anytime he wins only 3 games in a match.  Change since last ranking -1

4.  Tomas Berdych 

5.  Roger Federer - Roger has points to defend in Madrid.  

6.  David Ferrer - Barcelona, Madrid and Rome will tell us a lot about Ferrer.

7.  Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – He played Nadal tough on his least preferred surface. Change since last ranking +2

8.  Juan Martin del Potro – Delpo needs to make a splash at one of the slams before the end of 2013.  Change since last ranking -1

9.  Richard Gasquet – He is quietly putting together his best start to any season.  Change since last ranking -1

10.  Tommy Haas (Tie) -  The old man of the tour reached the semifinal round in Miami by pulling a huge upset or two.  

10.  Grigor Dimitrov (Tie) – Could we finally be seeing a younger player make a move? Change since last ranking – Not ranked

Biggest Mover – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga gained two spots.

Dropped Out – N/A

Entered the Rankings – Grigor Dimitrov

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March 15, 2013: Indian Wells Match Predictions or Et tu Tsonga?

15 Mar

Beware the Ides of March

Predicted Winners in BOLD

Quarterfinal Round

Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (8) – Et tu Tsonga?  Doubtful.  Nole advances to the semis.

Andy Murray (3) vs. Juan Martin del Potro (7) – If Murray is still nuring his Australian Open loss, Delpo has a great chance at an upset.  My guess is Murray is slowly moving toward the Wimbledon-US Open stretch with hopes of a decent run on clay.  Therefore, an unburdened Murray advances.

Semifinal Round

Maria Sharapova (2) vs. Maria Kirilenko (13) – Kirilenko could win, but the odds are heavily in favor of Sharapova advancing.

Angelique Kerber (4) vs. Caroline Wozniacki (8) – I see Caro building on her win over Azarenka with a win here.

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Australian Open Day 10 Men’s Picks

22 Jan

Predicted Winners in BOLD

Singles – Quarterfinals

[7] J Tsonga (FRA) v [2] R Federer (SUI) – Tsonga has beaten Roger in three big matches.  Still, I think it would be unwise to pick against Roger.  Federer has yet to drop a set and may be setting his 31 year old body up for a two match sprint to the title versus his top foes.  Federer is sharp enough to be favored in this match.

J Chardy (FRA) v [3] A Murray (GBR) – Murray has a chance to be number one everywhere but on the computer if he takes this title.  To do so by avenging his 2010 runner-up finish to Federer and 2011 runner-up loss to Djokovic (not to mention his 2012 semifinal loss to Djokovic) would be doubly sweet.  Chardy has played well to get to this point.  He could take a set off of Murray who seems to be itching for a tough match.  Chardy is unlikely to advance.

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Post Wimbledon Power Ranking for the Week of July 9 – July 15, 2012

10 Jul

Dan Martin’s 2012 Power Rankings for the

Week of July 9 through July 15

A Lot of Changes Due to Wimbledon

1.  Roger Federer – His Wimbledon win means Roger Federer has a tour leading 5 titles for 2012.  Like Rafa, Roger also has two Masters 1000 titles this year.  Change from last ranking + 2

2.  Novak Djokovic – A Wimbledon semifinal finish helps Nole maintain his #2 spot.

3.  Rafael Nadal - Rafa like Roger has a slam, two 1000 series titles and one 500 series title in 2012.  The bad news is that Nadal lost in the 2nd round to the #100 player in the world.  Change from last ranking – 2

4.  Andy Murray - Andy lost the Wimbledon final, but he showed a lot of metal in successive wins vs. Karlovic, Baghdatis, Cilic, Ferrer and Tsonga.  He played his best Grand Slam final ever as well.  Andy made it clear that he belongs in the top 4.  He also has room to grow so his fans should take heart.  Change from last ranking +3

5.  David Ferrer – Ferrer shrugged off the beating he took at Roland Garros with a grass court title and a Wimbledon quarterfinal appearance.  His wins over Roddick and del Potro give him credentials off of clay.  He played Murray tough as well.  Change from last ranking – 1

6.  Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – Tsonga is the player in the best position to challenge the top 4.  He nearly beat Nole in Paris and made a solid semifinal showing at Wimbledon.  Change from last ranking +3

7.  Juan Martin del Potro – Delpo played well in his first three Wimbledon matches, but was dominated by Ferrer.  Concerns about the big man’s knees are real.  Change from last ranking – 2

