2nd Round Women's Upsets:
(WC) Bethanie Mattek-Sands d. Coco Vandeweghe 6-2, 6-1
(Q) Anett Kontaveit d. (31) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-4
(LL) Daria Kasatkina d. Ana Konjuh 6-4, 6-4
(Q) Johanna Konta d. (9) Garbine Muguruza 7-6(4), 6-7(4), 6-2
(PR) Petra Cetkovska d. (4) Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(1)
(Q) Shelby Rogers d. Kurumi Nara 6-4, 6-4
2nd Round Men's Upsets:
Mikhail Kukushkin d. (17) Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 7-6(2), 2-6, 4-6, 6-4
Ruben Bemelmans d. (28) Jack Sock 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 2-1 ret.
Jiri Vesely d. (21) Ivo Karlovic 7-6(3), 3-6, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(4)
3rd Round Women's Matches to Watch/Upset Alert:
(19) Madison Keys vs. (15) Agnieszka Radwanska
(12) Belinda Bencic vs. (23) Venus Williams
(17) Elina Svitolina vs. (13) Ekaterina Makarova
(25) Eugenie Bouchard vs. Dominika Cibulkova
(16) Sara Errani vs. (22) Samantha Stosur
(26) Flavia Pennetta vs. (PR) Petra Cetkovska
(20) Victoria Azarenka vs. (11) Angelique Kerber
Barbora Strycova vs. (24) Sabine Lisicki
3rd Round Men's Matches to Watch/Upset Alert:
(23) Roberto Bautista Agut vs. (14) David Goffin
(10) Milos Raonic vs. (18) Feliciano Lopez
This series is tied 3-3, but Lopez won there most recent matchup in the first round in Cincinnati a few weeks ago. Raonic has been working his way back from foot surgery a couple of months ago and is looking to regain his form. These are two of the best servers in tennis today. So, there should be plenty of tiebreakers and aces in this match.
(32) Fabio Fognini vs. (8) Rafael Nadal
Nadal has a 5-2 lead in their head-to-head meetings, but Fognini has beaten Rafa two out of three times (Rio and Barcelona) this year. However, all three meetings have been on clay. Will Fognini's game cause problems for Rafa on the hard court? Will Rafa be able to salvage a rough season and exact revenge on one of his tormentors this year on tour? Even though Fognini has proven he can beat Rafa, will he be engaged in this match, or will he have the "I don't care" attitude that has plagued him in his career?
Benoit Paire vs. (26) Tommy Robredo
(27) Jeremy Chardy vs. (7) David Ferrer
Ferrer leads this matchup 7-1, but is playing his first tournament since the French Open. Chardy advanced to the semifinals at the Rogers Cup. Ferrer's earned the nickname "The Little Beast", but will have his hands full with the surging Frenchman.
(15) Kevin Anderson vs. (20) Dominic Thiem
Thiem is a rising young gun who's quickly rising up the rankings. He is in the midst of a breakthrough year with three titles (Nice, Umag, and Gstaad) under his belt. However, the three titles are on clay. How will he be able to handle the crafty vetern, Anderson? Anderson has a booming serve and will serve a host of problems for returners.
Jiri Vesely vs. (13) John Isner
Vesely won his first career ATP tour level title in Auckland in January. Isner has underwhelmed in the majors in his career. Isner is one of the worst returners, but one of the best servers. Isner's tall frame is also one of the reasons of his problems in the majors. Vesely needs to look to make the match physical and keep the "Marathon Man" on the court. One thing going for Isner is a fifth set tiebreaker. We will see a conclusion to this match sooner rather than later. So, we won't see a 70-68 fifth set at this tournament.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
2015 U.S. Open 1st Round Review and 2nd Round Preview
Women's 1st Round Upsets:
(Q) Kiki Bertens d. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
Coco Vandeweghe d. (29) Sloane Stephens 6-4, 6-3
(Q) Annett Kontaveit d. Casey Dellacqua 7-5, 6-2
(Q) Anna Tatashvili d. (8) Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 6-1
(LL) Daria Kasatkina d. Daria Gavrilova 6-2, 4-6, 7-5
Kristina Mladenovic d. (30) Svetlana Kuzentsova 6-3, 7-5
Denisa Allertova d. (10) Carla Suarez Navarro 6-1, 7-6(5)
(WC) Oceane Dodin d. (21) Jelena Jankovic 2-6, 7-5, 6-3
(Q) Jessica Pegula d. Alison Van Uytvanck 7-5, 6-3
Dominika Cibulkova d. (7) Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
(Q) Jelena Ostapenko d. Annika Beck 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
Barbora Strycova d. (14) Timea Bacsinszky 7-5, 6-0
Kurumi Nara d. (27) Alize Cornet 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
(Q) Kateryna Bondarenko d. Yulia Putintseva 6-0, 6-3
Men's 1st Round Upsets:
Benoit Paire d. (4) Kei Nishikori 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4
(Q) Illya Marchenko d. (16) Gael Monfils 2-6, 6-4, 5-0 ret.
(Q) Evgeny Donskoy vs. Lucas Pouille 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4
Donald Young d. (11) Gilles Simon 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
(WC) Austin Krajicek d. Santiago Giraldo 3-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(6), 7-6(1)
Women's 2nd Round Matches to Watch/Upset Alert:
Bojana Jovanovski vs. Kristina Mladenovic
(26) Flavia Pennetta vs. Monica Niculescu
(24) Sabine Lisicki vs. Camila Giorgi
Men's 2nd Round Matches to Watch/Upset Alert:
Teymuraz Gabashvili vs. (25) Andreas Seppi
(10) Milos Raonic vs. Fernando Verdasco
(PR) Mardy Fish vs. 18 Feliciano Lopez
(32) Fabio Fognini vs. Pablo Cuevas
Sam Groth vs. (26) Tommy Robredo
(27) Jeremy Chardy vs. Martin Klizan
(22) Viktor Troicki vs. Rajeev Ram
Denis Istomin vs. (20) Dominic Thiem
(24) Bernard Tomic vs. WC Lleyton Hewitt
Jiri Vesely vs. (21) Ivo Karlovic
(29) Philipp Kohlschreiber vs. Lukas Rosol
(Q) Kiki Bertens d. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
Coco Vandeweghe d. (29) Sloane Stephens 6-4, 6-3
(Q) Annett Kontaveit d. Casey Dellacqua 7-5, 6-2
(Q) Anna Tatashvili d. (8) Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 6-1
(LL) Daria Kasatkina d. Daria Gavrilova 6-2, 4-6, 7-5
Kristina Mladenovic d. (30) Svetlana Kuzentsova 6-3, 7-5
Denisa Allertova d. (10) Carla Suarez Navarro 6-1, 7-6(5)
(WC) Oceane Dodin d. (21) Jelena Jankovic 2-6, 7-5, 6-3
(Q) Jessica Pegula d. Alison Van Uytvanck 7-5, 6-3
Dominika Cibulkova d. (7) Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
(Q) Jelena Ostapenko d. Annika Beck 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
Barbora Strycova d. (14) Timea Bacsinszky 7-5, 6-0
Kurumi Nara d. (27) Alize Cornet 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
(Q) Kateryna Bondarenko d. Yulia Putintseva 6-0, 6-3
Men's 1st Round Upsets:
Benoit Paire d. (4) Kei Nishikori 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4
(Q) Illya Marchenko d. (16) Gael Monfils 2-6, 6-4, 5-0 ret.
(Q) Evgeny Donskoy vs. Lucas Pouille 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4
Donald Young d. (11) Gilles Simon 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
(WC) Austin Krajicek d. Santiago Giraldo 3-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(6), 7-6(1)
Women's 2nd Round Matches to Watch/Upset Alert:
Bojana Jovanovski vs. Kristina Mladenovic
(26) Flavia Pennetta vs. Monica Niculescu
(24) Sabine Lisicki vs. Camila Giorgi
Men's 2nd Round Matches to Watch/Upset Alert:
Teymuraz Gabashvili vs. (25) Andreas Seppi
(10) Milos Raonic vs. Fernando Verdasco
(PR) Mardy Fish vs. 18 Feliciano Lopez
(32) Fabio Fognini vs. Pablo Cuevas
Sam Groth vs. (26) Tommy Robredo
(27) Jeremy Chardy vs. Martin Klizan
(22) Viktor Troicki vs. Rajeev Ram
Denis Istomin vs. (20) Dominic Thiem
(24) Bernard Tomic vs. WC Lleyton Hewitt
Jiri Vesely vs. (21) Ivo Karlovic
(29) Philipp Kohlschreiber vs. Lukas Rosol
Saturday, August 29, 2015
2015 U.S. Open Preview and Predictions
Predictions:
Men's Champion: (1) Novak Djokovic
Women's Champion: (1) Serena Williams
Men's Dark Horse: (19) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Women's Dark Horse: (17) Elina Svitolina and (20) Victoria Azarenka
Men's Toughest Road: (4) Kei Nishikori
Women's Toughest Road: (3) Maria Sharapova and (11) Angelique Kerber
Men and Women's Dark Horses:
If Tsonga gets past fellow countryman, (16) Gael Monfils, in the third round. He could possibly face Nishikori and (7) David Ferrer respectively in the round of 16 and quarterfinals. The good news for Tsonga is that both Nishikori and Ferrer have slight frames and don't really have the weapons to hurt him when he brings his 'A' game. The bad news is: (1) Tsonga is inconsistent, (2) Tsonga has losing records against both men (2-4 vs. Nishikori, 1-3 vs. Ferrer), and (3) Tsonga has never been past the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open.
It's not a guarantee that Sharapova will make it to the round of 16. Even if she does, Svitolina does have the game to pull off the upset. She might also need to beat (7) Ivanovic in the quarterfinals. Two wins against two top ten players and former major winners would give her confidence in her first ever major semifinal.
Azarenka is still trying to work her way back into form that won her two career major titles and two runner-up finishes at the U.S. Open (2012, 2013). If she can rediscover her game pre-2014 injuries, she will be a very tough out at the U.S. Open.
Men and Women's Toughest Roads:
Nishikori could potentially face Alexandr Dolgopolov in the third round, either Monfils or Tsonga in the round of 16, Ferrer in the quarterfinals, Djokovic in the semifinals, and (2) Roger Federer in the championship.
Sharapova could face Daria Gavrilova in the first roun,d (30) Svetlana Kuzentsova in the third round, Svitolina in the round of 16, Ivanovic in the quarterfinals, Serena Williams in the semifinals, and (2) Simona Halep in the final.
Kerber could face Azarenka in the third round, Safarova in the round of 16, Halep in the quarterfinals, (5) Petra Kvitova in the semifinals, and (1) Serena Williams in the final.
Women's 1st Round Matches to Watch:
Coco Vandeweghe vs. (29) Sloane Stephens
(3) Maria Sharapova vs. Daria Gavrilova
Kristina Mladenovic vs. (30) Svetlana Kuznetsova
(25) Eugenie Bouchard vs. Alison Riske
Dominika Cibulkova vs. (7) Ana Ivanovic
Injuries kept Cibulkova out for a few months. As a result, her ranking plummeted. This is a nightmare matchup that should be at least a round of 16 matchup. As a result, we'll see two top ten talents duke it out in the opening round. This could be the highlight of the first round.
Julia Goerges vs. (32) Anna Karolina Schmeildlova
(18) Andrea Petkovic vs. Caroline Garcia
Timea Babos vs. (22) Samantha Stosur
Ajla Tomljanovic vs. Karin Knapp
(27) Alize Cornet vs. Kurumi Nara
Men's 1st Round Matches to Watch:
Vasek Pospisil vs. Andreas Haider-Maurer
Fernando Verdasco vs. (PR) Tommy Haas
(Q) Nikolos Basilashvili vs. (18) Feliciano Lopez
This will be a rematch from Wimbledon in which Basiliashvil stunned Lopez in five sets the second round. Can lightening strike twice?
(32) Fabio Fognini vs. Steve Johnson
Fognini is one of most talented players on the ATP tour, but is too inconsistent. If "good" Fabio shows up, Johnson won't win. If "bad" Fabio who doesn't really care shows up, Johnson wins.
Borna Coric vs. (8) Rafael Nadal
Last year, Coric stunned Nadal in the quarterfinals in Basel in their lone match-up. Nadal is having the worst season of his professional career is ripe for the picking. Coric is ascending while Nadal is descending. Can Coric beat "the King of Clay" for a second time?
(4) Kei Nishikori vs. Benoit Paire
Nick Kyrgios vs. (3) Andy Murray
This is the must see matchup of all the first round matches. Kyrgios has already notched wins over Nadal and Federer in his young career. Murray has rebounded nicely after a tough 2014 season. He briefly reached the number two ranking for a week before Federer reclaimed it with his win in Cincinnati. Can Kyrgios record another win over the "Big Four"?
Denis Kudla vs. (Q) Jurgen Melzer
Thanasi Kokkinakis vs. (12) Richard Gasquet
(29) Philipp Kohlschreiber vs. (Q) Alexander Zverev
Men's Champion: (1) Novak Djokovic
Women's Champion: (1) Serena Williams
Men's Dark Horse: (19) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Women's Dark Horse: (17) Elina Svitolina and (20) Victoria Azarenka
Men's Toughest Road: (4) Kei Nishikori
Women's Toughest Road: (3) Maria Sharapova and (11) Angelique Kerber
Men and Women's Dark Horses:
If Tsonga gets past fellow countryman, (16) Gael Monfils, in the third round. He could possibly face Nishikori and (7) David Ferrer respectively in the round of 16 and quarterfinals. The good news for Tsonga is that both Nishikori and Ferrer have slight frames and don't really have the weapons to hurt him when he brings his 'A' game. The bad news is: (1) Tsonga is inconsistent, (2) Tsonga has losing records against both men (2-4 vs. Nishikori, 1-3 vs. Ferrer), and (3) Tsonga has never been past the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open.
It's not a guarantee that Sharapova will make it to the round of 16. Even if she does, Svitolina does have the game to pull off the upset. She might also need to beat (7) Ivanovic in the quarterfinals. Two wins against two top ten players and former major winners would give her confidence in her first ever major semifinal.
Azarenka is still trying to work her way back into form that won her two career major titles and two runner-up finishes at the U.S. Open (2012, 2013). If she can rediscover her game pre-2014 injuries, she will be a very tough out at the U.S. Open.
Men and Women's Toughest Roads:
Nishikori could potentially face Alexandr Dolgopolov in the third round, either Monfils or Tsonga in the round of 16, Ferrer in the quarterfinals, Djokovic in the semifinals, and (2) Roger Federer in the championship.
Sharapova could face Daria Gavrilova in the first roun,d (30) Svetlana Kuzentsova in the third round, Svitolina in the round of 16, Ivanovic in the quarterfinals, Serena Williams in the semifinals, and (2) Simona Halep in the final.
Kerber could face Azarenka in the third round, Safarova in the round of 16, Halep in the quarterfinals, (5) Petra Kvitova in the semifinals, and (1) Serena Williams in the final.
Women's 1st Round Matches to Watch:
Coco Vandeweghe vs. (29) Sloane Stephens
(3) Maria Sharapova vs. Daria Gavrilova
Kristina Mladenovic vs. (30) Svetlana Kuznetsova
(25) Eugenie Bouchard vs. Alison Riske
Dominika Cibulkova vs. (7) Ana Ivanovic
Injuries kept Cibulkova out for a few months. As a result, her ranking plummeted. This is a nightmare matchup that should be at least a round of 16 matchup. As a result, we'll see two top ten talents duke it out in the opening round. This could be the highlight of the first round.
Julia Goerges vs. (32) Anna Karolina Schmeildlova
(18) Andrea Petkovic vs. Caroline Garcia
Timea Babos vs. (22) Samantha Stosur
Ajla Tomljanovic vs. Karin Knapp
(27) Alize Cornet vs. Kurumi Nara
Men's 1st Round Matches to Watch:
Vasek Pospisil vs. Andreas Haider-Maurer
Fernando Verdasco vs. (PR) Tommy Haas
(Q) Nikolos Basilashvili vs. (18) Feliciano Lopez
This will be a rematch from Wimbledon in which Basiliashvil stunned Lopez in five sets the second round. Can lightening strike twice?
(32) Fabio Fognini vs. Steve Johnson
Fognini is one of most talented players on the ATP tour, but is too inconsistent. If "good" Fabio shows up, Johnson won't win. If "bad" Fabio who doesn't really care shows up, Johnson wins.
Borna Coric vs. (8) Rafael Nadal
Last year, Coric stunned Nadal in the quarterfinals in Basel in their lone match-up. Nadal is having the worst season of his professional career is ripe for the picking. Coric is ascending while Nadal is descending. Can Coric beat "the King of Clay" for a second time?
(4) Kei Nishikori vs. Benoit Paire
Nick Kyrgios vs. (3) Andy Murray
This is the must see matchup of all the first round matches. Kyrgios has already notched wins over Nadal and Federer in his young career. Murray has rebounded nicely after a tough 2014 season. He briefly reached the number two ranking for a week before Federer reclaimed it with his win in Cincinnati. Can Kyrgios record another win over the "Big Four"?
