I started following Simona Halep in 2013 and 2014. I enjoyed watching her scramble and hit well-timed powerful shots. Her athleticism and hustle have been a big plus to the WTA Tour for multiple years now. Halep’s runner-up finishes at the 2014 and 2017 Roland Garros events were bittersweet as she was close to breaking…
Category: WTA
Where the WTA and ATP Tours are Likely to Go from Here
Ace Studios puts together great highlights Two Nostalgia Finals May Have Had Drawbacks The Women’s and Men’s singles finals at the Australian Open featured nostalgic rematches of many previous major finals. There is a lot of upside to casual fans being able to plug in late in a tournament and feel invested in the result….
Cincinnati 2015: Serena Williams vs. Simona Halep Championship Match Prediction
Simona Halep vs. Serena Williams This should be a fun match. Serena wants to enter the US Open with some momentum by defending her 2014 Cincinnati title. Simona Halep is trying to rescue her year by reaching the final rounds in Toronto and now Cincinnati. The two exchanged one-sided matches in the 2014 season finale….
Cincinnati 2015: Simona Halep vs. Jelena Jankovic Semifinal Prediction
[3] Simona Halep (ROU) vs Jelena Jankovic (SRB) Jelena Jankovic put together a surprising second week run at Wimbledon. She has followed that up with a semifinal or better showing at Cincinnati. Simona Halep returned to her top 10 form with a runner-up finish in Toronto last week. Halep retired in the 3rd set of the…
Cincinnati 2015: Serena Williams vs. Elina Svitolina Semifinal Prediction
[1] Serena Williams (USA) vs [14] Elina Svitolina (UKR) This match is more interesting than seedings suggest. Svitolina has a very sound serve and a forehand technique that lets her generate a great deal of spin. That forehand helps Svitolina place the ball where she would like in rallies when she is not on the defensive. The…
Cincinnati 2015: WTA Quarterfinal Predictions
Predicted Winners in BOLD Serena will likely repeat 2014’s result [1] Serena Williams (USA) vs. [6] Ana Ivanovic (SRB) – Ivanovic troubled Serena at times in 2014, but I think Serena’s level of play in 2015 has been higher than it was for most of 2014 while Ana’s has dropped a bit since 2014. Serena…
Cincinnati 2015: August 20th WTA Predictions
Predicted Winners in BOLD [7] Lucie Safarova (CZE) vs. Belinda Bencic (CZE) – Would this really be an upset after Toronto? [1] Serena Williams (USA) vs. Karin Knapp (ITA) – Shockingly, I am picking Serena. [8] Karolina Pliskova (CZE) vs. Jelena Jankovic (SRB) [14] Elina Svitolina (UKR) vs Caroline Garcia (FRA) [3] Simona Halep (ROU)…
Comparing the ATP Forehand and the WTA Forehand
This is a great video comparing the general mechanics on each tour. I think the future of the WTA forehand will look a lot like the ATP forehand.
Miami 2015: April 1st WTA Predictions
Predicted Winners in BOLD [1] Serena Williams (USA) vs [27] Sabine Lisicki (GER) H2H – Lisicki did post a big win versus Serena at Wimbledon 2013. The German matches up reasonably well with Serena because her serve is strong enough to counterbalance some of Serena’s general serving edge. Lisicki has played quite well in Miami as…
Miami 2015: March 31st WTA Predictions
Predicted Winners in BOLD [9] Andrea Petkovic (GER) vs [14] Karolina Pliskova (CZE) – I have been a bit slow to join the bandwagon. Still, Pliskova has a world class serve and is a talent to watch. I think her serve and overall talent are headed toward big things. Petkovic certainly can win and in some…
Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life 