Predicted Winners in BOLD Third Round Sara Errani (5) vs. Alize Cornet – Variety and fight should help Errani advance. Jelena Jankovic (15) vs. Sorana Cirstea – JJ is playing well enough in 2013 that she might move back into the top 7 or 8 at some point. Roberta Vinci (10) vs. Dominika Cibulkova – I love Vinci’s game. Marion Bartoli (7) vs. Magdalena Rybarikova – Wimbledon…
Category: WTA
Jimmy Connors has 2 Missions as Maria Sharapova’s Coach
Mission 1 – Serena Like most people who follow tennis, my first reaction to Maria Sharapova hiring Jimmy Connors was mild confusion. The more I thought about it; the more I figured Connors’ unwillingness to concede anything to players who had favorable head-to-head records against Jimbo was the key to his hiring. Connors promised something…
Masters Miami Predictions 27 March 2013
Predicted Winners in BOLD Quarterfinals David Ferrer (3) vs. Jurgen Melzer – Jurgen could win, but Ferrer is a guy who tends to win the matches he is supposed to win. Gilles Simon (11) vs. Tommy Haas (15) – Simon is the player who may be fatigued. Haas beat Federer at Halle last year and Nole in Miami this year. Not…
Indian Wells 2013 Championship Predictions
Predicted Winners in BOLD Final Rafael Nadal (5) vs. Juan Martin del Potro (7) I think Nadal completes a remarkable comeback by defeating a player who has given him some trouble. Delpo is obviously on a roll beating Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic in succession. For JMDP to win he will need to serve big so that he…
March 15, 2013: Indian Wells Match Predictions or Et tu Tsonga?
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….
PEDs: Lance Armstrong & MLB’s Lessons for Tennis
Performance Enhancing Drugs have made minimal news in the world of tennis. Major League Baseball begins considering MLB Hall of Fame credentials from players from the gaudy steroid era (juiced ball explanations ran afoul). Cycling has Lance Armstrong possibly coming clean due to any number of first person accounts rendering plausible deniability moot. Cycling and…
Serena Williams’ Legacy Grows
Serena Williams fought of a game Agnieeszka Radwanska to win her 5th Wimbledon singles title 6-1, 5-7, 6-2. Serena’s first two service games of the 3rd set were crucial to determining the winner. Williams’ serve had abandoned at the close of the 2nd set. Aga had her teeth in the match. Serena failed to convert…
WTA Benefiting from Continuity
I wrote last year that 2011 was a good year for the WTA. I felt this way because Petra Kvitova looked like she would be a contender for multiple years, Na Li helped tennis expand into a market of over 1 billion people, Sam Stosur added a Grand Slam champion to the great Aussie tradition,…
Tennis Predictions for 4-29-2012
Projected Winners in BOLD This will be short as Simon has already won. I simply will pick the first seeds in both other finals today. I think Rafael Nadal beats David Ferrer in Barcelona. I think Victoria Azarenka prevails against Maria Sharapova in Stuttgart. I was 5-1 in my picks yesterday. We shall see if…
Barcelona, Stuttgart and Bucharest Semifinal Picks
Projected Winners in BOLD There is a slate of interesting matches for all three events. Here are my picks: Barcelona 1 Rafael Nadal vs. 9 Fernando Verdasco – Rafa should win this match in a fairly straightforward manner. Verdasco did stage a classic with Nadal at the 2009 Australian Open, but I would be shocked…
Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life 