Denis Kudla vs. (Q) Jurgen Melzer
Thanasi Kokkinakis vs. (12) Richard Gasquet
(29) Philipp Kohlschreiber vs. (Q) Alexander Zverev
Thursday, July 23, 2015
2015-16 College Football Bowl Predictions
(*)-denotes the spot is taken by a team from a conference not allotted for bowl game
Autonation Cure Bowl
Louisiana (8-4) vs. Ohio (6-6)*
winner: Louisiana
Gildan New Mexico Bowl
* Illinois (6-6) vs. Texas State (6-6)*
winner: Illinois
Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl
BYU (9-3) vs. California (6-6)
winner: BYU
Raycom Media Camelia Bowl
Akron (9-3) vs. Arkansas State (8-4)
winner: Akron
R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Louisiana Tech (9-4) vs. Appalachian State (11-1)
winner: Appalachian State
Miami Beach Bowl
Florida Atlantic (7-5) vs. Central Florida (9-4)
winner: Central Florida
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Colorado State (7-5) vs. Northern Illinois (8-4)
winner: Northern Illinois
Boca Raton Bowl
Western Michigan (8-4) vs. South Alabama (6-6)*
winner: Western Michigan
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Boise State (10-2) vs. Navy (9-3)
winner: Boise State
GoDaddy Bowl
Toledo (11-2) vs. Georgia Southern (9-3)
winner: Georgia Southern
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl
Marshall (10-2) vs. Bowling Green (8-5)
winner: Marshall
Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl
Western Kentucky (11-2) vs. Utah State (11-2)
winner: Utah State
St. Petersburg Bowl
Cincinnati (8-4) vs. Southern Miss (6-6)
winner: Cincinnati
Hyundai Sun Bowl
NC State (8-4) vs. Utah (8-4)
winner: NC State
Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl
Rice (8-4) vs. Arkansas (6-6)*
winner: Arkansas
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Notre Dame (8-4) vs. Michigan (8-4)
winner: Notre Dame
Duck Commander Independence Bowl
Mississippi State (8-4) vs. North Carolina (6-6)
winner: Mississippi State
Foster Farms Bowl
UCLA (7-5) vs. Iowa (7-5)
winner: UCLA
Military Bowl
Virginia Tech (7-5) vs. Houston (9-3)
winner: Houston
Quick Lane Bowl
Pittsburgh (6-6) vs. Rutgers (7-5)
winner: Pittsburgh
Arizona Bowl
Nevada (8-4) vs. Middle Tennessee State (7-5)
winner: Middle Tennessee State
Lockhead Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Air Force (8-4) vs. Nebraska (6-6)
winner: Air Force
Russell Athletic Bowl
Louisville (10-3) vs. Missouri (7-5)*
winner: Louisville
AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl
Texas A&M (7-5) vs. Texas (9-3)
winner: Texas A&M
Birmingham Bowl
Kentucky (6-6) vs. Temple (8-4)
winner: Kentucky
Belk Bowl
Florida (8-4) vs. Miami-FL (9-3)
winner: Florida
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Georgia (8-4) vs. Duke (9-3)
winner: Georgia
National University Holiday Bowl
Washington (8-4) vs. Minnesota (9-3)
winner: Washington
Outback Bowl
Penn State (10-2) vs. Mississippi (9-3)
winner: Penn State
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl
South Carolina (9-3) vs. Wisconsin (10-3)
winner: Wisconsin
TaxSlayer Bowl
Florida State (9-3) vs. LSU (8-4)
winner: Florida State
Autozone Liberty Bowl
Oklahoma State (8-4) vs. Tennessee (8-5)
winner: Tennessee
Valero Alamo Bowl
Oklahoma (10-2) vs. Stanford (10-2)
winner: Oklahoma
Cactus Bowl
Arizona State (6-6) vs. Kansas State (7-5)
winner: Arizona State
New Year's Day Six
Fiesta Bowl
Arizona (10-2) vs. Clemson (10-2)
winner: Clemson
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Memphis (12-1) vs. Georgia Tech (11-2)
winner: Memphis
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Alabama (11-1) vs. Baylor (11-1)
winner: Alabama
Rose Bowl
Oregon (11-2) vs. Michigan State (10-2)
winner: Oregon
College Football Playoff
National Semifinal #1:
Goodyear Cotton Bowl
TCU (11-1) vs. Auburn (12-1)
winner: TCU
National Semifinal #2:
Capital One Orange Bowl
USC (12-1) vs. Ohio State (13-0)
winner: Ohio State
National Championship
TCU (12-1) vs. Ohio State (14-0)
winner: Ohio State
Autonation Cure Bowl
Louisiana (8-4) vs. Ohio (6-6)*
winner: Louisiana
Gildan New Mexico Bowl
* Illinois (6-6) vs. Texas State (6-6)*
winner: Illinois
Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl
BYU (9-3) vs. California (6-6)
winner: BYU
Raycom Media Camelia Bowl
Akron (9-3) vs. Arkansas State (8-4)
winner: Akron
R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Louisiana Tech (9-4) vs. Appalachian State (11-1)
winner: Appalachian State
Miami Beach Bowl
Florida Atlantic (7-5) vs. Central Florida (9-4)
winner: Central Florida
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Colorado State (7-5) vs. Northern Illinois (8-4)
winner: Northern Illinois
Boca Raton Bowl
Western Michigan (8-4) vs. South Alabama (6-6)*
winner: Western Michigan
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Boise State (10-2) vs. Navy (9-3)
winner: Boise State
GoDaddy Bowl
Toledo (11-2) vs. Georgia Southern (9-3)
winner: Georgia Southern
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl
Marshall (10-2) vs. Bowling Green (8-5)
winner: Marshall
Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl
Western Kentucky (11-2) vs. Utah State (11-2)
winner: Utah State
St. Petersburg Bowl
Cincinnati (8-4) vs. Southern Miss (6-6)
winner: Cincinnati
Hyundai Sun Bowl
NC State (8-4) vs. Utah (8-4)
winner: NC State
Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl
Rice (8-4) vs. Arkansas (6-6)*
winner: Arkansas
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Notre Dame (8-4) vs. Michigan (8-4)
winner: Notre Dame
Duck Commander Independence Bowl
Mississippi State (8-4) vs. North Carolina (6-6)
winner: Mississippi State
Foster Farms Bowl
UCLA (7-5) vs. Iowa (7-5)
winner: UCLA
Military Bowl
Virginia Tech (7-5) vs. Houston (9-3)
winner: Houston
Quick Lane Bowl
Pittsburgh (6-6) vs. Rutgers (7-5)
winner: Pittsburgh
Arizona Bowl
Nevada (8-4) vs. Middle Tennessee State (7-5)
winner: Middle Tennessee State
Lockhead Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Air Force (8-4) vs. Nebraska (6-6)
winner: Air Force
Russell Athletic Bowl
Louisville (10-3) vs. Missouri (7-5)*
winner: Louisville
AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl
Texas A&M (7-5) vs. Texas (9-3)
winner: Texas A&M
Birmingham Bowl
Kentucky (6-6) vs. Temple (8-4)
winner: Kentucky
Belk Bowl
Florida (8-4) vs. Miami-FL (9-3)
winner: Florida
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Georgia (8-4) vs. Duke (9-3)
winner: Georgia
National University Holiday Bowl
Washington (8-4) vs. Minnesota (9-3)
winner: Washington
Outback Bowl
Penn State (10-2) vs. Mississippi (9-3)
winner: Penn State
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl
South Carolina (9-3) vs. Wisconsin (10-3)
winner: Wisconsin
TaxSlayer Bowl
Florida State (9-3) vs. LSU (8-4)
winner: Florida State
Autozone Liberty Bowl
Oklahoma State (8-4) vs. Tennessee (8-5)
winner: Tennessee
Valero Alamo Bowl
Oklahoma (10-2) vs. Stanford (10-2)
winner: Oklahoma
Cactus Bowl
Arizona State (6-6) vs. Kansas State (7-5)
winner: Arizona State
New Year's Day Six
Fiesta Bowl
Arizona (10-2) vs. Clemson (10-2)
winner: Clemson
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Memphis (12-1) vs. Georgia Tech (11-2)
winner: Memphis
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Alabama (11-1) vs. Baylor (11-1)
winner: Alabama
Rose Bowl
Oregon (11-2) vs. Michigan State (10-2)
winner: Oregon
College Football Playoff
National Semifinal #1:
Goodyear Cotton Bowl
TCU (11-1) vs. Auburn (12-1)
winner: TCU
National Semifinal #2:
Capital One Orange Bowl
USC (12-1) vs. Ohio State (13-0)
winner: Ohio State
National Championship
TCU (12-1) vs. Ohio State (14-0)
winner: Ohio State
2015 College Football Conference Champion Predictions
(*)- denotes conference champion
(**)-ineligible for bowl game because of two wins against FCS opponents
American (East)
1. Central Florida (9-4, 7-1)
2. Cincinnati (8-4, 6-2)
Temple (8-4, 6-2)
4. East Carolina (5-7, 4-4)
5. South Florida (4-8, 2-6)
6. Connecticut (1-11, 0-8)
American (West)
1. Memphis (12-1, 8-0)*
2. Houston (9-3, 6-2)
Navy (9-3, 6-2)
4. SMU (4-8, 2-6)
Tulane (4-8, 2-6)
6. Tulsa (2-10, 0-8)
ACC (Atlantic)
1. Louisville (10-3, 7-1)
Clemson (10-2, 7-1)
3. Florida State (9-3, 5-3)
4. NC State (8-4, 4-4)
5. Boston College (6-6, 3-5)
6. Wake Forest (3-9, 1-7)
7. Syracuse (1-11, 0-8)
ACC (Coastal)
1. Georgia Tech (11-2,6-2)*
2. Miami-FL (9-3, 5-3)
Duke (9-3, 5-3)
4. Virginia Tech (7-5, 4-4)
5. North Carolina (6-6, 3-5)
Pittsburgh (6-6, 3-5)
7. Virginia (3-9, 2-6)
Big 10 (East)
1. Ohio State (13-0, 8-0)*
2. Penn State (10-2, 6-2)
Michigan State (10-2, 6-2)
4. Michigan (8-4, 5-3)
5. Rutgers (7-5, 3-5)
6. Maryland (6-6, 2-6)
7. Indiana (5-7, 1-7)
Big 10 (West)
1. Wisconsin (10-3, 7-1)
2. Minnesota (9-3, 6-2)
3. Iowa (7-5, 4-4)
4. Illinois (6-6, 3-5)
Nebraska (6-6, 3-5)
6. Northwestern (4-8, 2-6)
7. Purdue (1-11, 0-8)
Big 12
1. TCU (11-1, 8-1)*
Baylor (11-1, 8-1)
3. Texas (9-3, 7-2)
Oklahoma (10-2, 7-2)
5. Oklahoma State (8-4, 5-4)
6. Kansas State (7-5, 4-5)
7. West Virginia (5-7, 3-6)
8. Texas Tech (4-8, 2-7)
9. Iowa State (2-10, 1-8)
10. Kansas (1-11, 0-9)
C-USA (East)
1. Western Kentucky (11-2, 8-0)*
2. Marshall (10-2, 6-2)
3. Florida Atlantic (7-5, 5-3)
Middle Tennessee State (7-5, 5-3)
5. Florida International (5-7, 3-5)
Old Dominion (5-7, 3-5)
7. Charlotte (1-11, 0-8)
C-USA (West)
1. Louisiana Tech (9-4, 7-1)
2. Rice (8-4, 6-2)
3. Southern Miss (6-6, 5-3)
4. UTEP (4-8, 2-6)
5. North Texas (2-10, 1-7)
6. Texas San Antonio (1-11, 0-8)
Independents
Army (6-6)**
BYU (9-3)
Notre Dame (8-4)
MAC (East)
1. Bowling Green (8-5, 7-1)
Akron (9-3, 7-1)
3. Ohio (6-6, 4-4)
4. Buffalo (4-8, 3-5)
Massachusetts (4-8, 3-5)
6. Kent State (2-10, 1-7)
7. Miami-OH (1-11, 0-8)
MAC (West)
1. Toledo (11-2, 7-1)*
Western Kentucky (8-4, 7-1)
3. Northern Illinois (8-4, 6-2)
4. Ball State (5-7, 3-5)
Central Michigan (4-8, 3-5)
6. Eastern Michigan (0-12, 0-8)
Mountain West (Mountain)
1. Utah State (11-2, 7-1)*
Boise State (10-2, 7-1)
3. Air Force (8-4, 6-2)
4. Colorado State (7-5, 4-4)
5. Wyoming (4-8, 2-6)
6. New Mexico (2-10, 0-8)
Mountain West (West)
1. San Diego State (10-3, 8-0)
2. Nevada (8-4, 6-2)
3. Hawai'i (6-7, 4-4)
4. San Jose State (4-8, 3-5)
5. Fresno State (2-10, 1-7)
6. UNLV (1-11, 0-8)
Pac-12 (North)
1. Oregon (11-2, 8-1)
2. Stanford (10-2, 7-2)
3. Washington (8-4, 5-4)
4. California (6-6, 3-6)
5. Washington State (4-8, 2-7)
6. Oregon State (2-10, 0-9)
Pac-12 (South)
1. USC (12-1, 8-1)*
2. Arizona (10-2, 7-2)
3. Utah (8-4, 5-4)
4. UCLA (7-5, 4-5)
Arizona State (6-6, 4-5)
6. Colorado (5-8, 1-8)
SEC (East)
1. Tennessee (8-5, 5-3)
South Carolina (9-3, 5-3)
3. Florida (8-4, 4-4)
Georgia (8-4, 4-4)
5. Missouri (7-5, 3-5)
6. Kentucky (6-6, 2-6)
7. Vanderbilt (1-11, 0-8)
SEC (West)
1. Auburn (12-1, 7-1)*
Alabama (11-1, 7-1)
3. Mississippi (9-3, 5-3)
4. LSU (8-4, 4-4)
Mississippi State (8-4, 4-4)
6. Texas A&M (7-5, 3-5)
7. Arkansas (6-6, 2-6)
Sun Belt
1. Appalachian State (11-1, 8-0)*
2. Georgia Southern (9-3, 7-1)
Arkansas State (8-4, 7-1)
4. Louisiana (8-4, 6-2)
5. South Alabama (6-6, 5-3)
6. Texas State (6-6, 4-4)
Troy (5-7, 4-4)
8. Louisiana Monroe (3-10, 2-6)
9. Georgia State (3-9, 1-7)
New Mexico State (1-11, 1-7)
11. Idaho (1-11, 0-8)
(**)-ineligible for bowl game because of two wins against FCS opponents
American (East)
1. Central Florida (9-4, 7-1)
2. Cincinnati (8-4, 6-2)
Temple (8-4, 6-2)
4. East Carolina (5-7, 4-4)
5. South Florida (4-8, 2-6)
6. Connecticut (1-11, 0-8)
American (West)
1. Memphis (12-1, 8-0)*
2. Houston (9-3, 6-2)
Navy (9-3, 6-2)
4. SMU (4-8, 2-6)
Tulane (4-8, 2-6)
6. Tulsa (2-10, 0-8)
ACC (Atlantic)
1. Louisville (10-3, 7-1)
Clemson (10-2, 7-1)
3. Florida State (9-3, 5-3)
4. NC State (8-4, 4-4)
5. Boston College (6-6, 3-5)
6. Wake Forest (3-9, 1-7)
7. Syracuse (1-11, 0-8)
ACC (Coastal)
1. Georgia Tech (11-2,6-2)*
2. Miami-FL (9-3, 5-3)
Duke (9-3, 5-3)
4. Virginia Tech (7-5, 4-4)
5. North Carolina (6-6, 3-5)
Pittsburgh (6-6, 3-5)
7. Virginia (3-9, 2-6)
Big 10 (East)
1. Ohio State (13-0, 8-0)*
2. Penn State (10-2, 6-2)
Michigan State (10-2, 6-2)
4. Michigan (8-4, 5-3)
5. Rutgers (7-5, 3-5)
6. Maryland (6-6, 2-6)
7. Indiana (5-7, 1-7)
Big 10 (West)
1. Wisconsin (10-3, 7-1)
2. Minnesota (9-3, 6-2)
3. Iowa (7-5, 4-4)
4. Illinois (6-6, 3-5)
Nebraska (6-6, 3-5)
6. Northwestern (4-8, 2-6)
7. Purdue (1-11, 0-8)
Big 12
1. TCU (11-1, 8-1)*
Baylor (11-1, 8-1)
3. Texas (9-3, 7-2)
Oklahoma (10-2, 7-2)
5. Oklahoma State (8-4, 5-4)
6. Kansas State (7-5, 4-5)
7. West Virginia (5-7, 3-6)
8. Texas Tech (4-8, 2-7)
9. Iowa State (2-10, 1-8)
10. Kansas (1-11, 0-9)
C-USA (East)
1. Western Kentucky (11-2, 8-0)*
2. Marshall (10-2, 6-2)
3. Florida Atlantic (7-5, 5-3)
Middle Tennessee State (7-5, 5-3)
5. Florida International (5-7, 3-5)
Old Dominion (5-7, 3-5)
7. Charlotte (1-11, 0-8)
C-USA (West)
1. Louisiana Tech (9-4, 7-1)
2. Rice (8-4, 6-2)
3. Southern Miss (6-6, 5-3)
4. UTEP (4-8, 2-6)
5. North Texas (2-10, 1-7)
6. Texas San Antonio (1-11, 0-8)
Independents
Army (6-6)**
BYU (9-3)
Notre Dame (8-4)
MAC (East)
1. Bowling Green (8-5, 7-1)
Akron (9-3, 7-1)
3. Ohio (6-6, 4-4)
4. Buffalo (4-8, 3-5)
Massachusetts (4-8, 3-5)
6. Kent State (2-10, 1-7)
7. Miami-OH (1-11, 0-8)
MAC (West)
1. Toledo (11-2, 7-1)*
Western Kentucky (8-4, 7-1)
3. Northern Illinois (8-4, 6-2)
4. Ball State (5-7, 3-5)
Central Michigan (4-8, 3-5)
6. Eastern Michigan (0-12, 0-8)
Mountain West (Mountain)
1. Utah State (11-2, 7-1)*
Boise State (10-2, 7-1)
3. Air Force (8-4, 6-2)
4. Colorado State (7-5, 4-4)
5. Wyoming (4-8, 2-6)
6. New Mexico (2-10, 0-8)
Mountain West (West)
1. San Diego State (10-3, 8-0)
2. Nevada (8-4, 6-2)
3. Hawai'i (6-7, 4-4)
4. San Jose State (4-8, 3-5)
5. Fresno State (2-10, 1-7)
6. UNLV (1-11, 0-8)
Pac-12 (North)
1. Oregon (11-2, 8-1)
2. Stanford (10-2, 7-2)
3. Washington (8-4, 5-4)
4. California (6-6, 3-6)
5. Washington State (4-8, 2-7)
6. Oregon State (2-10, 0-9)
Pac-12 (South)
1. USC (12-1, 8-1)*
2. Arizona (10-2, 7-2)
3. Utah (8-4, 5-4)
4. UCLA (7-5, 4-5)
Arizona State (6-6, 4-5)
6. Colorado (5-8, 1-8)
SEC (East)
1. Tennessee (8-5, 5-3)
South Carolina (9-3, 5-3)
3. Florida (8-4, 4-4)
Georgia (8-4, 4-4)
5. Missouri (7-5, 3-5)
6. Kentucky (6-6, 2-6)
7. Vanderbilt (1-11, 0-8)
SEC (West)
1. Auburn (12-1, 7-1)*
Alabama (11-1, 7-1)
3. Mississippi (9-3, 5-3)
4. LSU (8-4, 4-4)
Mississippi State (8-4, 4-4)
6. Texas A&M (7-5, 3-5)
7. Arkansas (6-6, 2-6)
Sun Belt
1. Appalachian State (11-1, 8-0)*
2. Georgia Southern (9-3, 7-1)
Arkansas State (8-4, 7-1)
4. Louisiana (8-4, 6-2)
5. South Alabama (6-6, 5-3)
6. Texas State (6-6, 4-4)
Troy (5-7, 4-4)
8. Louisiana Monroe (3-10, 2-6)
9. Georgia State (3-9, 1-7)
New Mexico State (1-11, 1-7)
11. Idaho (1-11, 0-8)
Monday, July 20, 2015
Top 25 Rule Changes That Should Be Made to Collegiate Athletics
It's obvious the power lies with the schools and the coaches. Paying players is not the answer, but neither is paying coaches five, six, or seven million dollars per year. Thus, the money paid to coaches should be re-directed to the student-athletes. Using the money unnecessarily spent for bloated salaries and ridiculous changes to facilities will be in a fund for student-athletes. For example, schools will be on the hook for paying for post-career operations related to a former student-athlete's old injuries while playing. Perhaps the pool of money could include any likeness fees for video games, if any company wishes to make a game in the future.
This list reflects all of the changes that needs to happen with college athletics.
1. The salary of a head coach must not exceed $2,000,000.00 per year. This salary can be paid by the schools/universities and endorsements. The coach and company who's product is being endorsed must notify the NCAA of a contract/agreement between both parties.
-Any coach who violates this rule will be:
(a.) suspended from coaching activities for one full calendar year
(b.) will not be allowed to recruit off-campus for one full calendar year
(c.) lose a number of scholarships to be determined
(d.) must forfeit his/her salary for one full suspended year to a charity approved by the NCAA
-Any coach who violates this rule a second time will be permanently banned from coaching in any NCAA sanctioned sport.
2. Head coaches are allowed to appear in commercials and have their likenesses used for products, but compensation must not exceed $2,000,000.00 per year, assuming he/she is making $2 million in salary at their institution. In addition, head coaches are allowed to appear in as many public service announcements and other commercials related to various charities as long as they are not paid or reimbursed in any way.
-For example, Coach A signs a contract at School A for $750,000.00. He/She will be allowed to endorse products and receive up to $1,250,000.00.
3. Head coaches are not permitted to accept gifts from boosters or any group affiliated with a school/university.However, he/she will be allowed to accept gifts from the school as a part of their salary that shall be deducted from his/her annual salary, assuming the annual salary is at $2,000,000.00.
-For example, if a coach is getting paid $2,000,000.00 per year, the school/company gives two cars to the coach that costs $60,000.00. The coach is only permitted to be paid $1,940,000.00 for that year.
