Ferrer is Focused David Ferrer did not exactly back up his upset of Rafael Nadal in Monte Carlo. He lost to Wawrinka and then lost early in Barcelona. Nevertheless, Ferrer is one of the top clay court players of the past decade. He is fit and fights for everything. His wins in Madrid have him…
Category: Tennis Picks
Nadal vs. Bautista Agut will give us some Data
Nadal vs. Spain in 2014 Rafael Nadal’s clay court losses to David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro along with his near miss vs. Pablo Andujar have raised some questions. Spaniards had generally wilted in front of Nadal, but in 2014 they have pushed back against their numero uno. Roberto Bautista Agut has had a bit of…
Madrid Masters 2014: May 5 ATP Predictions
Predicted Winners in BOLD First Round Albert Ramos vs. Nicolas Mahut – Surfaces don’t matter as much as they once did, but Mahut’s game is not overly tailored to clay courts. Ramos should advance. Fernando Verdasco vs. Andreas Seppi – Hot sauce is hard to predict, but in the early rounds in his home country,…
March Madness: Nadal vs. Djokovic Preview and Prediction
Rafael Nadal (1) vs. Novak Djokovic (2) After Nole ended 2013 with a huge winning streak, dreams of Djokovic winning his 5th Australian Open title setting up a battle with Rafael Nadal in Paris seemed tantalizingly close. Instead, Stan Wawrinka beat both Nole and Rafa in Melbourne and 2014 has been a year without a…
Miami 2014 Championship: Na Li vs. Serena Williams
Final Serena Williams (1) vs. Na Li (2) With Victoria Azarenka ailing and Na Li winning her second major title in January, this is the match to see on the WTA Tour. Na Li has a strong serve and great shot making abilities. She has weapons. This does not assure her of victory versus Serena. It does not…
Masters Miami 2014: Nadal vs. Berdych Prediction
Semifinals Rafael Nadal (1) vs. Tomas Berdych (7) I think Berdych could win this match, but my guess is that a Rafa-Nole collision is on the horizon. Berdych’s chance is to play first strike tennis and take control of points off of his serve and his return. If Rafa serves well enough, I think he will get his…
Masters Miami 2014: Djokovic vs. Nishikori Prediction
Semifinals Novak Djokovic (2) vs. Kei Nishikori (20) Nole has a chance to recapture his late 2013 form and win back-to-back Masters Series events. Kei Nishikori can build on his solid play in Australia and Miami by knocking off the world #1 and playing for the biggest prize of his career. A lot is on the line. In…
WTA Miami: March 27, 2014 Predictions
Predicted Winners in BOLD My WTA picks were perfect yesterday after my terrible WTA Indian Wells picks. Serena Williams (1) vs. Maria Sharapova (4) – Serena loves Miami. Miami loves Serena. Maria is in theory due for a win over Serena, but I think Serena is in clear control of this rivalry. Na Li (2) vs. Dominika Cibulkova (10) – This…
Masters Miami: March 27, 2014 ATP Predictions
Predicted Winners in BOLD Nishikori’s win was not a total shock, but it does send Roger into the clay court season only picking up 216 points in Miami rather than the 360 or more he would have added had he reached the semifinal round. That could be important for Wimbledon and French Open seeding. Rafael…
WTA Miami: March 26, 2014 Predictions
Predicted Winners in BOLD My WTA predictions at Indian Wells were dismal. I can only hide behind my pinched nerve so long though as I wade back into two matches that could easily go either way. Na Li (2) vs. Caroline Wozniacki (11) – The Dane could easily win this match. She is a very fit athlete who…
Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life 