8.  Philipp Kohlschreiber – His quarterfinal showing and solid play in Halle make Kohlschreiber a legitimate threat to medal at the 2012 Olympic games.  He gets grass court tennis.  Change from last ranking – newcomer

9.  Mardy Fish -  Fish overcame a massive health issue and reached the round of 16 at SW19.  Change from last ranking – newcomer

10.  Marin Cilic – Combining his victory at Queen’s Club with his gritty performance to reach the round of 16 at Wimbledon means Cilic may be reclaiming some of his promise from 2009 and early 2010.  Change from last ranking – newcomer

New Comers – Philipp Kohlschreiber, Mardy Fish and Marin Cilic

Dropped Out – Tomas Berdych, Nicolas Almagro, and Tommy Haas

Biggest Movers – Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga +3

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Wimbledon 2012 Gentlemen’s Quarterfinal Predictions

3 Jul

Predicted Winner in BOLD

Quarterfinals

1 Novak Djokovic vs. 31 Florian Mayer

Nole should advance in 3 or 4 sets.  Mayer should be proud of getting this far, but Novak is a heavy favorite in this match.

3 Roger Federer vs. 26 Mikhail Youzhny

Youzhny has a shot at pulling an upset here.  First, how healthy is Roger’s back.  Second, Youzhny did win a set off of Roger here last year and demonstrated some vulnerabilities.  Third, Roger lost the 2012 Halle final on grass to a veteran player with a one-handed backhand.  Having said all of that, unless Roger’s back is really hampering his play, an upset would be monumental.  Roger should win in 3 or 4 sets.

4 Andy Murray vs. 7 David Ferrer

This should be an easy match to predict.  The thing is David Ferrer beat Andy Murray one month ago in the quarterfinal round at Roland Garros.  Ferrer won a Wimbledon tune-up event in the Netherlands.  He also has beaten Andy Roddick and Juan Martin del Potro in succession.  Ferrer is about as confident as he will ever be on grass.  I think Murray wins, but this match could range from an easy win for Murray to a tight win for Murray to a tight win for Ferrer.  I can’t see Ferrer blowing Murray out, but I think Ferrer may oddly have his best shot at reaching a major final in front of him.  Expect a dogged effort from Ferrer, and all bets are off if Murray does not match that effort.

5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. 27 Philipp Kohlschreiber

It would have been dull to not predict at least one upset.  Based on Tsonga’s 2011 grass court form, he should win this match and have a good shot at reaching the championship match (an upset now and then does make life exciting for tennis fans).  Still, Kohlschreiber has a lot of tools and a great opportunity in front of him.  He won Halle in 2011 and possesses one of the most well rounded games on the tour.  Kohlschreiber, like Ferrer, has a great chance to make an impression at a major.  For some odd reason, I think he rides his skill to a victory by playing loose tennis and seizing a fracture in the ceiling at Wimbledon.

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Power Ranking for the Week of June 11 – June 17

11 Jun

Dan Martin’s 2012 Power Rankings for the

Week of June 11 through June 17

The French Open Reshapes My Top 10

1.  Rafael Nadal - A French Open title, two Masters 1000 titles and 3 consecutive wins over Nole have Rafa moving into the top spot.  Change from last ranking +1

2.  Novak Djokovic – Nole surrenders the top spot in my non-binding Power Ranking.  Nole should welcome a chance in surfaces.  Change from last ranking – 1 

3. Roger Federer – The Fed has won a lot of matches and tournaments since the 2011 US Open closed.  Still, he is clearly behind two younger players.  His confidence and mental toughness have dipped against Rafa and Nole too.

4.  David Ferrer - A semifinal in Paris was rewarded with a beating from Rafa.  I will be more kind and reward David with a slot in the top 4.  Change from last ranking +1

5.  Juan Martin del Potro - Delpo is looking solid so long as he can remain healthy.  Confidence and health are all the stands between JMDP and the #3 ranking.  Change from last ranking + 2

6.  Tomas Berdych - If you are looking for a Wimbledon dark horse Berdych is a good candidate.  In 2010, he beat Federer and Djokovic at SW19.  Berdych has been solid in 2012 and will benefit from the surface change.  Change from last ranking – 2

7.  Andy Murray - What has happened to Andy’s promising start to 2012?  I am predicting that the Lendl experiment will not last beyond the US Open. 