4. All head and assistant coaches (including strength and conditioning coaches, graduate assistants, etc.) will be required to take various ethics classes. If he/she scores less than a B, he/she will be suspended from coaching duties until they pass the required course. The classes will co-inside within the system (quarter or semester) currently used at the university.
5. The salary of an assistant coach must not exceed $500,000.00 per year. In football, position coaches will be paid no more than $200,000.00. Unlike head coaches, the salary for assistants must be paid only by the school. This will prevent the upper-echelon power schools from paying $1 million plus for an assistant coach. Some assistants are currently making more than head coaches at other schools.
-For a first offense, he/she:
(a.) will be suspended 50% of games without pay
(b.) not allowed to recruit off-campus for twelve (12) weeks during the season (this also includes every coach, including head coach, on staff)
(c.) fined up to $250,000.00
-For a second offense, he/she will be:
(a.) suspended from all coaching activities and not allowed to have any contact with anyone (including coaches) for a full year
(b.) forced to forfeit his/her entire salary (which includes the suspension without pay and fine) for the year to a charity approved by the NCAA
(c.) along with the current coaching staff, banned from recruiting off-campus for 24 weeks
-For a third offense:
the coach will be permanently banned from coaching in any NCAA sanctioned sports
6. Scholarships will no longer be issued on a yearly basis. Now, scholarships will be issued for four (4) or five (5) years (depending if the student-athlete redshirted).
-Student-athletes will permanently lose their scholarships for repeat offender status for the following: bad grades, arrest(s), failed drug tests, underage drinking, and other illegal activities.
7. Head coaches who attempt to revoke a student-athlete's scholarship without provocation (i.e. bad grades, failed drug tests, arrests, etc.) will be:
-For a first offense:
(a.) fined roughly one-half of their yearly pay (up to $1,000,000.00)
(b.) suspended for 50% of regular season games the following season
(c.) have no contact (including assistants as well) with recruits for six (6) weeks, excluding dead periods in recruiting
(d.) will not be allowed to host recruits for campus or visits during the summer
-i.e. Coach B realizes Player B is not a great fit for his system for college football. So, after the season, the coach tries to revoke Player B's scholarship without proper cause. Player B informs the NCAA, who thoroughly investigates the situation. The NCAA has ruled in favor of the player and Coach B will be suspended for the first six games of the upcoming season and the coach nor his staff will be able to recruit (on or off-campus) during this time. Also, the coaching staff loses the right to host camps for high school players during the summer
-For a second offense:
If it's been determined the head coach has revoked another scholarship without provocation, the following shall occur:
(a.) head coach will be suspended for an entire season
(b.) must not have any interaction with any student-athletes during this time
(c.) forfeit his/her salary for the season
-For a third offense:
If the coach violates this rule a third time, this will result in a major infraction which includes, but is not limited to:
(a.) a show cause penalty on the head coach (which will result in a five year coaching ban, head coach or otherwise)
(b.) a ban on post-season play
(c.) reduction of scholarships
(d.) zero recruiting visits for two years
(e.) the ban of hosting recruits during camps during the summer
-For a fourth offense:
the repeating offender will be permanently ineligible to coach or work, in any capacity, in any NCAA sanctioned sport
8. All incoming student-athletes from high school will be required to have maintained at least a 2.7 high school, score a 20 on the ACT or at least a 940 on the SAT, and pass an entrance exam by the NCAA.
9. All student-athletes will be required to maintain a minimum 2.7 GPA to retain eligibility. If he/she doesn't maintain a 2.7 GPA, he/she will be ineligible to play for one season, and will lose his/her scholarship for one full school year. In this case, the student-athlete will not be allowed to use a redshirt for the lost year of eligibility. This includes players who've transferred schools.
-i.e. Player C, who is a rising junior, failed to maintain a 2.7 GPA. Player C will be ineligible to play until his/her senior year. Even if Player C elects to transfer or is dismissed from the team because of poor grades, Player C will be required to lose one year of eligibility, and pay for school out of pocket for one year.
10. All incoming student-athletes will be required to take an entrance exam in addition to ACT/SAT scores to gain eligibility for NCAA sanctioned sports. If he/she fails, he/she won't be eligible to play until they pass. A passing grade will be getting at least a 'C' on each section.
The test, which will last roughly four (4) hours, shall cover material each student-athlete should've learned in high school. The entrance test, which will be administered in sections, will cover the following:
(1.) Mathematics covering algebras 1 and 2, geometry, and a higher level of match such as pre-calculus, trigonometry, etc.
(2.) English and identifying nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs
(3.) Literature and writing a two page essay on a short story that measures writing ability and reading comprehension
(4.) U.S. History 1 and 2 (international students may substitute U.S. History for a history from his/her history from his/her native country)
(5.) Geography (including state capitals)
(6.) U.S. Government/Civics (like history, this course may be substituted for a test in civics in his/her native country)
(7.) Science includes questions from courses such as physical science, biology, anatomy/physiology, and chemistry or physics
(8.) Elective courses that includes, but is not limited to: art, music, drama, psychology, sociology, and health.
11. Schools will be allowed to offer free tuition and books for children and spouses of all coaches and staff (including assistants and trainers). This offer is only good at the school the coach is currently coaching. A waiver can be applied in the event of a coach leaving for a new job or is fired. This waiver is for a child or spouse who's no more than 15 hours (5 classes) short of graduation. This will be the lone exception to the salary cap for coaches.
12. Student-athletes who obtain one DUI (Driving Under the Influence) or DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) will automatically be suspended for 50% of the team's regular season games and will be required to work with either Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) or Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) for one calendar year.
13. Student-athletes will be permanently ineligible for athletic competition and scholarship by:
(a.) accumulating two DUIs or DWIs. In this case, the scholarship must be vacated for the remaining time available on the scholarship.
-i.e. Player A is a rising sophomore who has been dismissed from the team. The scholarship will be lost for three years before it can be reissued to another player. So, in football, for example, the total scholarship total will be 84 instead of 85.
(b.) accumulating two failed drug tests ( and the like the DUI/DWI, the scholarship must be vacated for the remaining time available on the scholarship)
(c.) any student-athlete who has taken either the ACT, SAT, or entrance exam under false pretenses
(d.) any student-athlete who has become academically ineligible twice
(e.) any student-athlete convicted once of any violent crimes
(f.) any student-athlete convicted of a felony
(g.) any student-athlete convicted of two misdemeanors
(h.) being convicted twice of academic misconduct (ie. plagiarism and cheating on exams)
14. Student-athletes who are dismissed from a team (for issues pertaining to bad grades or unlawful behavior) will permanently lose one year's worth of eligibility that can't be retained with a redshirt and must pay the school out of pocket for tuition, books, room, and board for one full year. For schools who dismiss players because of bad grades or unlawful behavior, the scholarship must not be used for remaining time available on the scholarship.
-i.e. Player A is a rising junior and has been dismissed from the team because of bad grades, he/she will become ineligible to play the upcoming season, but will be eligible to return to play as a senior.
15. Student-athletes will receive $50.00 per month stipends for each month his/her team plays.
-i.e. If a student-athlete plays football ,and the team's final game's in January, the student-athlete will receive a stipend for the month of January.
16. Student-athletes will be required to submit pay stubs to the NCAA in the event he/she is hired for employment. The following jobs are not permitted for student-athletes (excluding those on medical hardship):
(a.) positions in which tips are given, but not limited to waiter/waitress and valet
(b.) employment at casinos
(c.) working a job in which the student-athlete is underage
17. For players who accept medical hardships, their scholarships must be awarded to walk-ons, who have been on the team for at least two years, for the duration of the original recipient's (the player on medical hardship) athletic career.
-i.e. Player A accepts a medical hardship prior to the start of his/her sophomore season. This means the scholarship has three years remaining. This scholarship can either be given to a:
(a.) different senior walk-on for three consecutive years
(b.) a junior walk-on for two years and a senior walk-on for one year
(c.) a sophomore walk-on for three consecutive years
18. Student-athletes who fail one drug test will be banned from competition for one season and will automatically lose one year's eligibility and his/her scholarship for one year without the possibility of a redshirt. The student-athlete must pay the school out of pocket for tuition, books, room, and board. He/She will be required to attend a rehabilitation facility, paid for by the university the student-athlete attends, for a full year. Before returning, the attending physician at the facility must attest to the fact he/she has been sober for a full year.
19. Any student-athlete caught cheating on a test or plagiarizing a paper will automatically lose one year's worth of eligibility permanently, which can't be used via redshirt or withdrawing from school, in addition to any sanctions by the school. A second offense will result in permanent revocation of eligibility.
20. Teams are allotted a maximum practice time of 10 hours per week during the season and off-season. The practice includes: practicing with or without pads and watching film with coaches, and workouts.
- Coaches who violate the new practice rules will be suspended 25% of the games without pay and fined up to 50% (up to $1,000,000.00) of his/her yearly salary.
21. The length between end zones and the crowd in college football must be separated by at least 25 yards.
22. In college football, injured players on defense who leave the game will be required to miss the remainder of the possession.
23. Increasing college baseball's scholarship total to 25 from 11.7.
24. Decreasing the number of football scholarships from 85 to 70.
25. A committee needs to be formed to address the needs and welfare of student-athletes. A representative of this committee needs to interview student-athletes in men's and women's sports on each level of the NCAA. Each team would, in turn, select a captain or representative to talk with this person about things the NCAA could do to assist student-athletes. A few things that should be done for student-athletes are as follows:
(a.) free Chromebooks for student-athletes on scholarship that cost no more than $250.00
(b.) free business suits, dresses, shoes, and attire (that total no more than $350.00 excluding sales tax) for graduating student-athletes for job interviews
(c.) free suits or dresses for student-athletes who appear at conference media days or award shows (for each event) that total no more than $350.00
(d.) free selection of school supplies that includes, but is not limited to: backpack, index cards, dividers, scientific calculators, rulers, protractors, mechanical pencils, lead, pens, loose leaf, graphing, or printer paper, folders, notebooks, binders, or any supplies listed on a class syllabus.
-Student-athletes must pay out of pocket for suits, or dresses they like if it exceeds the allotted amount.
(ie. If a student-athlete likes a suit and a pair of shoes that costs $400.00. The student-athlete must pay the $50.00 difference.)
Honorable Mention
26. Schools should pay for plane or bus tickets for trips home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, family emergencies, spring, and summer breaks.
27. Locker rooms and facilities are prohibited from having anything that's not necessary for student-athlete's athletic well-being that includes, but not limited to:
(a.) video game consoles
(b.) Jacuzzis
(c.) waterfalls
(d.) pool tables
(e.) cable television
This list reflects all of the changes that needs to happen with college athletics.
1. The salary of a head coach must not exceed $2,000,000.00 per year. This salary can be paid by the schools/universities and endorsements. The coach and company who's product is being endorsed must notify the NCAA of a contract/agreement between both parties.
-Any coach who violates this rule will be:
(a.) suspended from coaching activities for one full calendar year
(b.) will not be allowed to recruit off-campus for one full calendar year
(c.) lose a number of scholarships to be determined
(d.) must forfeit his/her salary for one full suspended year to a charity approved by the NCAA
-Any coach who violates this rule a second time will be permanently banned from coaching in any NCAA sanctioned sport.
2. Head coaches are allowed to appear in commercials and have their likenesses used for products, but compensation must not exceed $2,000,000.00 per year, assuming he/she is making $2 million in salary at their institution. In addition, head coaches are allowed to appear in as many public service announcements and other commercials related to various charities as long as they are not paid or reimbursed in any way.
-For example, Coach A signs a contract at School A for $750,000.00. He/She will be allowed to endorse products and receive up to $1,250,000.00.
3. Head coaches are not permitted to accept gifts from boosters or any group affiliated with a school/university.However, he/she will be allowed to accept gifts from the school as a part of their salary that shall be deducted from his/her annual salary, assuming the annual salary is at $2,000,000.00.
-For example, if a coach is getting paid $2,000,000.00 per year, the school/company gives two cars to the coach that costs $60,000.00. The coach is only permitted to be paid $1,940,000.00 for that year.
4. All head and assistant coaches (including strength and conditioning coaches, graduate assistants, etc.) will be required to take various ethics classes. If he/she scores less than a B, he/she will be suspended from coaching duties until they pass the required course. The classes will co-inside within the system (quarter or semester) currently used at the university.
5. The salary of an assistant coach must not exceed $500,000.00 per year. In football, position coaches will be paid no more than $200,000.00. Unlike head coaches, the salary for assistants must be paid only by the school. This will prevent the upper-echelon power schools from paying $1 million plus for an assistant coach. Some assistants are currently making more than head coaches at other schools.
-For a first offense, he/she:
(a.) will be suspended 50% of games without pay
(b.) not allowed to recruit off-campus for twelve (12) weeks during the season (this also includes every coach, including head coach, on staff)
(c.) fined up to $250,000.00
-For a second offense, he/she will be:
(a.) suspended from all coaching activities and not allowed to have any contact with anyone (including coaches) for a full year
(b.) forced to forfeit his/her entire salary (which includes the suspension without pay and fine) for the year to a charity approved by the NCAA
(c.) along with the current coaching staff, banned from recruiting off-campus for 24 weeks
-For a third offense:
the coach will be permanently banned from coaching in any NCAA sanctioned sports
6. Scholarships will no longer be issued on a yearly basis. Now, scholarships will be issued for four (4) or five (5) years (depending if the student-athlete redshirted).
-Student-athletes will permanently lose their scholarships for repeat offender status for the following: bad grades, arrest(s), failed drug tests, underage drinking, and other illegal activities.
7. Head coaches who attempt to revoke a student-athlete's scholarship without provocation (i.e. bad grades, failed drug tests, arrests, etc.) will be:
-For a first offense:
(a.) fined roughly one-half of their yearly pay (up to $1,000,000.00)
(b.) suspended for 50% of regular season games the following season
(c.) have no contact (including assistants as well) with recruits for six (6) weeks, excluding dead periods in recruiting
(d.) will not be allowed to host recruits for campus or visits during the summer
-i.e. Coach B realizes Player B is not a great fit for his system for college football. So, after the season, the coach tries to revoke Player B's scholarship without proper cause. Player B informs the NCAA, who thoroughly investigates the situation. The NCAA has ruled in favor of the player and Coach B will be suspended for the first six games of the upcoming season and the coach nor his staff will be able to recruit (on or off-campus) during this time. Also, the coaching staff loses the right to host camps for high school players during the summer
-For a second offense:
If it's been determined the head coach has revoked another scholarship without provocation, the following shall occur:
(a.) head coach will be suspended for an entire season
(b.) must not have any interaction with any student-athletes during this time
(c.) forfeit his/her salary for the season
-For a third offense:
If the coach violates this rule a third time, this will result in a major infraction which includes, but is not limited to:
(a.) a show cause penalty on the head coach (which will result in a five year coaching ban, head coach or otherwise)
(b.) a ban on post-season play
(c.) reduction of scholarships
(d.) zero recruiting visits for two years
(e.) the ban of hosting recruits during camps during the summer
-For a fourth offense:
the repeating offender will be permanently ineligible to coach or work, in any capacity, in any NCAA sanctioned sport
8. All incoming student-athletes from high school will be required to have maintained at least a 2.7 high school, score a 20 on the ACT or at least a 940 on the SAT, and pass an entrance exam by the NCAA.
9. All student-athletes will be required to maintain a minimum 2.7 GPA to retain eligibility. If he/she doesn't maintain a 2.7 GPA, he/she will be ineligible to play for one season, and will lose his/her scholarship for one full school year. In this case, the student-athlete will not be allowed to use a redshirt for the lost year of eligibility. This includes players who've transferred schools.
-i.e. Player C, who is a rising junior, failed to maintain a 2.7 GPA. Player C will be ineligible to play until his/her senior year. Even if Player C elects to transfer or is dismissed from the team because of poor grades, Player C will be required to lose one year of eligibility, and pay for school out of pocket for one year.
10. All incoming student-athletes will be required to take an entrance exam in addition to ACT/SAT scores to gain eligibility for NCAA sanctioned sports. If he/she fails, he/she won't be eligible to play until they pass. A passing grade will be getting at least a 'C' on each section.
The test, which will last roughly four (4) hours, shall cover material each student-athlete should've learned in high school. The entrance test, which will be administered in sections, will cover the following:
(1.) Mathematics covering algebras 1 and 2, geometry, and a higher level of match such as pre-calculus, trigonometry, etc.
(2.) English and identifying nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs
(3.) Literature and writing a two page essay on a short story that measures writing ability and reading comprehension
(4.) U.S. History 1 and 2 (international students may substitute U.S. History for a history from his/her history from his/her native country)
(5.) Geography (including state capitals)
(6.) U.S. Government/Civics (like history, this course may be substituted for a test in civics in his/her native country)
(7.) Science includes questions from courses such as physical science, biology, anatomy/physiology, and chemistry or physics
(8.) Elective courses that includes, but is not limited to: art, music, drama, psychology, sociology, and health.
11. Schools will be allowed to offer free tuition and books for children and spouses of all coaches and staff (including assistants and trainers). This offer is only good at the school the coach is currently coaching. A waiver can be applied in the event of a coach leaving for a new job or is fired. This waiver is for a child or spouse who's no more than 15 hours (5 classes) short of graduation. This will be the lone exception to the salary cap for coaches.
12. Student-athletes who obtain one DUI (Driving Under the Influence) or DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) will automatically be suspended for 50% of the team's regular season games and will be required to work with either Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) or Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) for one calendar year.
13. Student-athletes will be permanently ineligible for athletic competition and scholarship by:
(a.) accumulating two DUIs or DWIs. In this case, the scholarship must be vacated for the remaining time available on the scholarship.
-i.e. Player A is a rising sophomore who has been dismissed from the team. The scholarship will be lost for three years before it can be reissued to another player. So, in football, for example, the total scholarship total will be 84 instead of 85.
(b.) accumulating two failed drug tests ( and the like the DUI/DWI, the scholarship must be vacated for the remaining time available on the scholarship)
(c.) any student-athlete who has taken either the ACT, SAT, or entrance exam under false pretenses
(d.) any student-athlete who has become academically ineligible twice
(e.) any student-athlete convicted once of any violent crimes
(f.) any student-athlete convicted of a felony
(g.) any student-athlete convicted of two misdemeanors
(h.) being convicted twice of academic misconduct (ie. plagiarism and cheating on exams)
14. Student-athletes who are dismissed from a team (for issues pertaining to bad grades or unlawful behavior) will permanently lose one year's worth of eligibility that can't be retained with a redshirt and must pay the school out of pocket for tuition, books, room, and board for one full year. For schools who dismiss players because of bad grades or unlawful behavior, the scholarship must not be used for remaining time available on the scholarship.
-i.e. Player A is a rising junior and has been dismissed from the team because of bad grades, he/she will become ineligible to play the upcoming season, but will be eligible to return to play as a senior.
15. Student-athletes will receive $50.00 per month stipends for each month his/her team plays.
-i.e. If a student-athlete plays football ,and the team's final game's in January, the student-athlete will receive a stipend for the month of January.
16. Student-athletes will be required to submit pay stubs to the NCAA in the event he/she is hired for employment. The following jobs are not permitted for student-athletes (excluding those on medical hardship):
(a.) positions in which tips are given, but not limited to waiter/waitress and valet
(b.) employment at casinos
(c.) working a job in which the student-athlete is underage
17. For players who accept medical hardships, their scholarships must be awarded to walk-ons, who have been on the team for at least two years, for the duration of the original recipient's (the player on medical hardship) athletic career.
