This tweet came up ahead of the Monfils-Djokovic match. I don’t imagine Ivan Lendl is being invited to a ton of events at the Mayotte or Gilbert households. #AusOpen Thursday preview: Gael Monfils aims for his 1st Tour-level win against Novak Djokovic on his 15th attempt. pic.twitter.com/99AhcfjmKv — Michal Samulski (@MichalSamulski) January 17, 2018…
Category: Tennis
Australian Open 2018: Day 3 Men’s Singles Predictions
Predicted Winner in BOLD [1] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Leonardo Mayer (ARG) – Mayer is a rugged player who will try to test Rafa, but an upset here would be stunning. [3] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) vs. [Q] Mackenzie McDonald (USA) – Dimitrov has to believe in himself a lot more than he did in year’s past due to…
Australian Open 2018: Day 3 Women’s Singles Predictions
Predicted Winners in BOLD [4] Elina Svitolina (UKR) vs. Katerina Siniakova (CZE) – I could see one set being close, but chalk advances. [2] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs. Jana Fett (CRO) – Woz in Oz – somehow I have to come up with a tag line here. [23] Daria Gavrilova (AUS) vs. Elise Mertens (BEL) – The young…
Australian Open 2018: Day 2 Men’s Predictions
Predicted Winners in BOLD [4] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs. Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) – The big man is seeded 4th and capable of hammering his way to a title. Someone has to step up at some point from the younger tiers of players. Zverev is as good of a pick as any among the younger players at…
Australian Open 2018: Day 2 Women’s Predictions
Predicted Winners in BOLD [6] Karolina Pliskova (CZE) vs. Veronica Cepede Royg (PAR) – Pliskova has all of the qualities of a Grand Slam Champion, can being seeded 6th help her cause? [1] Simona Halep (ROU) vs. [WC] Destanee Aiava (AUS) – Halep has handled the #1 ranking reasonably well, but a 1st major would give her…
Australian Open Memories – Safin v Sampras 2002
Safin avenged his 2001 US Open semifinal loss to Sampras as both players brought out the best in each other.
Australian Open 2018: Day 1 Men’s Predictions
Predicted Winners in BOLD [3] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) vs. [Q] Dennis Novak (AUT) – How will Dimitrov deal with increased expectations? I am not sure, but he should win this match. [1] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Victor Estrella Burgos (DOM) – Rafa has a very workable draw Down Under. [16] John Isner (USA) vs. Matthew Ebden (AUS) –…
Australian Open 2018: Day 1 Women’s Singles Predictions
Predicted Winners in BOLD [7] Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) vs. Francesca Schiavone (ITA) – This is not the easiest draw. Each player has won Roland Garros. Still, Ostapenko should win. [5] Venus Williams (USA) vs. Belinda Bencic (SUI) – Another interesting draw, but I think Venus’ solid 2017 earns her the benefit of the doubt. [23] Daria Gavrilova (AUS)…
Alabama Wins Another College Football Title as SEC Dominance Continues
Messy Coronations College Football in the US has a clunky system for awarding its top prize. In many cases, the top trophy is as much a matter of opinion as it is won on the field of play. In this clunky system, the Southeastern Conference or SEC has dominated in recent years. In the four…
Pancho Segura’s Wise Words on Tennis
I came across this piece from Peter Bodo regarding the late, great, Pancho Segura. This quote from Segura stood out to me as a great outlook for anyone playing tennis at any level: “It doesn’t take more than a racket and a heart to play this game,” he told ESPN in 2009. “It’s a great…
Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life 