8.  Nicolas Almagro – He played Nadal as tough as anyone in the first 6 rounds of the French Open.  Almagro’s serve and power give him a shot at a nice hard court season. 

9. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - Tsonga turned his game on at the start of the 2011 grass court season.  If he uses some momentum from the French Open, Tsonga could have a big remainder to the year.  If he worries about defending points, Tsonga will struggle.  Change from Last Ranking – Not Ranked

10.  Milos Raonic – He played well enough in Paris to think he could have a big summer on surfaces that reward his serve a bit more.  Change from last week – Not Ranked

Biggest Movers – Rafael Nadal moved to number 1 &  Novak Djokovic dropped off of number 1

Dropped Out of the Rankings – Gilles Simon and Janko Tipsarevic

Entered the Rankings – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Milos Raonic

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French Open Predictions for June 5, 2012

5 Jun

Predicted Winners in BOLD

My Men’s Picks are Currently Standing at a Healthy 20 correct -4 incorrect

Quarterfinals

Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (5) – I like Novak to win in an entertaining match.  I don’t expect this to be super close, but I could see this match go four sets.

Roger Federer (3) vs. Juan Martin del Potro -Roger’s 32 consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances is incredible.  Imagine 8 years of slams without missing the final 8.  Still, his form in Paris has not been great.  If Roger plays at the level he has in his previous three matches, JMDP has a great chance to win.  Also, Delpo is playing quite well on clay this year.  JMDP owes Roger one for the French Open 2009 (Federer owes JMDP for the US Open 2009 as each won one the other should have).  Roger has been dominant versus JMDP this year so this is a risky pick.  Still, I think Federer has yet to find anything close to his top gear in Paris, and if that continues his tournament ends.

My Women’s Picks have been a very mediocre 4-4.  I am at coin flip levels of accuracy.  Maybe today I can rise to tic-tac-toe playing chicken levels.

Samantha Stosur (6) vs. Dominika Cibulkova (15)- After the 2011 US Open was in the books, I said Stosur would be the favorite at the 2012 French Open.  That is not the case at the moment, but I think Stosur has a slight edge in this match.  Stosur also may feel she has unfinished business in Paris after her flat performance in the 2010 championship match.

Angelique Kerber (10) vs. Sara Errani (21) – I am going with Errani to advance.  I realize these two picks could easily send my women’s prediction rate below .500 again.

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French Open Predictions for June 3, 2012

3 Jun

Predicted Winner in BOLD

Fourth Round

Roger Federer  (3) vs. David Goffin – Maybe Goffin plays a Gilles Simon-type of game and gets into Roger’s head.  I think Goffin’s run is the most improbable and exciting of the first week, but I think Federer has to be the pick here.

Novak Djokovic  (1) vs. Andreas Seppi  (22) – Novak should advance.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga  (5) vs. Stanislas Wawrinka  (18) – This is not a match I would have expected when the tournament began, but it is a credit to both guys to work through the draw.  I think Tsonga wins.

Tomas Berdych  (7) vs. Juan Martin del Potro  (9) – I am going to pick a mild upset and say that Delpo advances.

Fourth Round

Samantha Stosur  (6) vs. Sloane Stephens  – Stosur was my 2012 French Open favorite the day after she won the 2011 US Open.  Since then, Sam has not played that well.  Still, I think she may be rounding into contending form again.

Angelique Kerber  (10) vs. Petra Martic  – I’ll take Martic in an upset.

Victoria Azarenka  (1) vs. Dominika Cibulkova  (15) – Vika is playing pretty well after he first round troubles.  I think she moves forward in the draw.

Sara Errani  (21) vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova  (26) – Kuzy could be a contender as well.

 

Sorry no video links today.  I am 12-4 to this point in my predictions.

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Link to watch the USA – France Davis Cup Tie live

6 Apr

The USTA live stream

Tennis needs to use new media to get the sport out there as often as possible so this is cool.

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Youtube Tennis 11-27-2011 through 12-3-2011

28 Nov

3 Good Tennis Videos

1.  Highlights from the ATP World Tour Finals

Roger Federer d. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 

2.  Highlights of Petra Kvitova’s Wimbledon Title

Call me old fashioned,but I find it reassuring having a Wimbledon champion who is Czech and a lefty.

3.  Boris Becker diving volley vs. Ivan Lendl in the 1988 Masters Final

That entire match was incredible.

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