-i.e. Player A accepts a medical hardship prior to the start of his/her sophomore season. This means the scholarship has three years remaining. This scholarship can either be given to a:
(a.) different senior walk-on for three consecutive years
(b.) a junior walk-on for two years and a senior walk-on for one year
(c.) a sophomore walk-on for three consecutive years
18. Student-athletes who fail one drug test will be banned from competition for one season and will automatically lose one year's eligibility and his/her scholarship for one year without the possibility of a redshirt. The student-athlete must pay the school out of pocket for tuition, books, room, and board. He/She will be required to attend a rehabilitation facility, paid for by the university the student-athlete attends, for a full year. Before returning, the attending physician at the facility must attest to the fact he/she has been sober for a full year.
19. Any student-athlete caught cheating on a test or plagiarizing a paper will automatically lose one year's worth of eligibility permanently, which can't be used via redshirt or withdrawing from school, in addition to any sanctions by the school. A second offense will result in permanent revocation of eligibility.
20. Teams are allotted a maximum practice time of 10 hours per week during the season and off-season. The practice includes: practicing with or without pads and watching film with coaches, and workouts.
- Coaches who violate the new practice rules will be suspended 25% of the games without pay and fined up to 50% (up to $1,000,000.00) of his/her yearly salary.
21. The length between end zones and the crowd in college football must be separated by at least 25 yards.
22. In college football, injured players on defense who leave the game will be required to miss the remainder of the possession.
23. Increasing college baseball's scholarship total to 25 from 11.7.
24. Decreasing the number of football scholarships from 85 to 70.
25. A committee needs to be formed to address the needs and welfare of student-athletes. A representative of this committee needs to interview student-athletes in men's and women's sports on each level of the NCAA. Each team would, in turn, select a captain or representative to talk with this person about things the NCAA could do to assist student-athletes. A few things that should be done for student-athletes are as follows:
(a.) free Chromebooks for student-athletes on scholarship that cost no more than $250.00
(b.) free business suits, dresses, shoes, and attire (that total no more than $350.00 excluding sales tax) for graduating student-athletes for job interviews
(c.) free suits or dresses for student-athletes who appear at conference media days or award shows (for each event) that total no more than $350.00
(d.) free selection of school supplies that includes, but is not limited to: backpack, index cards, dividers, scientific calculators, rulers, protractors, mechanical pencils, lead, pens, loose leaf, graphing, or printer paper, folders, notebooks, binders, or any supplies listed on a class syllabus.
-Student-athletes must pay out of pocket for suits, or dresses they like if it exceeds the allotted amount.
(ie. If a student-athlete likes a suit and a pair of shoes that costs $400.00. The student-athlete must pay the $50.00 difference.)
Honorable Mention
26. Schools should pay for plane or bus tickets for trips home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, family emergencies, spring, and summer breaks.
27. Locker rooms and facilities are prohibited from having anything that's not necessary for student-athlete's athletic well-being that includes, but not limited to:
(a.) video game consoles
(b.) Jacuzzis
(c.) waterfalls
(d.) pool tables
(e.) cable television
Sunday, July 12, 2015
2015 Wimbledon Men's Final Review
(1) Novak Djokovic defeated (2) Roger Federer 7-6(1), 6-7(10), 6-4, 6-3 for his third Wimbledon trophy, and ninth major title.
Federer was able to do some positive things with his serve, but it wasn't anywhere near as effective as it was in the semifinal win against Andy Murray. For the match, Federer had 14 aces and only three double faults. He landed 67 percent of his first serves in and won 74 percent of his points on the first serve.
Federer did a good job of trying to attack the net during the match. He won 42/58 points (72%) at the net. However, he was only 1/7 on break opportunities while Djokovic broke him 4/10 times.
The biggest shocker was Djokovic's serving. Federer not only struggled to break, but he nearly cancelled out Federer's ace total with 13 of his own.
Federer ultimately made a few too many unforced errors that helped seal his fate. He had 48 winners, but 35 unforced errors. That total would beat anyone on tour except for Djokovic.
Djokovic played an aggresive game, but had 46 winners, and only 16 unforced errors.
With today's win, Djokovic surpasses Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl, and Jimmy Connors for a spot alone as the fifth most major titles in the Open era.
Federer was able to do some positive things with his serve, but it wasn't anywhere near as effective as it was in the semifinal win against Andy Murray. For the match, Federer had 14 aces and only three double faults. He landed 67 percent of his first serves in and won 74 percent of his points on the first serve.
Federer did a good job of trying to attack the net during the match. He won 42/58 points (72%) at the net. However, he was only 1/7 on break opportunities while Djokovic broke him 4/10 times.
The biggest shocker was Djokovic's serving. Federer not only struggled to break, but he nearly cancelled out Federer's ace total with 13 of his own.
Federer ultimately made a few too many unforced errors that helped seal his fate. He had 48 winners, but 35 unforced errors. That total would beat anyone on tour except for Djokovic.
Djokovic played an aggresive game, but had 46 winners, and only 16 unforced errors.
With today's win, Djokovic surpasses Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl, and Jimmy Connors for a spot alone as the fifth most major titles in the Open era.
Saturday, July 11, 2015
2015 Wimbledon Women's Final Review
(1) Serena Williams defeated (20) Garbine Muguruza 6-4, 6-4 for her sixth Wimbledon title and 21st title overall.
It wasn't an easy path for Serena. She defeated the likes of (16) Venus Williams, (23) Victoria Azarenka, and (4) Maria Sharapova en route to the final.
Serena displayed early nerves by losing her serve in the opening service game. However, she was able to break back to level the match 4-4 before cementing another break to take the first set 6-4.
In the second set, it was all Serena. At one point, Serena won eight of nine games to take a 5-1 lead, serving for the match. This is where things got interesting. Muguruza displayed a great fighting spirit and would not go away quietly.
Serena had her worst service game of the tournament as she double faulted and had two unforced errors. Muguruza held at 5-3 before breaking again to even the match 5-4. However, Serena broke back at love to win the second set 6-4.
Serena didn't play her best tennis. She did have 29 winners and 15 unforced errors. However, she had 12 aces, but had eight double faults. At the French Open, she got tight against Lucie Safarova, and was forced into a deciding third set. Today, she choked a 5-1, two break lead, but overcame it with a break in the end.
Where will Muguruza go from here? We've seen it from the likes of Sloane Stephens, Eugenie Bouchard, and to some degree, Simona Halep.
Stephens hasn't achieved anything noteworthy since upsetting Serena in the quarterfinals of the 2013 Australian Open.
Bouchard hasn't been the same since getting steamrolled by Petra Kvitova in last year's Wimbledon final. Plus, Bouchard hasn't done anything outside of the slams. She has only won one singles title (in Nuremberg) in her career.
It may be a little premature to group Halep in this category because she has won singles titles in her career. Nevertheless, Halep has been plagued by two disappointing performances at the French Open and Wimbledon along with a first round exit in Madrid.
If Muguruza develops the consistency, she is definitely capable of winning multiple majors.
Moving forward, Serena will be chasing more history this year. She will now be looking to win the Calendar Grand Slam at the U.S. Open in September. Steffi Graf was the last person to achieve this accomplishment in 1988. Also, she is one major title away from tying Steffi Graf's 22 for the most wins in the open era.
It wasn't an easy path for Serena. She defeated the likes of (16) Venus Williams, (23) Victoria Azarenka, and (4) Maria Sharapova en route to the final.
Serena displayed early nerves by losing her serve in the opening service game. However, she was able to break back to level the match 4-4 before cementing another break to take the first set 6-4.
In the second set, it was all Serena. At one point, Serena won eight of nine games to take a 5-1 lead, serving for the match. This is where things got interesting. Muguruza displayed a great fighting spirit and would not go away quietly.
Serena had her worst service game of the tournament as she double faulted and had two unforced errors. Muguruza held at 5-3 before breaking again to even the match 5-4. However, Serena broke back at love to win the second set 6-4.
Serena didn't play her best tennis. She did have 29 winners and 15 unforced errors. However, she had 12 aces, but had eight double faults. At the French Open, she got tight against Lucie Safarova, and was forced into a deciding third set. Today, she choked a 5-1, two break lead, but overcame it with a break in the end.
Where will Muguruza go from here? We've seen it from the likes of Sloane Stephens, Eugenie Bouchard, and to some degree, Simona Halep.
Stephens hasn't achieved anything noteworthy since upsetting Serena in the quarterfinals of the 2013 Australian Open.
Bouchard hasn't been the same since getting steamrolled by Petra Kvitova in last year's Wimbledon final. Plus, Bouchard hasn't done anything outside of the slams. She has only won one singles title (in Nuremberg) in her career.
It may be a little premature to group Halep in this category because she has won singles titles in her career. Nevertheless, Halep has been plagued by two disappointing performances at the French Open and Wimbledon along with a first round exit in Madrid.
If Muguruza develops the consistency, she is definitely capable of winning multiple majors.
Moving forward, Serena will be chasing more history this year. She will now be looking to win the Calendar Grand Slam at the U.S. Open in September. Steffi Graf was the last person to achieve this accomplishment in 1988. Also, she is one major title away from tying Steffi Graf's 22 for the most wins in the open era.
Friday, July 10, 2015
2015 Wimbledon Men's Final Preview
Men's Semifinal Scores:
(1) Novak Djokovic d. (21) Richard Gasquet 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4
(2) Roger Federer d. (3) Andy Murray 7-5, 7-5, 6-4
Men's Final Preview:
Djokovic and Federer will meet for the 40th time on Sunday, with Federer holding a slim 20-19 lead all-time. They've met three times this year. Federer scored a victory in the finals in Dubai. Djokovic scored wins in the finals in Rome and Indian Wells.
This is their third career meeting at Wimbledon. They split their previous two meetings. "FedEx" won the 2012 semifinal 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Djokovic avenged that defeat in a thrilling 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-4 win.
Djokovic is a two time champion (2011, 2014). Federer is a seven time champion (2003-2007, 09, 12)
Djokovic has an opportunity to wipe the sour taste from his mouth from last month's French Open final loss with a win over Federer. In last year's matchup, the key was winning the third set. Although he got a bit tight in the fourth set, he was able to regroup on a fatiguing Federer in the fifth set. On Sunday, he will need to repeat this performance again.
He needs to make the match as physical as he can and make the rallies as long as possible. His next tournament won't probably be until the Rogers Cup next month, so he'll have a good four weeks to rest.
Djokovic will want to keep playing an aggressive and attacking style of tennis and will approach the net to keep Federer off-balance.
If Federer is on with his serve, will Djokovic try to give Federer different looks with the return? This was something Murray didn't seem to do enough of throughout the match.
For Federer, he's playing outstanding tennis and has only dropped one set en route to the final. He's clicking on all cylinders at this point. His serving against Murray was incredible. Federer, who had 20 aces in the semifinal win, used the serve to get cheap points. Murray only had one break opportunity during the match.
Can Federer continue the hot serving against arguably the best returner in history of tennis?
Along with the serve, he needs to avoid the long rallies with Djokovic and try to shorten the points as quickly as possible. However, with Boris Becker as coach, who was a serve and volleying whiz, Djokovic will practice executing the passing shots.
He also needs to do a better job on the return and get to Federer's serve. Djokovic's serve is solid, but not great. You can expect to see Federer attack his second serve and to come in on approach shots.
(1) Novak Djokovic d. (21) Richard Gasquet 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4
(2) Roger Federer d. (3) Andy Murray 7-5, 7-5, 6-4
Men's Final Preview:
Djokovic and Federer will meet for the 40th time on Sunday, with Federer holding a slim 20-19 lead all-time. They've met three times this year. Federer scored a victory in the finals in Dubai. Djokovic scored wins in the finals in Rome and Indian Wells.
This is their third career meeting at Wimbledon. They split their previous two meetings. "FedEx" won the 2012 semifinal 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Djokovic avenged that defeat in a thrilling 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-4 win.
Djokovic is a two time champion (2011, 2014). Federer is a seven time champion (2003-2007, 09, 12)
Djokovic has an opportunity to wipe the sour taste from his mouth from last month's French Open final loss with a win over Federer. In last year's matchup, the key was winning the third set. Although he got a bit tight in the fourth set, he was able to regroup on a fatiguing Federer in the fifth set. On Sunday, he will need to repeat this performance again.
He needs to make the match as physical as he can and make the rallies as long as possible. His next tournament won't probably be until the Rogers Cup next month, so he'll have a good four weeks to rest.
Djokovic will want to keep playing an aggressive and attacking style of tennis and will approach the net to keep Federer off-balance.
If Federer is on with his serve, will Djokovic try to give Federer different looks with the return? This was something Murray didn't seem to do enough of throughout the match.
For Federer, he's playing outstanding tennis and has only dropped one set en route to the final. He's clicking on all cylinders at this point. His serving against Murray was incredible. Federer, who had 20 aces in the semifinal win, used the serve to get cheap points. Murray only had one break opportunity during the match.
Can Federer continue the hot serving against arguably the best returner in history of tennis?
Along with the serve, he needs to avoid the long rallies with Djokovic and try to shorten the points as quickly as possible. However, with Boris Becker as coach, who was a serve and volleying whiz, Djokovic will practice executing the passing shots.
He also needs to do a better job on the return and get to Federer's serve. Djokovic's serve is solid, but not great. You can expect to see Federer attack his second serve and to come in on approach shots.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
2015 Wimbledon Women's Final Preview
Semifinal Results:
(20) Garbine Muguruza d. (13) Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
(1) Serena Williams d. (4) Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-4
Women's Final Preview:
Serena is chasing history. She's only two major titles away from tying the great Steffi Graf, who has 22 major titles. She's looking to complete the "Serena" slam and win and hold all four major titles in a row. If she wins the final, she'll be looking to complete the calendar year slam by winning all four major titles for the first time since Steffi Graf in 1988.
Serena currently holds a 2-1 edge all-time against Muguruza. In their first meeting, Serena cruised to an easy 6-2, 6-0 win in the second round of the 2013 Australian Open. In their second meeting, Muguruza did the unthinkable and destroyed Serena 6-2, 6-0 in the second round at last year's French Open. In their latest meeting, Serena returned the favor by defeating Muguruza 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the round of 16 in the Australian Open this year.
Serena has the complete package with her serve, defense, volleying, serve, and finesse. She is very aggressive and uses her power to pin her opponents back with her hard, flat, and deep groundstrokes. She also does a great job of wearing down opponents by running them back and forth.
For Muguruza, she will try to beat Serena to the punch and hit balls with depth to get her on defense. We saw this in the quarterfinal match against Azarenka. Azarenka didn't win, but she was able to push Serena to a third set. If Muguruza can get it to that point, let the chips fall where they may.
Muguruza has a nice and aggressive game that is being rewarded nicely. However, this match is on Serena. If Serena plays at her best, or anywhere near her best, she will win. However, if she plays as lethargic as last year's French Open, Muguruza will pull off the upset.
(20) Garbine Muguruza d. (13) Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
(1) Serena Williams d. (4) Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-4
Women's Final Preview:
Serena is chasing history. She's only two major titles away from tying the great Steffi Graf, who has 22 major titles. She's looking to complete the "Serena" slam and win and hold all four major titles in a row. If she wins the final, she'll be looking to complete the calendar year slam by winning all four major titles for the first time since Steffi Graf in 1988.
Serena currently holds a 2-1 edge all-time against Muguruza. In their first meeting, Serena cruised to an easy 6-2, 6-0 win in the second round of the 2013 Australian Open. In their second meeting, Muguruza did the unthinkable and destroyed Serena 6-2, 6-0 in the second round at last year's French Open. In their latest meeting, Serena returned the favor by defeating Muguruza 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the round of 16 in the Australian Open this year.
Serena has the complete package with her serve, defense, volleying, serve, and finesse. She is very aggressive and uses her power to pin her opponents back with her hard, flat, and deep groundstrokes. She also does a great job of wearing down opponents by running them back and forth.
For Muguruza, she will try to beat Serena to the punch and hit balls with depth to get her on defense. We saw this in the quarterfinal match against Azarenka. Azarenka didn't win, but she was able to push Serena to a third set. If Muguruza can get it to that point, let the chips fall where they may.
Muguruza has a nice and aggressive game that is being rewarded nicely. However, this match is on Serena. If Serena plays at her best, or anywhere near her best, she will win. However, if she plays as lethargic as last year's French Open, Muguruza will pull off the upset.
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
2015 Wimbledon Men's Semifinal Preview
Quarterfinal Scores:
(1) Novak Djokovic d. (9) Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
(21) Richard Gasquet d. (4) Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 11-9
(3) Andy Murray d. Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
(2) Roger Federer d. Gilles Simon 6-3, 7-5, 6-2
(21) Richard Gasquet vs. (1) Novak Djokovic
Gasquet is in his second career Wimbledon semifinal after edging out Wawrinka in the best match of the tournament, and one of the best in Wimbledon history. He's peaking at the right time and is looking confident. He looks as if he's regained his 2013 form that saw him reach the 2013 U.S. Open and finish inside the top 10 in the world.
Djokovic looks like he cleaned up his game in the straight sets defeat of Cilic in the quarterfinals. There wasn't a lot he did wrong and looks to be in great shape heading into this matchup.
Djokovic has owned Gasquet all-time with an 11-1 advantage, with Gasquet's lone victory coming in the Tennis Masters Cup in 2007.
Gasquet has done a great job getting to this point, but I don't feel he has enough to beat the steady Djokovic.
If he's to win, Gasquet has to go for broke and punish Nole with the one handed backhand like Wawrinka did at the French Open. Gasquet doesn't have the best serve in the world, but he needs to do everything he can to hold serve and put pressure on Nole's serve.
For Djokovic, he will look to stay sharp with his hard and flat groundstrokes and push Gasquet around the court. He can't afford to let Gasquet get into a rhythm.
I thought he fell in love with the drop shot a little too much at the French Open, but as long as he uses it sparingly, it should help him in this matchup.
In the end, I don't think Gasquet will have the weapons to pull it out. However, as long as he has a "nothing to lose" attitude and goes for his shots, he can turn this into an interesting match.
(3) Andy Murray vs. (2) Roger Federer
This will be the 23rd meeting head-to-head for both players. Federer holds a slim 12-11 advantage, but Federer has won the past three meetings, and has a 4-1 lead in meetings at the majors. They've both split their two meetings on grass. Federer won the first matchup in the 2012 Wimbledon final 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. A few weeks later, Murray returned the favor by winning 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.
The same thing I said in the preview of the quarterfinal matches applies here as well. Murray cannot and must not become defensive. If he does, he's toast. He needs to feed off the hyped crowd and the home court advantage he possesses.
He needs to try to make the match physical and wear Federer down. At this stage of his career, if this match goes the distance (and assuming there aren't any lopsided sets like 6-0 or 6-1), I like Murray's chances.
Murray also needs to attack Federer's second serve and be able to make the passing shots when Federer approaches the net.
Murray also has a tendency to let his emotions get the best of him, at times. For him to win, he needs to accept some things won't go his way and Federer will make unbelievable shots. He must focus on the task at hand and put the bad thoughts and moments behind im.
Federer wants to shorten the match, and show why he's one of the greatest servers of all-time. Andy Roddick served the ball harder than Federer, but Federer is a master at hitting his spots.
Federer needs to be precise and attack with shots from both wings. He possesses all the shots in the arsenal with the lethal slices, drop shots, serve, forehand, and backhand.
He will also need to attack Murray's second serve. In his round of 16 match with Karlovic, Murray hit second serves clocked at 80 and 84 mph.
Can "FedEx" take out Murray in either three or four sets? Can Murray keep his emotions in check? Will Murray play the aggressive style of tennis required to beat the "Swiss Maestro", especially on grass?
