I forgot to do my Olympic predictions with my earlier 2016 Grand Slam predictions. These will likely be equally inaccurate and funny to look at after the fact. The Olympic games will be held on hard courts, will feature 2 out of 3 set matches for everything but the men’s gold medal match. Also, two…
Tag: Olympic Tennis
Returning from Illness: 10 Quick Hits
I have been sick with assorted ailments throughout February. My kids and spouse have also had a mixture of maladies (I love alliteration). I am back to writing more regularly now. Stan Wawrinka winning Rotterdam and skipping Davis Cup makes me think he is tired of being on the outside of the Big 4. I…
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…
Venus Williams’ Legacy
Sports Illustrated Mailbag Today a tennis fan asked Jon Wertheim if Venus Williams will ever win another singles major. Wertheim, an all-around good guy, answered that it was unlikely due to age, health and form. This is an answer I think most tennis writers would give. It is easy to forget that Venus first reached…
10 Olympic Takeaways
Serena Williams adds to her sublime legacy with decisive gold medals in singles and doubles. Serena has career Golden Slams in singles and doubles now. Fodder for a GOAT debate? Speed Kills – Andy Murray took a huge step by winning 5 straight sets over Djokovic and Federer en route to a gold medal in…
Olympic Tennis Review 2008: The Best to This Point
In my review of Olympic tennis events, one trend emerged from 1988-2004: The Women’s Event Was Better than the Men’s. In 2000, a streaking Venus Williams went 3 tight sets in a semifinal tilt with the veteran Monica Seles. In 1988, Steffi Graf beat Gabriela Sabatini . The 1992, 1996 and 2004 games all delivered…
Serena Williams Nears Perfection in Gold Medal Win
Serena Shines in 6-0, 6-1 Win Serena Williams demolished Maria Sharapova. There really is not much else to say about today’s match. Both players like to dictate play and take control of a point early. Serena was better at dictating play and that made Sharapova a defensive player. Maria Sharapova is not a defensive player. …
Could a Tennis Player Win 8 Gold Medals in 1 Olympic Games?
With the addition of mixed doubles, a tennis player can certainly win 3 gold medals in one Olympic games. However, we found out in 2008 that 8 gold medals is the apex of Olympic achievements. Of course, I will ignore that swimming gives multiple medals for covering the same distance with different techniques and has…
Olympic Tennis Review: 2004 Chile Came to Play
2004 saw the the Olympic games once again fall between Wimbledon and the US Open. Much like the Atlanta games these games were held on a similar hard court surface to that of the US Open. This was more desirable than the red clay of the 1992 games, but the games being in Athens meant…
Olympic Tennis Review: 2000 Venus and YK Reign in Y2K
Like the Seoul Olympics of 1988, Sydney fell after the US Open. The easier schedule along with a somewhat solid 1996 for tennis led to another successful games. Venus’ 2000 Dominance Venus Williams won Wimbledon and the US Open in 2000. She posted a 35 match winning streak that spanned Wimbledon through the US Open…
Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life 