2 out of 3 in Men’s Slam Play?

I have seen a number of columns pop up discussing the possibility of switching Grand Slam play to 2 out of 3 sets for men.  Here are two of them: Billie Jean King’s take and Drew Franklin’s take First, I Disagree Having  tournament of 2 out of 3 sets matches with a day off between matches…

Goodbye to James Blake

The first time attending i was fortunate enough to attend a tennis tournament with press credentials was in 2008 at the Indianapolis Hard Court Championships.  I covered the semifinal and final rounds.  My first match was Gilles Simon d. Sam Querrey 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.  This was a great match to start my press career with…

Jimmy Connors’ Coaching Prospects

On Better Terms than I Would Guess they are Today The tandem of Maria Sharapova and Jimmy Connors did seem a bit unlikely from the outset.  I am not sure what led to their hasty dissolution, but I am also not convinced that Connors cannot coach effectively on either the ATP or WTA tours.  Also,…

3 Phases of the GOAT Discussion

GOATs on our Mind Tennis GOAT discussions and debates have been good for fans and the press because we’ve always got something to contemplate.  Here is my breakdown of events that amped up GOAT debates: Career slams and Pete chasing Emerson get the credit or blame Andre Agassi completing the career Grand Slam in 1999…

Tennis Power Ranking 2013: Cincinnati to NY

Power Ranking 2013 #11 Again a lot of movement as one would expect following a 1000 Series Event 1.  Rafael Nadal – Rafa already has 5 Masters 1000 titles in 2013!  He is putting a strangle hold on the race to finish #1 in 2013.  He continued dominating form and won entertaining to memorable matches against…

Cincinnati Masters 2013 Final Prediction: Nadal vs. Isner

Rafael Nadal vs. John Isner Can John Isner win this match?  Here are his positives: Isner has reached 16 tournament finals in his career, and 14 of these tournaments were held in the United States.  He plays better in the US than anywhere else and last time I checked Cincinnati/Mason is part of the US…

Cincinnati Masters Tennis Predictions: August 17, 2013

Predicted Winners in BOLD Semifinals Juan Martin del Potro (7) vs. John Isner – If their match in DC is a template, Isner had better hope the JMDP of sets 2 and 3 does not show up today.  Delpo returned from deep in the court to minimize aces from Isner.  Maybe Isner can adapt to that strategy by…

Tennis Masters Cincinnati Predictions: August 16, 2013

Predicted Winners in BOLD Quarterfinals Novak Djokovic (1) vs. John Isner – Novak should win this match.  If Isner holds with great frequency he always has a puncher’s chance, but I think Novak’s return game generates at least one break per set. Juan Martin del Potro (7) vs. Dmitry Tursunov – The Russian has earned a lot of computer points that…