(1) Novak Djokovic d. (9) Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
(21) Richard Gasquet d. (4) Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 11-9
(3) Andy Murray d. Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
(2) Roger Federer d. Gilles Simon 6-3, 7-5, 6-2
(21) Richard Gasquet vs. (1) Novak Djokovic
Gasquet is in his second career Wimbledon semifinal after edging out Wawrinka in the best match of the tournament, and one of the best in Wimbledon history. He's peaking at the right time and is looking confident. He looks as if he's regained his 2013 form that saw him reach the 2013 U.S. Open and finish inside the top 10 in the world.
Djokovic looks like he cleaned up his game in the straight sets defeat of Cilic in the quarterfinals. There wasn't a lot he did wrong and looks to be in great shape heading into this matchup.
Djokovic has owned Gasquet all-time with an 11-1 advantage, with Gasquet's lone victory coming in the Tennis Masters Cup in 2007.
Gasquet has done a great job getting to this point, but I don't feel he has enough to beat the steady Djokovic.
If he's to win, Gasquet has to go for broke and punish Nole with the one handed backhand like Wawrinka did at the French Open. Gasquet doesn't have the best serve in the world, but he needs to do everything he can to hold serve and put pressure on Nole's serve.
For Djokovic, he will look to stay sharp with his hard and flat groundstrokes and push Gasquet around the court. He can't afford to let Gasquet get into a rhythm.
I thought he fell in love with the drop shot a little too much at the French Open, but as long as he uses it sparingly, it should help him in this matchup.
In the end, I don't think Gasquet will have the weapons to pull it out. However, as long as he has a "nothing to lose" attitude and goes for his shots, he can turn this into an interesting match.
(3) Andy Murray vs. (2) Roger Federer
This will be the 23rd meeting head-to-head for both players. Federer holds a slim 12-11 advantage, but Federer has won the past three meetings, and has a 4-1 lead in meetings at the majors. They've both split their two meetings on grass. Federer won the first matchup in the 2012 Wimbledon final 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. A few weeks later, Murray returned the favor by winning 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.
The same thing I said in the preview of the quarterfinal matches applies here as well. Murray cannot and must not become defensive. If he does, he's toast. He needs to feed off the hyped crowd and the home court advantage he possesses.
He needs to try to make the match physical and wear Federer down. At this stage of his career, if this match goes the distance (and assuming there aren't any lopsided sets like 6-0 or 6-1), I like Murray's chances.
Murray also needs to attack Federer's second serve and be able to make the passing shots when Federer approaches the net.
Murray also has a tendency to let his emotions get the best of him, at times. For him to win, he needs to accept some things won't go his way and Federer will make unbelievable shots. He must focus on the task at hand and put the bad thoughts and moments behind im.
Federer wants to shorten the match, and show why he's one of the greatest servers of all-time. Andy Roddick served the ball harder than Federer, but Federer is a master at hitting his spots.
Federer needs to be precise and attack with shots from both wings. He possesses all the shots in the arsenal with the lethal slices, drop shots, serve, forehand, and backhand.
He will also need to attack Murray's second serve. In his round of 16 match with Karlovic, Murray hit second serves clocked at 80 and 84 mph.
Can "FedEx" take out Murray in either three or four sets? Can Murray keep his emotions in check? Will Murray play the aggressive style of tennis required to beat the "Swiss Maestro", especially on grass?
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
2015 Wimbledon Women's Semifinal Preview
Quarterfinal Scores
(1) Serena Williams d. (23) Victoria Azarenka 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
(4) Maria Sharapova d. Coco Vandeweghe 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-2
(20) Garbine Muguruza d. (15) Timea Baczinsky 7-5, 6-3
(13) Agnieszka Radwanska d. (21) Madison Keys 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-3
Semifinal Matches:
(1) Serena Williams vs. (4) Maria Sharapova
It's well documented of Serena's dominance over Sharapova. Not only has Serena won 16 matches in a row (dating back to 2005), but she's only lost three sets to Sharapova. In fact, I was a freshman in college in 2004, when Sharapova last defeated Serena.
I've said it before and I've said it again. When Serena is on, there isn't a lot anyone can do to stop her. What's funny is Serena seems to always play her best against Sharapova as if she's proving a point. With Serena's lofty and amazing credentials, she doesn't need to prove anything to anyone, but I'd like to provide a case in point. Serena lost to Alize Cornet in all three meetings last year, but has routinely dispatched Sharapova, and in relative ease in some cases. I don't mean to disrespect Cornet. She's a good player, but how else can you explain it? I understand the concept about matchups. Different players will pose different problems for players. This is true, but Cornet doesn't have the weapons to really hurt Serena.
Serena is always up to facing Sharapova. It seems she gets a thrill of not just winning titles, but denying Sharapova from winning. It's as if she says if she loses to anyone, it won't be her.
With that being said, this match is Serena's to lose. We've seen players getting inside other player's heads before. Djokovic got inside Nadal's head in 2011 before Rafa turned it around in 2012. Before that, Nadal has gotten inside Federer's head, especially after their classic Wimbleon battle in 2008.
Even though they've played on grass since Sharapova notched the massive upset in the 2004 Wimbledon final, Serena will still remember that feeling of losing to her vividly. Serena remembered when she beat Sharapova in the round of 16 at SW19 in 2010, and when she embarrassed Sharapova in the Olympic final that saw her win only one game in 2012.
Despite her dominance over Sharapova, she knows not to take anything for granted.
Sharapova, despite her aggressive game, doesn't have the weapons to hurt Serena. Serena does everything better: serving, defense and movement, volleying, and finesse (i.e. drop shots and slices).
For Sharapova, her only hope will be to make Serena generate her own pace with slices and try to bring her in with drop shots so she can set up the passing shots. She's learned that trying to go toe-to-toe from the baseline is a bad idea.
For Serena, she needs to make Sharapova feel the pressure. Sharapova has hit 11 winners, but has double faulted 28 times. Serena must take advantage of these free points.
Serena also needs to expose Sharapova's game. She should throw in a few slices to make her generate her own pace and to use her 6-foot-2 inch frame to reach for the low balls. She needs to expose her movement by running her around from side to side on the court and hitting a few drop shots.
(13) Agnieszka Radwanska vs. (20) Garbine Muguruza
Radwanska is on a renaissance of sorts. She's taken full advantage of Kvitova's loss to make an improbable run at SW19. She needs to remain steady and remember she's the veteran and to minimize the unforced errors.
Muguruza is in her first career major semifinal. Will the nerves get to her on this occasion? We saw how poorly Sabine Lisicki handled the Wimbledon final two years ago in a loss against Marion Bartoli.
Muguruza needs to remain aggressive and go for her shots. If Radwanska leaves any balls short, she must pounce.
Radwanska is a counterpuncher by nature. She needs to be a little more aggressive in this matchup because Muguruza can overwhelm her with her power.
In the end, we will see who will hold their nerves better. Muguruza is talented, but has developed into a consistent force, yet. Radwanska, while having a down year, has been around and was known for her consistency before this season.
The fast grass courts should favor Muguruza's aggressive offense instead of Radwanska's defensiveness. However, this is a toss-up. It will probably go to three sets, but we will see who is able to impose their will on the other. If Radwanska, can become aggressive, she will win. However, if Muguruza comes out firing and is able to dictate play, I will like her chances.
(1) Serena Williams d. (23) Victoria Azarenka 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
(4) Maria Sharapova d. Coco Vandeweghe 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-2
(20) Garbine Muguruza d. (15) Timea Baczinsky 7-5, 6-3
(13) Agnieszka Radwanska d. (21) Madison Keys 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-3
Semifinal Matches:
(1) Serena Williams vs. (4) Maria Sharapova
It's well documented of Serena's dominance over Sharapova. Not only has Serena won 16 matches in a row (dating back to 2005), but she's only lost three sets to Sharapova. In fact, I was a freshman in college in 2004, when Sharapova last defeated Serena.
I've said it before and I've said it again. When Serena is on, there isn't a lot anyone can do to stop her. What's funny is Serena seems to always play her best against Sharapova as if she's proving a point. With Serena's lofty and amazing credentials, she doesn't need to prove anything to anyone, but I'd like to provide a case in point. Serena lost to Alize Cornet in all three meetings last year, but has routinely dispatched Sharapova, and in relative ease in some cases. I don't mean to disrespect Cornet. She's a good player, but how else can you explain it? I understand the concept about matchups. Different players will pose different problems for players. This is true, but Cornet doesn't have the weapons to really hurt Serena.
Serena is always up to facing Sharapova. It seems she gets a thrill of not just winning titles, but denying Sharapova from winning. It's as if she says if she loses to anyone, it won't be her.
With that being said, this match is Serena's to lose. We've seen players getting inside other player's heads before. Djokovic got inside Nadal's head in 2011 before Rafa turned it around in 2012. Before that, Nadal has gotten inside Federer's head, especially after their classic Wimbleon battle in 2008.
Even though they've played on grass since Sharapova notched the massive upset in the 2004 Wimbledon final, Serena will still remember that feeling of losing to her vividly. Serena remembered when she beat Sharapova in the round of 16 at SW19 in 2010, and when she embarrassed Sharapova in the Olympic final that saw her win only one game in 2012.
Despite her dominance over Sharapova, she knows not to take anything for granted.
Sharapova, despite her aggressive game, doesn't have the weapons to hurt Serena. Serena does everything better: serving, defense and movement, volleying, and finesse (i.e. drop shots and slices).
For Sharapova, her only hope will be to make Serena generate her own pace with slices and try to bring her in with drop shots so she can set up the passing shots. She's learned that trying to go toe-to-toe from the baseline is a bad idea.
For Serena, she needs to make Sharapova feel the pressure. Sharapova has hit 11 winners, but has double faulted 28 times. Serena must take advantage of these free points.
Serena also needs to expose Sharapova's game. She should throw in a few slices to make her generate her own pace and to use her 6-foot-2 inch frame to reach for the low balls. She needs to expose her movement by running her around from side to side on the court and hitting a few drop shots.
(13) Agnieszka Radwanska vs. (20) Garbine Muguruza
Radwanska is on a renaissance of sorts. She's taken full advantage of Kvitova's loss to make an improbable run at SW19. She needs to remain steady and remember she's the veteran and to minimize the unforced errors.
Muguruza is in her first career major semifinal. Will the nerves get to her on this occasion? We saw how poorly Sabine Lisicki handled the Wimbledon final two years ago in a loss against Marion Bartoli.
Muguruza needs to remain aggressive and go for her shots. If Radwanska leaves any balls short, she must pounce.
Radwanska is a counterpuncher by nature. She needs to be a little more aggressive in this matchup because Muguruza can overwhelm her with her power.
In the end, we will see who will hold their nerves better. Muguruza is talented, but has developed into a consistent force, yet. Radwanska, while having a down year, has been around and was known for her consistency before this season.
The fast grass courts should favor Muguruza's aggressive offense instead of Radwanska's defensiveness. However, this is a toss-up. It will probably go to three sets, but we will see who is able to impose their will on the other. If Radwanska, can become aggressive, she will win. However, if Muguruza comes out firing and is able to dictate play, I will like her chances.
2015 Wimbledon Men's Quarterfinal Preview
Men's Quarterfinals:
(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (9) Marin Cilic
The number one player in the world survived a stern test from (14) Kevin Anderson by coming back from a two sets to love deficit.
Cilic survived a 12-10 fifth set in the round over the "Marathon Man" John Isner.
These two played last year with Djokovic coming back two sets to one down.
Cilic is the type of player that blows hot and cold. You expect him to make a deep run to the quarterfinals or semifinals, but loses in the first or second round. He receives a dangerous opponent in the first round, but makes a deep run.
Cilic was regaining his form after missing nearly a year due to a suspension. This time, his form has been lacking, but he deserves credit for making it this far.
Cilic's coach, Goran Ivanisevic, deserves a lot of credit for helping the 6-foot-6 Cilic amp up his serve. This slight adjustment helped him win his first major title at the U.S. Open last year. Unfortunately, Djokovic is the best returner in the game today.
I don't see an upset here. Cilic will do well to get a set and make it competitive, kind of what Grigor Dimitrov did against Djokovic last year. But then again, I didn't think Anderson could have Nole on the brink of elimination either.
I don't see Cilic breaking Djokovic's serve a lot. For him, his best chance will be taking a page out of Anderson's book and beating him in tiebreakers.
For Djokovic, this is where coach Boris Becker earns his money. Becker, a three time Wimbledon champion, knows exactly what he's going through. Djokovic will look to punish Cilic with his lethal groundstrokes and mix in a little bit of volleying to keep him guessing.
Djokovic doesn't seem as distracted by his crushing French Open loss as I thought he might've been. Nevertheless, if Cilic can somehow, someway, regain his top form, this could be an interesting match.
(4) Stan Wawrinka vs. (21) Richard Gasquet
This match will display the best one-handed backhands in the game today. Gasquet has done well to get to this point in the tournament. He's beaten a struggling Dimitrov and a dangerous, but inconsistent Kyrgios to reach this point.
Wawrinka's previous career best a Wimbledon was a quarterfinal appearance last year. He looks to be in good shape to go further this year.
Gasquet has played very well in this tournament and looks to be peaking at the right time. Still, there's a reason why Wawrinka has won two career major titles, despite his inconsistencies.
Stan the Man has yet to drop a set so far. His aggressive game and hard, flat groundstrokes (especially on the backhand side) is paying off on the quick grass surface. He uses it to bully his opponents on the court and not allowing them to get into a rhythm.
For Gasquet, he needs Wawrinka to bring his "B" game or lower. If Wawrinka bring his "A" game, there won't be a lot he can do to hurt him. Still, Gasquet needs to dictate play and stay away from Wawrinka's lethal backhand. As good as Gasquet's backhand is, Wawrinka's is clearly better.
Vasek Posipil vs. (3) Andy Murray
Pospisil has been a benefactor of (8) David Ferrer's withdraw and (10) Rafael Nadal's second round loss. Nevertheless, he's beaten the guys he's had to play (including seeded players Fognini and Troicki), and he should be commended for it.
Pospisil has a nice serve, but it's not as good as Ivo Karlovic's. Karlovic was able to use his serve and an aggressive offensive approach to cause a host of problems for Murray. Karlovic hit a whopping 29 aces (with only four double faults), and 75 winners (to only 32 unforced errors). Karlovic's demise was his poor return game (he broke only once out five tries) and a poor net game in which he won only 46/106 (43%) points won at the net.
For Pospisil to have a chance, he will need to be aggressive, like Karlovic, but do a better job attacking Murray's serve and doing a lot better at the net.
Murray will be the overwhelming favorite in front of his home crowd. Still, Pospisil doesn't really have the weapons to hurt Murray. The key for Murray is to not get too defensive. There are certain times in a match when Murray, especially when he's feeling pressure (i.e. down break point or set point), gets too defensive and allows his opponents to push him around on the court. Of course, when playing the likes of Djokovic or Federer, this usually spells trouble, but Pospisil is no where near those two players' level.
(12) Gilles Simon vs. (2) Roger Federer
Simon, who routinely dispatched (6) Tomas Berdych in a straight sets upset in the round of 16, is only in his second career major quarterfinal and his best career result at SW19.
Simon only sports a career 2-5 record versus "FedEx", and hasn't beaten him since the pair's first two meetings in Canada and the Tennis Masters Cup (now known as the ATP World Tour Finals) in 2008. Still, he's taken Federer to five sets in both of their career meetings in majors (2011 Australian Open and 2013 French Open). In their last meeting, Federer needed a pair of tiebreakers (7-6 (6),7-6(2)) to beat him in the finals in Shanghai.
Oddly, this is the first career meeting on grass for the Frenchman and Swiss maestro.
Simon seems like a consistent guy, who won't overwhelm anyone with power, but will not go away. Although he doesn't crush the ball, he's accurate with his groundstrokes.
Federer, who's looking to prove he can win majors at nearly 34 years of age, has all the pressure on his shoulders in this match. Federer is one of the best players at dealing with pressure. So, that shouldn't be a problem.
Simon's problem is he's too defensive. He will need to get out of his comfort zone and push Federer around the court. This is a big ask for him, and it will be harder for him to do it in a best of five sets format.
However, at his advanced age, the last thing Federer wants is to spend four or five hours a five set battle. We've seen what these types of battles have done to him in recent years. He won't have anything left in the tank. At the U.S. Open last year, he survived Gael Monfils by coming back down two sets to win only to be destroyed by the eventual champion, Cilic in straight sets. The Olympic format uses a best two out three format leading to final. He edged out Juan Martin del Potro in a vicious 19-17 third set battle, but was dismantled by Murray in the final.
Federer will look to keep the points short and not get into too many long rallies. He does a good job of attacking the net and mixing in serve and volleying throughout his matches.
Simon will need to be ready to pass Federer and make him pay whenever he comes in to the net.
Monday, July 6, 2015
2015 Wimbledon Round of 16 Review and Women's Quarterfinals Preview
Round of 16 Scores:
Men's
(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (14) Kevin Anderson 6-7(8), 6-7(8), 6-1, 7-5
(9) Marin Cilic d. (WC) Denis Kudla 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
(4) Stan Wawrinka d. (16) David Goffin 7-6(3), 7-6(7), 6-4
(21) Richard Gasquet d. (26) Nick Kyrgios 7-5, 6-1, 6-7(7), 7-6(6)
Vasek Pospisil d. (22) Viktor Troicki 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-3, 6-3
(3) Andy Murray d. (23) Ivo Karlovic 7-6(7), 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
(12) Gilles Simon d. (6) Tomas Berdych 6-3, 6-3, 6-2
(2) Roger Federer vs. (20) Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
Women's
(1) Serena Williams d. (16) Venus Williams 6-4, 6-3
(23) Victoria Azarenka d. (30) Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-3
(4) Maria Sharapova d. Zarina Diyas 6-4, 6-4
Coco Vandeweghe d. (6) Lucie Safarova 7-6(1), 7-6(4)
(20) Garbine Muguruza d. (5) Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-4
(15) Timea Baczinsky d. Monica Niculescu 1-6, 7-5, 6-2
(21) Madison Keys d. (Q) Olga Govortsova 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
(13) Agnieszka Radwanska d. (28) Jelena Jankovic 7-5, 6-4
Women's Quarterfinals Preview
(1) Serena Williams vs. (23) Victoria Azarenka
Serena holds a 16-3 lifetime record versus Azarenka, including a 3-0 record on grass. The last time they faced each other on the surface, Serena routed Azarenka 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals at the 2012 Olympics (held at Wimbledon).
Azarenka has given Serena all she could handle in three sets in Madrid and the French Open over the past couple of months. However, that was clay.
Azarenka has the power to give Serena trouble with her hard groundstrokes. More than any other player, she needs to limit the unforced errors and double faults. As great of a player Serena is, the last thing Vika needs is to give away free games.
Serena clicked on all cylinders in her round of 16 defeat of Venus. She played a near flawless match that saw her commit only 26 winners and 13 unforced errors. When Serena plays at that level, there isn't anyone on the planet who could beat her.
With such a short turnaround, it will help Serena that she defeated her big sister in straight sets. The last thing she needed was for a nearly three hour battle and to play the following day on short fuel.
There won't be any secrets between the two players. They both bring out the best in each other. They both know what they need to do to win, but in the end, I like Serena to win this match. Despite Serena's mind boggling lapses at times, she is still too consistent.
It will be tough for Vika to return against the greatest serve in the history of the women's game on grass. Plus, Serena possesses an all-around game with her serve, defense, and groundstrokes.
This match will go three sets, but Serena will prevail.
(4) Maria Sharapova vs. Coco Vandeweghe
Vandeweghe has beaten three consecutive seeded players at SW19, but can she make it four?
Vandeweghe and Sharapova will be a battle of power. The question is which person will be able to dictate play and impose her will on the other?
Vandeweghe has gotten free points off her serve at this tournament. In order to beat Sharapova, she will need to keep getting free points. Honestly, I don't know how things will go if she tries to trade blows with Sharapova from the baseline.
