Preliminary Thoughts I have been thinking about this match since Federer closed out Milos Raonic in an efficient 3 sets. Federer entered the second week needing to play win four 3 out of 5 set matches in six days. This was not an ideal situation for a veteran player. Still, the fog began to lift…
Tag: Wimbledon
All Hail Queen Petra II
Kvitova did not allow Bouchard the ability dictate play by forcing the Canadian to play defense despite her taking the ball on the rise I don’t think Eugenie Bouchard played particularly nervy or poorly. She just had microscopic opportunities to influence the match. I recall Bouchard hitting a passing shot trailing 3-6, 0-2, 15-40 that…
Federer or in Some Ways it is Always 2003
Nole will need to make Federer feel the grass and dirt After Nick Kyrgios’ explosive performance versus Rafael Nadal, I wrote about how that win brought me back to Boris Becker’s 1985 Wimbledon victory. Becker’s early years helped inspire me to play tennis so I am always fascinated to see a player breakout and become…
Quick Hits: Djokovic vs. Federer – The Tale of the Tape
Grand Slam Domination by Djokovic and Federer Meet the new bosses; same as the old bosses These two men have combined to win 23 Grand Slam singles titles, and the number will be 24 after Sunday. Novak Djokovic is 16-2 in 2014 Grand Slam play. Roger Federer is 14-2 in 2014 Grand Slam play. Boris…
Wimbledon 2014: Federer vs. Raonic Semifinal Prediction
Ljubicic has helped Raonic find his grass court footing I think this semifinal is harder to predict than the last one. I believe Dimitrov is playing better than Raonic and maybe better than anyone other than Djokovic. Federer is undefeated in Wimbledon semifinal matches. All of that bodes well for Roger, but Roger is nearly…
Wimbledon 2014: Djokovic vs. Dimitrov Semifinal Predicition
Novak Djokovic is 2 matches away from winning his 2nd Wimbledon title in 4 years and reclaiming the #1 ranking. Grigor Dimitrov is riding a grass court winning streak and playing some of the best tennis of his career. This should be a fun final for the fans as there is a contrast in styles…
Wimbledon 2014: Ladies’ Singles Semifinal Previews and Predictions
There were plenty of reasons to doubt the arrival of any of these four semifinalists. Safarova is seeded 23rd. She was supposed to go out in the 3rd round. Kvitova has played largely forgettable tennis since the 2011 season finale. Bouchard was part of the group of death with Serena and Maria Sharapova. Halep is…
Kyrgios or In Some Ways it is Always 1985
The unexpected drew me to tennis in 1985 Rafael Nadal Forever Young? Rafael Nadal has always been a revolutionary figure in tennis. Whether it is his method for hitting the ball with record RPMs, his ushering in a new level of athleticism, or his raging bull persona, Rafa has always seemed to be young. He’s…
Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life 