Vandeweghe has done a good job of mixing up her serves and speeds to keep the returner off balance. She will need to mix in a dose of slices to keep the ball low on Sharapova to make her generate her own pace and to make her bend low to hit the balls.
For Sharapova, all the pressure will be on her. To borrow a line from Kevin Smith's Clerks, in which Dante (Brian O'Halloran) constantly reminds viewers, "I'm not even supposed to be here today".
Sharapova will need to use her experience to get her through the match. She will need to use her consistency in this match. Vandeweghe is playing the best tennis of her life, but hasn't been able to prove it on a consistant basis.
Sharapova will look to dictate play to push Vandeweghe around from side to side and to try to wear her down over the course of the match.
(20) Garbine Muguruza vs. (15) Timea Baczinsky
Baczinsky is looking to build on her best year on the WTA and a run to the semifinals at the French Open.
Muguruza, while inconsistent, has proven to cause headaches when she's on her game.
Muguruza's aggressive offensive game has translated very well to grass. She will need to remain focused and to play on her terms.
Baczinsky, who could be a winner of both the Comeback and Most Improved Player awards, has been shown nice consistency on the WTA tour this year. Baczinsky looks to have the sort of game that translates all surfaces.
You just don't know what you'll get from Muguruza. If she plays up to her capabilities, this match could be one of the best matches of the year. If not, Baczinsky could win the match within one hour.
(21) Madison Keys vs. (13) Agnieszka Radwanska
The addition of Lindsay Davenport to her team is one of the best things to happen to Keys. She has given her a belief and confidence to take her game to the next level. Keys is looking to advance to her second major semifinal this year.
Keys has benefited from a pair of upsets in her section, but deserves credit for handling her business and advancing.
Radwanska has a huge opportunity to rectify a dismal season thus far. However, she's looking to turn a corner and a win over Keys could put her one win away from reaching her second career Wimbledon semifinal.
In the past, I would have given Radwanska a clear cut advantage because of her consistency. But, she's lost that edge this year and all bets are off.
Keys possesses a the type of aggressive game with a huge serve and big groundstrokes to win a few Wimbledon titles in her career. She's only 20 years old, but like others I've mentioned, needs to consistently do it.
Radwanska won't wow anyone with power, but is more of a finesse type of player who gets a lot of balls in play. She does a good job of making players hit the one extra ball that could be an unforced error.
On track record alone, I would give Radwanska the edge. However, with her drop in form, this will be a very close match. Which player will be more consistent? Keys has been known to play well in one set, but lose focus and intensity in the next set.
Keys has been able to get a little more match play on grass by playing doubles with Laura Robson and mixed doubles with fellow young gun, Nick Kyrgios. Will this extra play affect her energy level or give her more confidence?
In a bit of a contrast of styles, we will see which wins out: Radwanska's finesse or Keys' power?
Men's
(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (14) Kevin Anderson 6-7(8), 6-7(8), 6-1, 7-5
(9) Marin Cilic d. (WC) Denis Kudla 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
(4) Stan Wawrinka d. (16) David Goffin 7-6(3), 7-6(7), 6-4
(21) Richard Gasquet d. (26) Nick Kyrgios 7-5, 6-1, 6-7(7), 7-6(6)
Vasek Pospisil d. (22) Viktor Troicki 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-3, 6-3
(3) Andy Murray d. (23) Ivo Karlovic 7-6(7), 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
(12) Gilles Simon d. (6) Tomas Berdych 6-3, 6-3, 6-2
(2) Roger Federer vs. (20) Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
Women's
(1) Serena Williams d. (16) Venus Williams 6-4, 6-3
(23) Victoria Azarenka d. (30) Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-3
(4) Maria Sharapova d. Zarina Diyas 6-4, 6-4
Coco Vandeweghe d. (6) Lucie Safarova 7-6(1), 7-6(4)
(20) Garbine Muguruza d. (5) Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-4
(15) Timea Baczinsky d. Monica Niculescu 1-6, 7-5, 6-2
(21) Madison Keys d. (Q) Olga Govortsova 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
(13) Agnieszka Radwanska d. (28) Jelena Jankovic 7-5, 6-4
Women's Quarterfinals Preview
(1) Serena Williams vs. (23) Victoria Azarenka
Serena holds a 16-3 lifetime record versus Azarenka, including a 3-0 record on grass. The last time they faced each other on the surface, Serena routed Azarenka 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals at the 2012 Olympics (held at Wimbledon).
Azarenka has given Serena all she could handle in three sets in Madrid and the French Open over the past couple of months. However, that was clay.
Azarenka has the power to give Serena trouble with her hard groundstrokes. More than any other player, she needs to limit the unforced errors and double faults. As great of a player Serena is, the last thing Vika needs is to give away free games.
Serena clicked on all cylinders in her round of 16 defeat of Venus. She played a near flawless match that saw her commit only 26 winners and 13 unforced errors. When Serena plays at that level, there isn't anyone on the planet who could beat her.
With such a short turnaround, it will help Serena that she defeated her big sister in straight sets. The last thing she needed was for a nearly three hour battle and to play the following day on short fuel.
There won't be any secrets between the two players. They both bring out the best in each other. They both know what they need to do to win, but in the end, I like Serena to win this match. Despite Serena's mind boggling lapses at times, she is still too consistent.
It will be tough for Vika to return against the greatest serve in the history of the women's game on grass. Plus, Serena possesses an all-around game with her serve, defense, and groundstrokes.
This match will go three sets, but Serena will prevail.
(4) Maria Sharapova vs. Coco Vandeweghe
Vandeweghe has beaten three consecutive seeded players at SW19, but can she make it four?
Vandeweghe and Sharapova will be a battle of power. The question is which person will be able to dictate play and impose her will on the other?
Vandeweghe has gotten free points off her serve at this tournament. In order to beat Sharapova, she will need to keep getting free points. Honestly, I don't know how things will go if she tries to trade blows with Sharapova from the baseline.
Vandeweghe has done a good job of mixing up her serves and speeds to keep the returner off balance. She will need to mix in a dose of slices to keep the ball low on Sharapova to make her generate her own pace and to make her bend low to hit the balls.
For Sharapova, all the pressure will be on her. To borrow a line from Kevin Smith's Clerks, in which Dante (Brian O'Halloran) constantly reminds viewers, "I'm not even supposed to be here today".
Sharapova will need to use her experience to get her through the match. She will need to use her consistency in this match. Vandeweghe is playing the best tennis of her life, but hasn't been able to prove it on a consistant basis.
Sharapova will look to dictate play to push Vandeweghe around from side to side and to try to wear her down over the course of the match.
(20) Garbine Muguruza vs. (15) Timea Baczinsky
Baczinsky is looking to build on her best year on the WTA and a run to the semifinals at the French Open.
Muguruza, while inconsistent, has proven to cause headaches when she's on her game.
Muguruza's aggressive offensive game has translated very well to grass. She will need to remain focused and to play on her terms.
Baczinsky, who could be a winner of both the Comeback and Most Improved Player awards, has been shown nice consistency on the WTA tour this year. Baczinsky looks to have the sort of game that translates all surfaces.
You just don't know what you'll get from Muguruza. If she plays up to her capabilities, this match could be one of the best matches of the year. If not, Baczinsky could win the match within one hour.
(21) Madison Keys vs. (13) Agnieszka Radwanska
The addition of Lindsay Davenport to her team is one of the best things to happen to Keys. She has given her a belief and confidence to take her game to the next level. Keys is looking to advance to her second major semifinal this year.
Keys has benefited from a pair of upsets in her section, but deserves credit for handling her business and advancing.
Radwanska has a huge opportunity to rectify a dismal season thus far. However, she's looking to turn a corner and a win over Keys could put her one win away from reaching her second career Wimbledon semifinal.
In the past, I would have given Radwanska a clear cut advantage because of her consistency. But, she's lost that edge this year and all bets are off.
Keys possesses a the type of aggressive game with a huge serve and big groundstrokes to win a few Wimbledon titles in her career. She's only 20 years old, but like others I've mentioned, needs to consistently do it.
Radwanska won't wow anyone with power, but is more of a finesse type of player who gets a lot of balls in play. She does a good job of making players hit the one extra ball that could be an unforced error.
On track record alone, I would give Radwanska the edge. However, with her drop in form, this will be a very close match. Which player will be more consistent? Keys has been known to play well in one set, but lose focus and intensity in the next set.
Keys has been able to get a little more match play on grass by playing doubles with Laura Robson and mixed doubles with fellow young gun, Nick Kyrgios. Will this extra play affect her energy level or give her more confidence?
In a bit of a contrast of styles, we will see which wins out: Radwanska's finesse or Keys' power?
Saturday, July 4, 2015
2015 Wimbledon Third Round Review and Round of 16 Preview
Third Round Upsets:
Men's
(WC) Denis Kudla d. Santiago Giraldo 6-2, 6-7(3), 2-6, 6-1, 6-3
(21) Richard Gasquet d. (11) Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
(26) Nick Kyrgios d. (7) Milos Raonic, 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(3), 6-3
(23) Ivo Karlovic d. (13) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(9)
Women's
Zarina Diyas d. (14) Andrea Petkovic 7-5, 6-4
Coco Vandeweghe d. (22) Sam Stosur 6-0, 6-2
(20) Garbine Muguruza d. (10) Angelique Kerber 7-6(12), 1-6, 6-2
(Q) Olga Govortsova d. Magdalena Rybarikova 7-6(4), 6-3
(28) Jelena Jankovic d. (2) Petra Kvitova 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
Round of 16 Matches to Watch/Upset Alert:
Men's
(26) Nick Kyrgios d. (21) Richard Gasquet
I'm not sure how much of an upset this would be, if Kyrgios won. After all, he upset Gasquet in the second round, and came back from two sets to love down in the process. As documented before, Gasquet has had his struggles for the past year and a half, but Kyrgios hasn't done much outside the slams, outside of upsetting Federer in Madrid in May.
These two faced off in the final in Estori in May. Gasquet cruised to a routine 6-3, 6-2 win, but the match was on clay.
Gasquet probably has the second best one hand backhand (behind Stan Wawrinka) in the game today. Kyrgios seems to posses more firepower constantly with his groundstrokes on the backhand and forehand wings. Plus, he will be able to get more cheap points on his serve.
I predict Kyrgios pulls off the upset and advances to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the second consecutive year.
(23) Ivo Karlovic vs. (3) Andy Murray
"Dr. Ivo" caused a massive shock by sending the reigining champion Lleyton Hewitt packing in a first round upset at Wimbledon in 2003.
Karlovic definitely has the game to cause problems for the top players. Novak Djokovic has lost three matches this year: in the final of the French Open to Stan Wawrinka, in the final in Dubai to Roger Federer, and to Karlovic in Doha in January.
Karlovic's problem is his poor movement and lack of quality returns will hurt him in his match. However, Karlovic knows he can't hang with Murray on the baseline. So, he will probably look to utilize serve and volley throughout the match. Imagine trying to pass someone 6 feet 10 inches at the net!!!
Ever since winning Wimbledon in 2013, Murray finally got rid of the pressure of winning Wimbledon off his back. Murray will probably look to utilize slices to keep the ball low on Karlovic, and just do anything to get the ball back in play on Karlovic's serves. Murray is one of the best defenders. He will hope to wear Karlovic down by making the match physical, while Karlovic will look to shorten points.
Karlovic can win one set (probably in a tiebreaker), but I don't see him beating Murray in a best of five match on Murray's turf.
Women's
(1) Serena Williams vs. (16) Venus Williams
For the first time since 2009, we will get a Williams sisters showdown at Wimbledon. Serena holds a 14-11 lead in their rivalry and a 3-2 lead on grass. Nevertheless, Venus was able to snap her five match losing streak to her little sister in the semifinals at the Rogers Cup last August.
Serena and Venus have split their last two meetings at SW19. Venus beat Serena in the final in 2008, with Serena returning the favor the next year.
Venus has had an easier time at Wimbledon while Serena narrowly avoided the upset against home crowd favorite Heather Watson in the third round.
This matchup is going to come down to who will be able to hold their nerve in this match. Serena has a lot riding on the line in this match. She's only lost once this year, and is looking for her second "Serena" slam of her career. She's also looking to keep her chances of a calendar year Grand slam alive.
For 35-year old Venus, this may be her last chance to hold the Venus Rosewater dish. Will she be able to hit her spots on her serve? Will she be able to shorten points and come in?
Serena needs to clean up her game. She seemed lethargic at certain points in her match with Watson in the third round. With Wimbledon not having play on the middle Sunday, Serena will get two days off to recover and to hit the practice courts to fine tune her game.
I like Serena to win, but I think she will win in two tight sets.
(23) Victoria Azarenka vs. (30) Belinda Bencic
This matchup pits a former number one player in the world vs. an 18-year old upstart. Will Bencic be able to play as loose as Dustin Brown did in his upset of Rafa? Is Azarenka regaining her form that took her to two major titles and the number one ranking?
Bencic doesn't look like she has enough in her arsenal to pull off the upset, but I feel she could win a set, and make Vika feel pressure in this match.
(4) Maria Sharapova vs. Zarina Diyas
Diyas has already upset (24) Flavia Pennetta and (14) Petkovic. Can she pull off her third upset in four matches?
It's possible. Sharapova's serve is known to be erratic with multiple double faults. This match will come down to whether Diyas can hold her serve while doing enough to put pressure on Sharapova's.
Also, will she throw in slices to the 6 foot 2 inch Sharapova. The low ball tosses would give Sharapova fits.
Sharapova doesn't move well. Will she be able to hit through the court and dictate play?
Sharapova needs to clean up the unforced errors, in particular the double faults, in her game. She knows Diyas doesn't have anything to lose, and will probably be loose in this match. However, Sharapova has a very aggressive game with flat groundstrokes that should translate very well on grass.
Even though she's lost in the round of 16 two of the last three years, I don't see it happening this year. Diyas will do some things well, but I don't think she has the weapons to hurt Sharapova. Crazier things have happened, but I like Sharapova to advance in straight sets.
Coco Vandeweghe vs. (6) Lucie Safarova
Vandeweghe has been on fire at Wimbledon this year scoring two big upsets against (11) Karolina Pliskova and (22) Stosur in the second and third rounds respectively.
Safarova has been one of the most consistent players on tour this year and could move up higher in the rankings if she's able to defend last year's semifinal points.
Vandeweghe has a big serve that will definitely give Safarova problems. However, Safarova did a good job of avoiding the upset against an improving Sloane Stephens. I think Safarova is too consistent with her game to lose, but Vandeweghe should win one set. This will be a fun match to watch.
(5) Caroline Wozniacki vs. (20) Garbine Muguruza
Wozniacki is in her fifth round of 16 at Wimbledon, but is looking to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time.
Muguruza is coming off a big upset over former Wimbledon simifinalist (10) Kerber.
Muguruza has talent, but has been too inconsistent with her game. With the upset of Serena in the second round of the French Open last year, I thought she would end the year knocking on the top ten. It hasn't worked out that way, but she's proven to be one of the most dangerous players on the WTA when she's on.
Wozniacki has had a nice resurgence after fading away somewhat for the past couple of years.
Wozniacki seems too consistent for Muguruza. Muguruza brought the goods against Kerber, can she muster it up for the second straight match? I don't think so, but I do think this match will go three sets.
(13) Agnieszka Radwanksa vs. (28) Jelena Jankovic
Jankovic pulled off the biggest upset at Wimbledon so far. Her confidence has to be high, but how much does the 30-year old have left in the tank after going the distance in each of her first three matches? The extra day of rest should help, but like Wozniacki, has never been past the round of 16.
Radwanska is a former Wimbledon finalist who looks like she's slowly regaining her form. If that's the case, I like her to hold off Radwanska. If she can show the same level of consistency that took her as high as the number two ranking, she should be fine. Unfortunately for Radwanska, she doesn't seem to be at that level, yet.
This match is going to come down to who wants it more. It will go the distance, but who will have more left in the reserves in the third set?
Men's
(WC) Denis Kudla d. Santiago Giraldo 6-2, 6-7(3), 2-6, 6-1, 6-3
(21) Richard Gasquet d. (11) Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
(26) Nick Kyrgios d. (7) Milos Raonic, 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(3), 6-3
(23) Ivo Karlovic d. (13) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(9)
Women's
Zarina Diyas d. (14) Andrea Petkovic 7-5, 6-4
Coco Vandeweghe d. (22) Sam Stosur 6-0, 6-2
(20) Garbine Muguruza d. (10) Angelique Kerber 7-6(12), 1-6, 6-2
(Q) Olga Govortsova d. Magdalena Rybarikova 7-6(4), 6-3
(28) Jelena Jankovic d. (2) Petra Kvitova 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
Round of 16 Matches to Watch/Upset Alert:
Men's
(26) Nick Kyrgios d. (21) Richard Gasquet
I'm not sure how much of an upset this would be, if Kyrgios won. After all, he upset Gasquet in the second round, and came back from two sets to love down in the process. As documented before, Gasquet has had his struggles for the past year and a half, but Kyrgios hasn't done much outside the slams, outside of upsetting Federer in Madrid in May.
These two faced off in the final in Estori in May. Gasquet cruised to a routine 6-3, 6-2 win, but the match was on clay.
Gasquet probably has the second best one hand backhand (behind Stan Wawrinka) in the game today. Kyrgios seems to posses more firepower constantly with his groundstrokes on the backhand and forehand wings. Plus, he will be able to get more cheap points on his serve.
I predict Kyrgios pulls off the upset and advances to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the second consecutive year.
(23) Ivo Karlovic vs. (3) Andy Murray
"Dr. Ivo" caused a massive shock by sending the reigining champion Lleyton Hewitt packing in a first round upset at Wimbledon in 2003.
Karlovic definitely has the game to cause problems for the top players. Novak Djokovic has lost three matches this year: in the final of the French Open to Stan Wawrinka, in the final in Dubai to Roger Federer, and to Karlovic in Doha in January.
Karlovic's problem is his poor movement and lack of quality returns will hurt him in his match. However, Karlovic knows he can't hang with Murray on the baseline. So, he will probably look to utilize serve and volley throughout the match. Imagine trying to pass someone 6 feet 10 inches at the net!!!
Ever since winning Wimbledon in 2013, Murray finally got rid of the pressure of winning Wimbledon off his back. Murray will probably look to utilize slices to keep the ball low on Karlovic, and just do anything to get the ball back in play on Karlovic's serves. Murray is one of the best defenders. He will hope to wear Karlovic down by making the match physical, while Karlovic will look to shorten points.
Karlovic can win one set (probably in a tiebreaker), but I don't see him beating Murray in a best of five match on Murray's turf.
Women's
(1) Serena Williams vs. (16) Venus Williams
For the first time since 2009, we will get a Williams sisters showdown at Wimbledon. Serena holds a 14-11 lead in their rivalry and a 3-2 lead on grass. Nevertheless, Venus was able to snap her five match losing streak to her little sister in the semifinals at the Rogers Cup last August.
Serena and Venus have split their last two meetings at SW19. Venus beat Serena in the final in 2008, with Serena returning the favor the next year.
Venus has had an easier time at Wimbledon while Serena narrowly avoided the upset against home crowd favorite Heather Watson in the third round.
This matchup is going to come down to who will be able to hold their nerve in this match. Serena has a lot riding on the line in this match. She's only lost once this year, and is looking for her second "Serena" slam of her career. She's also looking to keep her chances of a calendar year Grand slam alive.
For 35-year old Venus, this may be her last chance to hold the Venus Rosewater dish. Will she be able to hit her spots on her serve? Will she be able to shorten points and come in?
Serena needs to clean up her game. She seemed lethargic at certain points in her match with Watson in the third round. With Wimbledon not having play on the middle Sunday, Serena will get two days off to recover and to hit the practice courts to fine tune her game.
I like Serena to win, but I think she will win in two tight sets.
(23) Victoria Azarenka vs. (30) Belinda Bencic
This matchup pits a former number one player in the world vs. an 18-year old upstart. Will Bencic be able to play as loose as Dustin Brown did in his upset of Rafa? Is Azarenka regaining her form that took her to two major titles and the number one ranking?
Bencic doesn't look like she has enough in her arsenal to pull off the upset, but I feel she could win a set, and make Vika feel pressure in this match.
(4) Maria Sharapova vs. Zarina Diyas
Diyas has already upset (24) Flavia Pennetta and (14) Petkovic. Can she pull off her third upset in four matches?
It's possible. Sharapova's serve is known to be erratic with multiple double faults. This match will come down to whether Diyas can hold her serve while doing enough to put pressure on Sharapova's.
Also, will she throw in slices to the 6 foot 2 inch Sharapova. The low ball tosses would give Sharapova fits.
Sharapova doesn't move well. Will she be able to hit through the court and dictate play?
Sharapova needs to clean up the unforced errors, in particular the double faults, in her game. She knows Diyas doesn't have anything to lose, and will probably be loose in this match. However, Sharapova has a very aggressive game with flat groundstrokes that should translate very well on grass.
Even though she's lost in the round of 16 two of the last three years, I don't see it happening this year. Diyas will do some things well, but I don't think she has the weapons to hurt Sharapova. Crazier things have happened, but I like Sharapova to advance in straight sets.
Coco Vandeweghe vs. (6) Lucie Safarova
Vandeweghe has been on fire at Wimbledon this year scoring two big upsets against (11) Karolina Pliskova and (22) Stosur in the second and third rounds respectively.
Safarova has been one of the most consistent players on tour this year and could move up higher in the rankings if she's able to defend last year's semifinal points.
Vandeweghe has a big serve that will definitely give Safarova problems. However, Safarova did a good job of avoiding the upset against an improving Sloane Stephens. I think Safarova is too consistent with her game to lose, but Vandeweghe should win one set. This will be a fun match to watch.
(5) Caroline Wozniacki vs. (20) Garbine Muguruza
Wozniacki is in her fifth round of 16 at Wimbledon, but is looking to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time.
Muguruza is coming off a big upset over former Wimbledon simifinalist (10) Kerber.
Muguruza has talent, but has been too inconsistent with her game. With the upset of Serena in the second round of the French Open last year, I thought she would end the year knocking on the top ten. It hasn't worked out that way, but she's proven to be one of the most dangerous players on the WTA when she's on.
Wozniacki has had a nice resurgence after fading away somewhat for the past couple of years.
Wozniacki seems too consistent for Muguruza. Muguruza brought the goods against Kerber, can she muster it up for the second straight match? I don't think so, but I do think this match will go three sets.
(13) Agnieszka Radwanksa vs. (28) Jelena Jankovic
Jankovic pulled off the biggest upset at Wimbledon so far. Her confidence has to be high, but how much does the 30-year old have left in the tank after going the distance in each of her first three matches? The extra day of rest should help, but like Wozniacki, has never been past the round of 16.
Radwanska is a former Wimbledon finalist who looks like she's slowly regaining her form. If that's the case, I like her to hold off Radwanska. If she can show the same level of consistency that took her as high as the number two ranking, she should be fine. Unfortunately for Radwanska, she doesn't seem to be at that level, yet.
This match is going to come down to who wants it more. It will go the distance, but who will have more left in the reserves in the third set?
Thursday, July 2, 2015
2015 Wimbledon: Second Round Review and Third Round Preview
2nd Round Upsets:
Men's
(WC) Denis Kudla d. Alexander Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-4
Fernando Verdasco d. (32) Dominic Thiem 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
(WC) James Ward d. Jiri Vesely 6-2, 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-3
Vasek Pospisil d. (30) Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
(Q) Dustin Brown d. (10) Rafael Nadal 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
(Q) Nikoloz Basilashvili d. (15) Feliciano Lopez 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
Women's
Aleksandra Krunic d. (19) Sara Errani 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-2
(Q) Bethanie Mattek-Sands d. (7) Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 6-4
Coco Vandeweghe d. (11) Karolina Pliskova 7-6(5), 6-4
Kristyna Pliskova d. (26) Svetlana Kuzetsova 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Magdalena Rybarikova d. (8) Ekaterina Makarova 6-2, 7-5
(Q) Olga Govortsova d. (25) Alize Cornet 7-6(6), 2-6, 6-1
Casey Dellacqua d. (17) Elina Svitolina 7-6(3), 6-3
Matches to Watch/Upset Alert:
Men's
(24) Leonardo Mayer vs. (14) Kevin Anderson
Mayer reached his current and career high ranking (21) two weeks ago and is playing some of the best tennis of his career. Like Anderson, Mayer reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon last year.
Anderson is coming off a loss to Andy Murray in the finals of Queens two weeks ago and looks to be in solid form moving forward. This matchup will come down to Anderson's vicious serves. If he's on, Mayer won't stand a chance. If he's just a bit off, it will be a toss up.
I expect Anderson to win in four sets.
(9) Marin Cilic vs. (17) John Isner
Along with Milos Raonic, Isner has the deadliest serve in the game today. Trying to return against it gives in the top players headaches. Having said that, it's surprising not to see Isner not doing better at SW19 in his career. His best results have been the third round in each of the past two years, with him looking to move forward to the round of 16 for the first time.
As Cilic showed at the 2014 U.S. Open, when he's on, he's tough to beat. He beat Roger Federer like a drum in the semifinal, which is a feat in of itself. Cilic's coach, Goran Ivanisevic, deserves a lot of credit for tweaking his serve and guiding him to the first major title in his career. Unfortunately for him, Cilic is far from the form he showed last September.
What makes the matchup so interesting is the big time serving from both players along with Isner's poor return. Honestly, I'd be shocked to see one break of serve in this match. Expect to see tiebreakers in each set. This match will be close, but given Cilic's poor form this year, I like the "Marathon Man" to pull off the upset and advance in four.
(4) Stan Wawrinka vs. Fernando Verdasco
Verdasco seems to be the type of player who thrives when the odds are against him. A good, hard serve and powerful groundstrokes will help him on grass.
Wawrinka came up with the goods in a huge upset in the final over (1) Novak Djokovic last month at the French Open. Stan's best result at Wimbledon was a quarterfinal appearance last year.
Both players are inconsistent, but Stan has taken his game to another level two years ago. It will be interesting to see if Verdasco can answer the call again after surviving Thiem in five sets. Will he have enough in the tank at this stage in his career? Wawrinka should win, but it will be four very close sets.
Marcos Baghdatis vs. (16) David Goffin
Baghdatis is not at his 2006 level which saw him reach the final of the Australian Open and the semifinal at Wimbledon. In fact, his best result since that run at Wimbledon in 2006, was a quarterfinal appearance at the same venue in 2007.
Goffin,the ATP's reigning "Comeback Player of the Year" in 2014, has done a tremendous job of moving up the ranking in the past 18 months. He won his first career singles titles last year, but lost in the final of a tune-up event in s'Hertgenbosch to Nicolas Mahut.
Baghdatis came back from two sets down against (Q) John Millman. Like Verdasco, how much will he have left in the tank for Goffin?
(11) Grigor Dimitrov vs. (21) Richard Gasquet
Both guys are in lousy form this year. I mentioned Dimitrov's fall in my post two days ago. Gasquet finished the year in the top 10 and reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open in 2013, but has been in poor form since. Both players have a couple of things in common: both have one-handed backhands and both are semifinalists (Dimitrov, 2014 and Gasquet, 2007). Neither guy has played well this year, but who will play the best in three out five sets?
(26) Nick Kyrgios vs. (7) Milos Raonic
This battle of the young guns is a rematch from last year's quarterfinal in which Raonic won in four sets. Expect to see a lot of aces with these two huge servers, but the key will be their groundstrokes. Which player will be more consistent with the backhands and forehands? Kyrgios loves to put on a show for the crowd, but will he be able to keep his focus and not go for too much?
Also, Raonic has dropped a set in his first two matches. Will he have enough match play under his belt for the dangerous Aussie?
Kyrgios pulled off a shocker to stun Rafael Nadal at SW19 last year. Does he have it in him again to beat another top ten player and avenge last year's defeat?
(WC) James Ward vs. Vasek Posipisil
This is one of the surprise matches at Wimbledon. First, (8) David Ferrer pulled out of the tournament at the last minute with an elbow injury. Instead of facing Ferrer, Ward draws (LL) Luca Vanni in the opening round.
Meanwhile, Pospisil pulled off the upset of Fognini in the second round.
Ward has the home crowd behind him. How does he handle the pressure in a match to determine a spot in the round of 16?
(22) Viktor Troicki vs. (Q) Dustin Brown
Brown pulled off a shocker in a list of four straight players ranked outside the top 100 to beat Nadal at the last four Wimbledon Championships. In each case, the player proceeded to lose the following match in the next round. This could be called the "Curse of Beating Rafa at Wimbledon". In 2012, Rosol lost to Philip Kohlschreiber in the third round after a win over Nadal. In 2013, Darcis lost via walkover to Lukasz Kubot. In 2014, Kyrgios lost in the quarterfinals to Milos Raonic. Can Brown buck this trend?
Brown swung for the fences against Rafa, and hit the ball out of the park. What kind of pressure will he feel against Troicki? People will say if he can beat Nadal, surely he can beat Troicki. Maybe, maybe not.
Troicki is probably happy to not run into Rafa again after falling to him in the final of the Mercedes Cup a few weeks ago. He will be favored in this matchup, but how will his nerves hold up now that he's expected to win.
If Brown plays anywhere near the level he played against Nadal, he will win. However, in every other case of players who've beaten Nadal, they couldn't maintain that level.
(13) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. (23) Ivo Karlovic
Both players have dodged bullets thus far at Wimbledon. Tsonga held off Gilles Muller in five sets in the first round, while Karlovic edged out Dolgopolov in five sets in the second round.
Karlovic has a better serve, but Tsonga is a better overall player. Which Tsonga shows up in this match? If he bring his "A" game, he will win in straight sets. If he brings his "B" game, he should win in four or five. If he brings his "C" game--all bets are off.
(18) Gael Monfils vs. (12) Gilles Simon
After beating Adrian Mannarino in the second round, this match will be the battle of Frenchmen part two for Monfils.
Neither player has played particularly well on grass in their careers, although both have had their moments. Monfils is looking to reach the round of 16 for the first time in his career at Wimbledon? This is his five trip to the third round.
Simon made the round of 16 in 2009, but hasn't been back since.
Something has to give in this match, and it should be fun to watch.
(20) Roberto Bautista Agut vs. (Q) Nikoloz Basilashvili
Basilashvili pulled off a huge upset over the favored Lopez in the second round, and is looking to eliminate a Spaniard for the second consecutive round.
Bautista Agut came back from two sets down over Benoit Paire in the second round.
Lopez is a better grass court player than Bautista Agut, and I expect another upset.
Women's
(30) Belinda Bencic vs. (Q) Bethanie Mattek-Sands
Mattek-Sands defeated surprise French Open quarterfinalist Alison Van Uyvanck in the first round and (7) Ana Ivanovic in the second round. Doubles success with Lucie Safarova, with whom she's won the doubles title at the Australian and French Open this year, looks like it's rubbing off for Mattek-Sands.
Bencic won her first career title in the tune-up event in Eastbourne and collected wins over Madison Keys, Caroline Wozniacki, and Agnieszka Radwanska en route to the title.
Which will win out--youth or experience?
Coco Vandeweghe vs. (22) Sam Stosur
Grass is definitely Stosur's weakest surface. This is only Stosur's third trip to the third round in her career.
Vandeweghe's hard serve and her big win over Ivanovic should make a difference in this upset.
Sloane Stephens vs. (6) Lucie Safarova
Stephens showed a lot of promise with surprising run to the semifinals at the Australian Open in 2013. She climbed as high as 11 in the WTA rankings, but like Bouchard, hit a major rough patch. She's currently getting back on track, but is facing an in-form Safarova, who's playing the best tennis of her life.
Safarova proved last year's run at the semifinals of Wimbledon was no fluke by reaching the final of Roland Garros this year.
(20) Garbine Muguruza vs. (10) Angelique Kerber
Muguruza is considered one of the rising stars of the WTA, but how will she fare against Kerber, who's won three titles (including the grass court final in Birminghamm) this year?
Kerber has the experience, but how will she handle the expectations against Muguruza, who doesn't have anything to lose.
(15) Timea Baczinsky vs. (18) Sabine Lisicki
Baczinsky has been one of the hottest players on the WTA tour this year. She's won titles in Acapulco and Monterrey earlier in the year, reached the semifinals of the French Open, and is currently ranked a career high 15 in the world.
Lisicki is considered one of the best grass court players on the WTA tour. Her track record speaks for itself. Her aggressive serve and groundstrokes fits very well with the grass court. However, if she's going to win, she's going to do it the hard way. This feels like a match that will go deep into a third set.
Men's
(WC) Denis Kudla d. Alexander Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-4
Fernando Verdasco d. (32) Dominic Thiem 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
(WC) James Ward d. Jiri Vesely 6-2, 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-3
Vasek Pospisil d. (30) Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
(Q) Dustin Brown d. (10) Rafael Nadal 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
(Q) Nikoloz Basilashvili d. (15) Feliciano Lopez 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
Women's
Aleksandra Krunic d. (19) Sara Errani 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-2
(Q) Bethanie Mattek-Sands d. (7) Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 6-4
Coco Vandeweghe d. (11) Karolina Pliskova 7-6(5), 6-4
Kristyna Pliskova d. (26) Svetlana Kuzetsova 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Magdalena Rybarikova d. (8) Ekaterina Makarova 6-2, 7-5
(Q) Olga Govortsova d. (25) Alize Cornet 7-6(6), 2-6, 6-1
Casey Dellacqua d. (17) Elina Svitolina 7-6(3), 6-3
Matches to Watch/Upset Alert:
Men's
(24) Leonardo Mayer vs. (14) Kevin Anderson
Mayer reached his current and career high ranking (21) two weeks ago and is playing some of the best tennis of his career. Like Anderson, Mayer reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon last year.
Anderson is coming off a loss to Andy Murray in the finals of Queens two weeks ago and looks to be in solid form moving forward. This matchup will come down to Anderson's vicious serves. If he's on, Mayer won't stand a chance. If he's just a bit off, it will be a toss up.
I expect Anderson to win in four sets.
(9) Marin Cilic vs. (17) John Isner
Along with Milos Raonic, Isner has the deadliest serve in the game today. Trying to return against it gives in the top players headaches. Having said that, it's surprising not to see Isner not doing better at SW19 in his career. His best results have been the third round in each of the past two years, with him looking to move forward to the round of 16 for the first time.
As Cilic showed at the 2014 U.S. Open, when he's on, he's tough to beat. He beat Roger Federer like a drum in the semifinal, which is a feat in of itself. Cilic's coach, Goran Ivanisevic, deserves a lot of credit for tweaking his serve and guiding him to the first major title in his career. Unfortunately for him, Cilic is far from the form he showed last September.
What makes the matchup so interesting is the big time serving from both players along with Isner's poor return. Honestly, I'd be shocked to see one break of serve in this match. Expect to see tiebreakers in each set. This match will be close, but given Cilic's poor form this year, I like the "Marathon Man" to pull off the upset and advance in four.
(4) Stan Wawrinka vs. Fernando Verdasco
Verdasco seems to be the type of player who thrives when the odds are against him. A good, hard serve and powerful groundstrokes will help him on grass.
Wawrinka came up with the goods in a huge upset in the final over (1) Novak Djokovic last month at the French Open. Stan's best result at Wimbledon was a quarterfinal appearance last year.
Both players are inconsistent, but Stan has taken his game to another level two years ago. It will be interesting to see if Verdasco can answer the call again after surviving Thiem in five sets. Will he have enough in the tank at this stage in his career? Wawrinka should win, but it will be four very close sets.
Marcos Baghdatis vs. (16) David Goffin
Baghdatis is not at his 2006 level which saw him reach the final of the Australian Open and the semifinal at Wimbledon. In fact, his best result since that run at Wimbledon in 2006, was a quarterfinal appearance at the same venue in 2007.
Goffin,the ATP's reigning "Comeback Player of the Year" in 2014, has done a tremendous job of moving up the ranking in the past 18 months. He won his first career singles titles last year, but lost in the final of a tune-up event in s'Hertgenbosch to Nicolas Mahut.
Baghdatis came back from two sets down against (Q) John Millman. Like Verdasco, how much will he have left in the tank for Goffin?
(11) Grigor Dimitrov vs. (21) Richard Gasquet
Both guys are in lousy form this year. I mentioned Dimitrov's fall in my post two days ago. Gasquet finished the year in the top 10 and reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open in 2013, but has been in poor form since. Both players have a couple of things in common: both have one-handed backhands and both are semifinalists (Dimitrov, 2014 and Gasquet, 2007). Neither guy has played well this year, but who will play the best in three out five sets?
(26) Nick Kyrgios vs. (7) Milos Raonic
This battle of the young guns is a rematch from last year's quarterfinal in which Raonic won in four sets. Expect to see a lot of aces with these two huge servers, but the key will be their groundstrokes. Which player will be more consistent with the backhands and forehands? Kyrgios loves to put on a show for the crowd, but will he be able to keep his focus and not go for too much?
Also, Raonic has dropped a set in his first two matches. Will he have enough match play under his belt for the dangerous Aussie?
Kyrgios pulled off a shocker to stun Rafael Nadal at SW19 last year. Does he have it in him again to beat another top ten player and avenge last year's defeat?
(WC) James Ward vs. Vasek Posipisil
This is one of the surprise matches at Wimbledon. First, (8) David Ferrer pulled out of the tournament at the last minute with an elbow injury. Instead of facing Ferrer, Ward draws (LL) Luca Vanni in the opening round.
Meanwhile, Pospisil pulled off the upset of Fognini in the second round.
Ward has the home crowd behind him. How does he handle the pressure in a match to determine a spot in the round of 16?
(22) Viktor Troicki vs. (Q) Dustin Brown
Brown pulled off a shocker in a list of four straight players ranked outside the top 100 to beat Nadal at the last four Wimbledon Championships. In each case, the player proceeded to lose the following match in the next round. This could be called the "Curse of Beating Rafa at Wimbledon". In 2012, Rosol lost to Philip Kohlschreiber in the third round after a win over Nadal. In 2013, Darcis lost via walkover to Lukasz Kubot. In 2014, Kyrgios lost in the quarterfinals to Milos Raonic. Can Brown buck this trend?
Brown swung for the fences against Rafa, and hit the ball out of the park. What kind of pressure will he feel against Troicki? People will say if he can beat Nadal, surely he can beat Troicki. Maybe, maybe not.
Troicki is probably happy to not run into Rafa again after falling to him in the final of the Mercedes Cup a few weeks ago. He will be favored in this matchup, but how will his nerves hold up now that he's expected to win.
If Brown plays anywhere near the level he played against Nadal, he will win. However, in every other case of players who've beaten Nadal, they couldn't maintain that level.
(13) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. (23) Ivo Karlovic
Both players have dodged bullets thus far at Wimbledon. Tsonga held off Gilles Muller in five sets in the first round, while Karlovic edged out Dolgopolov in five sets in the second round.
Karlovic has a better serve, but Tsonga is a better overall player. Which Tsonga shows up in this match? If he bring his "A" game, he will win in straight sets. If he brings his "B" game, he should win in four or five. If he brings his "C" game--all bets are off.
(18) Gael Monfils vs. (12) Gilles Simon
After beating Adrian Mannarino in the second round, this match will be the battle of Frenchmen part two for Monfils.
Neither player has played particularly well on grass in their careers, although both have had their moments. Monfils is looking to reach the round of 16 for the first time in his career at Wimbledon? This is his five trip to the third round.
Simon made the round of 16 in 2009, but hasn't been back since.
Something has to give in this match, and it should be fun to watch.
(20) Roberto Bautista Agut vs. (Q) Nikoloz Basilashvili
Basilashvili pulled off a huge upset over the favored Lopez in the second round, and is looking to eliminate a Spaniard for the second consecutive round.
Bautista Agut came back from two sets down over Benoit Paire in the second round.
Lopez is a better grass court player than Bautista Agut, and I expect another upset.
Women's
(30) Belinda Bencic vs. (Q) Bethanie Mattek-Sands
Mattek-Sands defeated surprise French Open quarterfinalist Alison Van Uyvanck in the first round and (7) Ana Ivanovic in the second round. Doubles success with Lucie Safarova, with whom she's won the doubles title at the Australian and French Open this year, looks like it's rubbing off for Mattek-Sands.
Bencic won her first career title in the tune-up event in Eastbourne and collected wins over Madison Keys, Caroline Wozniacki, and Agnieszka Radwanska en route to the title.
Which will win out--youth or experience?
Coco Vandeweghe vs. (22) Sam Stosur
Grass is definitely Stosur's weakest surface. This is only Stosur's third trip to the third round in her career.
Vandeweghe's hard serve and her big win over Ivanovic should make a difference in this upset.
Sloane Stephens vs. (6) Lucie Safarova
Stephens showed a lot of promise with surprising run to the semifinals at the Australian Open in 2013. She climbed as high as 11 in the WTA rankings, but like Bouchard, hit a major rough patch. She's currently getting back on track, but is facing an in-form Safarova, who's playing the best tennis of her life.
Safarova proved last year's run at the semifinals of Wimbledon was no fluke by reaching the final of Roland Garros this year.
(20) Garbine Muguruza vs. (10) Angelique Kerber
Muguruza is considered one of the rising stars of the WTA, but how will she fare against Kerber, who's won three titles (including the grass court final in Birminghamm) this year?
Kerber has the experience, but how will she handle the expectations against Muguruza, who doesn't have anything to lose.
(15) Timea Baczinsky vs. (18) Sabine Lisicki
Baczinsky has been one of the hottest players on the WTA tour this year. She's won titles in Acapulco and Monterrey earlier in the year, reached the semifinals of the French Open, and is currently ranked a career high 15 in the world.
Lisicki is considered one of the best grass court players on the WTA tour. Her track record speaks for itself. Her aggressive serve and groundstrokes fits very well with the grass court. However, if she's going to win, she's going to do it the hard way. This feels like a match that will go deep into a third set.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
2015 Wimbledon First Round Review and Second Round Preview
1st Round Upsets:
Men's
(WC) Denis Kudla d. (28) Pablo Cuevas 6-7 (4), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Alexander Zverev d. Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, 3-6, 9-7
(Q) John Millman d. (19) Tommy Robredo 6-2, 6-3, 6-4
(Q) Dustin Brown d. Lu Yen-hsun 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4
Pablo Andujar d. (29) Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
Sam Groth d. (31) Jack Sock 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
Women's
Heather Watson d. (32) Caroline Garcia 1-6, 6-3, 8-6
(WC) Jelena Ostapenko d. (9) Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-0
(Q) Bethanie Mattek-Sands. d. Alison Van Uytvanck 6-3, 6-2
Zarina Diyas d. (24) Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
Jana Cepelova d. (3) Simona Halep 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
Duan Yingying d. (12) Genie Bouchard
2nd Round Matches to Watch/Upset Alert:
Men's
(9) Marin Cilic vs. Ricardas Berankis
Cilic has struggled with injuries this season and now could be the time for the 2007 Boys U.S. Open Champion to finally live up to his juniors hype and notch one of, if not the biggest, win of his career.
Fernando Verdasco vs. (32) Dominic Thiem
This matchup pairs the upstart (Thiem) against the crafty and dangerous veteran (Verdasco). It appears each guy is heading in opposite directions with the 21 year old Thiem earning his first career seed at a major (32) and a earning his highest ranking (29) two weeks ago (now ranked 30th). The 31 year old Verdasco, who reached a career high number seven ranking seven years ago, is ranked 41 in the world. However, Verdasco can be tough on any given day. He had eventual champion Andy Murray on the ropes in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2013, but couldn't hold on to a 2-0 lead.
(11) Grigor Dimitrov vs. Steve Johnson
After a breakthrough year in 2014 which saw him finally live up to his potential with three titles, a semifinal appearance at SW19, and a career high number eight ranking, 2015 has been a forgettable year for the most part for Dimitrov. He's defending semifinal points, but looks ripe for the picking for Johnson, who won his first career singles match at Wimbledon on Monday.
(PR) Tommy Haas vs. (7) Milos Raonic
After it's all said and done, the ATP just might rename the Comeback Player of the Year award to the Tommy Haas Comeback Player of the Year award. Haas, who was out of action for a year following shoulder surgery, made his return on the grass court swing in Stuttgart and Halle. He only won one match at the two events, and his ranking is down to 861, but never count Haas out. He reached the semifinals on these hallowed grounds in 2009 and boasts two career titles on grass.
Raonic is coming back from his own injury. He cut his clay court season short and skipped the French Open after undergoing surgery on his foot. The hard serving Canadian reached his first career major semifinal at Wimbledon last year, and is looking to play his way back into form. I expect Raonic to win, but it won't be easy against Haas, who will make him earn it the hard way.
(Q) Dustin Brown vs. (10) Rafael Nadal
Nadal is having his worst season on tour since his breakthrough year in 2005. He was able to win his first title on grass in five years at Stuttgart (d. Troicki), but fizzled out in the first round in Queens (l. to Dolgopolov).
The unpredictable Brown will make life difficult for the "King of Clay" with a display of days gone by-- serve and volley. To add more intrigue, Brown won their only career meeting in Halle (6-4, 6-1).
Nadal has been prone to upsets in early rounds with losses to Rosol (2nd round) in 2012, Steve Darcis (1st round) in 2013, and Nick Kyrgios (4th round) in 2014. I expect Rafa to win, but it will definitely be close.
Alexandr Dolgopolov vs. (23) Ivo Karlovic
This matchup pits the finesse of "the Dog" versus the booming serves of "Dr. Ivo". Dolgopolov may be far from the form the got him to a career high ranking (13) three years ago, but he will have enough in his arsenal to give Karlovic fits. It will be interesting to see how "the Dog" returns Karlovic's serves and how "Dr. Ivo" handles the low slices from Dolgopolov.
I will predict Dolgopolov wins in five.
(25) Andreas Seppi vs. Borna Coric
Borna Coric is not afraid of the big stage. At only 18, he already boasts wins over Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. Seppi is coming off a loss in the final in Halle (l. to Federer), but should take plenty of confidence into this matchup.
I worry how much Coric has left in the tank after outdueling Gabashvili in the first round, but he's still a teenager, and should have tons of energy.
(18) Gael Monfils vs. Adrian Mannarino
Monfils is one of the most talented, yet wildly inconsistent guys on the ATP tour. He should be a top ten player every year.
Mannarino reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last year. So, he should be comfortable. He's one of the most improved players on the tour, and has reached a career high 29 ranking (now number 34) in the world.
This battle of the Frenchmen will come down to which Monfils shows up. If he's focused, he'll win in straight sets. If not, it will get complicated in a hurry.
Women's
Daniela Hantuchova vs. Heather Watson
Watson held off nerves in front of the home crowd. How will she fare against a former top ten player who's ranking has slipped in recent years?
(19) Sara Errani vs. Aleksandra Krunic
Grass is Errani's worst surface. She's only made it past the second round once (2012) in her career.
Krunic is an up and comer who reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open last year. She has the talent, but will she have the game to pull off the upset?
Kirsten Flipkens vs. (23) Victoria Azarenka
Flipkens (2013) and Azarenka (2011 and 2012) have reached the semifinals at Wimbledon before. However, Flipkens has struggled with her form while Azarenka is working her way back from a 2014 season decimated by injuries. It should be interesting, but expect Vika to prevail.
(11) Karolina Pliskova vs. Coco Vandeweghe
Pliskova is one of the rising young guns of the WTA, but she was pushed to three sets in her first round match against Irina Falconi. She also was stunned by Andreea Mitu in the second round at the French Open.
Vandeweghe has a huge serve which should serve her well on the fast grass courts.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. (10) Angelique Kerber
Pavlyuchenkova, who reached a career high number 13 ranking four years ago, will have a showdown with Kerber, a former semifinalist (2012). Both are inconsistent, but Kerber definitely is more consistent. Her confidence should be up with her first career grass court title in Birmingham two weeks ago.
(13) Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Ajla Tomljanovic
2015 has been rough for Aggie. She was a former top five player who looked to be on the verge of a title. Tomljanovic will give her trouble in this match, but will Tomljanovic win one set or two?
Men's
(WC) Denis Kudla d. (28) Pablo Cuevas 6-7 (4), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Alexander Zverev d. Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, 3-6, 9-7
(Q) John Millman d. (19) Tommy Robredo 6-2, 6-3, 6-4
(Q) Dustin Brown d. Lu Yen-hsun 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4
Pablo Andujar d. (29) Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
Sam Groth d. (31) Jack Sock 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
Women's
Heather Watson d. (32) Caroline Garcia 1-6, 6-3, 8-6
(WC) Jelena Ostapenko d. (9) Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-0
(Q) Bethanie Mattek-Sands. d. Alison Van Uytvanck 6-3, 6-2
Zarina Diyas d. (24) Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
Jana Cepelova d. (3) Simona Halep 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
Duan Yingying d. (12) Genie Bouchard
2nd Round Matches to Watch/Upset Alert:
Men's
(9) Marin Cilic vs. Ricardas Berankis
Cilic has struggled with injuries this season and now could be the time for the 2007 Boys U.S. Open Champion to finally live up to his juniors hype and notch one of, if not the biggest, win of his career.
Fernando Verdasco vs. (32) Dominic Thiem
This matchup pairs the upstart (Thiem) against the crafty and dangerous veteran (Verdasco). It appears each guy is heading in opposite directions with the 21 year old Thiem earning his first career seed at a major (32) and a earning his highest ranking (29) two weeks ago (now ranked 30th). The 31 year old Verdasco, who reached a career high number seven ranking seven years ago, is ranked 41 in the world. However, Verdasco can be tough on any given day. He had eventual champion Andy Murray on the ropes in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2013, but couldn't hold on to a 2-0 lead.
(11) Grigor Dimitrov vs. Steve Johnson
After a breakthrough year in 2014 which saw him finally live up to his potential with three titles, a semifinal appearance at SW19, and a career high number eight ranking, 2015 has been a forgettable year for the most part for Dimitrov. He's defending semifinal points, but looks ripe for the picking for Johnson, who won his first career singles match at Wimbledon on Monday.
(PR) Tommy Haas vs. (7) Milos Raonic
After it's all said and done, the ATP just might rename the Comeback Player of the Year award to the Tommy Haas Comeback Player of the Year award. Haas, who was out of action for a year following shoulder surgery, made his return on the grass court swing in Stuttgart and Halle. He only won one match at the two events, and his ranking is down to 861, but never count Haas out. He reached the semifinals on these hallowed grounds in 2009 and boasts two career titles on grass.
Raonic is coming back from his own injury. He cut his clay court season short and skipped the French Open after undergoing surgery on his foot. The hard serving Canadian reached his first career major semifinal at Wimbledon last year, and is looking to play his way back into form. I expect Raonic to win, but it won't be easy against Haas, who will make him earn it the hard way.
(Q) Dustin Brown vs. (10) Rafael Nadal
Nadal is having his worst season on tour since his breakthrough year in 2005. He was able to win his first title on grass in five years at Stuttgart (d. Troicki), but fizzled out in the first round in Queens (l. to Dolgopolov).
The unpredictable Brown will make life difficult for the "King of Clay" with a display of days gone by-- serve and volley. To add more intrigue, Brown won their only career meeting in Halle (6-4, 6-1).
Nadal has been prone to upsets in early rounds with losses to Rosol (2nd round) in 2012, Steve Darcis (1st round) in 2013, and Nick Kyrgios (4th round) in 2014. I expect Rafa to win, but it will definitely be close.
Alexandr Dolgopolov vs. (23) Ivo Karlovic
This matchup pits the finesse of "the Dog" versus the booming serves of "Dr. Ivo". Dolgopolov may be far from the form the got him to a career high ranking (13) three years ago, but he will have enough in his arsenal to give Karlovic fits. It will be interesting to see how "the Dog" returns Karlovic's serves and how "Dr. Ivo" handles the low slices from Dolgopolov.
I will predict Dolgopolov wins in five.
(25) Andreas Seppi vs. Borna Coric
Borna Coric is not afraid of the big stage. At only 18, he already boasts wins over Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. Seppi is coming off a loss in the final in Halle (l. to Federer), but should take plenty of confidence into this matchup.
I worry how much Coric has left in the tank after outdueling Gabashvili in the first round, but he's still a teenager, and should have tons of energy.
(18) Gael Monfils vs. Adrian Mannarino
Monfils is one of the most talented, yet wildly inconsistent guys on the ATP tour. He should be a top ten player every year.
Mannarino reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last year. So, he should be comfortable. He's one of the most improved players on the tour, and has reached a career high 29 ranking (now number 34) in the world.
This battle of the Frenchmen will come down to which Monfils shows up. If he's focused, he'll win in straight sets. If not, it will get complicated in a hurry.
Women's
Daniela Hantuchova vs. Heather Watson
Watson held off nerves in front of the home crowd. How will she fare against a former top ten player who's ranking has slipped in recent years?
(19) Sara Errani vs. Aleksandra Krunic
Grass is Errani's worst surface. She's only made it past the second round once (2012) in her career.
Krunic is an up and comer who reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open last year. She has the talent, but will she have the game to pull off the upset?
Kirsten Flipkens vs. (23) Victoria Azarenka
Flipkens (2013) and Azarenka (2011 and 2012) have reached the semifinals at Wimbledon before. However, Flipkens has struggled with her form while Azarenka is working her way back from a 2014 season decimated by injuries. It should be interesting, but expect Vika to prevail.
(11) Karolina Pliskova vs. Coco Vandeweghe
Pliskova is one of the rising young guns of the WTA, but she was pushed to three sets in her first round match against Irina Falconi. She also was stunned by Andreea Mitu in the second round at the French Open.
Vandeweghe has a huge serve which should serve her well on the fast grass courts.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. (10) Angelique Kerber
Pavlyuchenkova, who reached a career high number 13 ranking four years ago, will have a showdown with Kerber, a former semifinalist (2012). Both are inconsistent, but Kerber definitely is more consistent. Her confidence should be up with her first career grass court title in Birmingham two weeks ago.
(13) Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Ajla Tomljanovic
2015 has been rough for Aggie. She was a former top five player who looked to be on the verge of a title. Tomljanovic will give her trouble in this match, but will Tomljanovic win one set or two?
Monday, June 29, 2015
2015 Wimbledon Preview and Predictions
Men's Champion: Novak Djokovic
Women's Champion: Serena Williams
Men's Dark Horse(s): Jiri Vesely, Nick Kyrios, and Tomas Berdych
Women's Dark Horse(s): Victoria Azarenka, Madison Keys, Alize Cornet, Elina Svitolina, and Sabine Lisicki
With the withdrawal of (8) David Ferrer, Jiri Vesely arguably becomes the biggest benefactor of this section. His path to the quarterfinals potentially includes: Paolo Lorenzi, (WC) James Ward, the talented, but inconsistent (30) Fabio Fognini, and an out of form (10) Rafael Nadal.
Kyrgios could have an interesting second round match against veteran (PR) Florian Mayer before facing (7) Milos Raonic, who's working his way back after missing the French Open with foot surgery. He could face a slumping (11) Grigor Dimitrov or (21) Richard Gasquet in the round of 16 before potentially facing (4) Stan Wawrinka.
All of the talk of Wimbledon is on Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, but no one has mentioned (6) Tomas Berdych, who finished runner-up (l. to Nadal) in 2010. With a favorable draw, he should be in good shape until he faces (2) Roger Federer in the quarterfinals. Berdych beat Federer in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2010.
(23) Victoria Azarenka is quietly working her way back to form after struggling with injuries last year. The former two-time semifinalist at SW19 has a favorable draw with a potential third round matchup against (9) Carla Suarez Navarro on her weakest surface. Two former Wimbledon semifinals, Pironkova and (7) Ivanovic loom ahead in the round of 16. Awaiting in the quarterfinals, could be 20-time major champion (1) Serena Williams.
(21) Keys has struggled a bit since her surprise run to the semifinals at the Australian Open in January. However, her lone career title was won on grass in Eastbourne last year. Add in a solid draw with a potential match against the slumping (12) Eugenie Bouchard in the third round, Keys could find herself with a nice run this year.
(25) Cornet would have to beat (8) Ekaterina Makarova in the second round. But if she does, a round of 16 match against Keys for a spot in the quarterfinals could be on the line.
(17) Elina Svitolina could face another struggling player in (13) Agnieszka Radwanska in the third round before facing the defending champion (2) Petra Kvitova in the round of 16.
(18) Lisicki is a former runner-up here and seems to always play her best tennis on the lawns of Wimbledon. With a mini-upset on a surging (15) Timea Baczinsky and an upset of (3) Simona Halep in the third and fourth rounds, Lisicki could very well find herself in another final at SW19.
If you don't have time to watch each match of each round, you'll want to make time to watch or set your DVRs for these first round showdowns.
Best Men's 1st Round Matches:
(1) Novak Djokovic vs. Philipp Kohlschreiber
(WC) Lleyton Hewitt vs. Jarkko Nieminen
(27) Bernard Tomic vs. Jan-Leonard Struff
Teymuraz Gabashvili vs. Alexander Zverev
Martin Klizan vs. Fernando Verdasco
(Q) Luke Saville vs. (21) Richard Gasquet
(Q) Dustin Brown vs. Lu Yen-hsun
(13) Jo-Wifried Tsonga vs. Gilles Muller
Sergiy Stakhovsky vs. Borna Coric
(6) Tomas Berdych vs. Jeremy Chardy
(PR) Nicolas Almagro vs. (12) Gilles Simon
Best Women's 1st Round Matches:
Heather Watson vs. (32) Caroline Garcia
Kirsten Flipkens vs. Annika Beck
(30) Belinda Bencic vs. Tsvetana Pironkova
Daria Gavrilova vs. (29) Irina-Camelia Begu
(27) Barbora Strycova vs. Sloane Stephens
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni vs. Yaroslava Shvedova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. Mona Barthel
(15) Timea Baczinsky vs. Julia Gorges
Abbreviations
WC-Wild Card
PR- Protected Rankings
all seedings for Wimbledon are in parentheses
Women's Champion: Serena Williams
Men's Dark Horse(s): Jiri Vesely, Nick Kyrios, and Tomas Berdych
Women's Dark Horse(s): Victoria Azarenka, Madison Keys, Alize Cornet, Elina Svitolina, and Sabine Lisicki
With the withdrawal of (8) David Ferrer, Jiri Vesely arguably becomes the biggest benefactor of this section. His path to the quarterfinals potentially includes: Paolo Lorenzi, (WC) James Ward, the talented, but inconsistent (30) Fabio Fognini, and an out of form (10) Rafael Nadal.
Kyrgios could have an interesting second round match against veteran (PR) Florian Mayer before facing (7) Milos Raonic, who's working his way back after missing the French Open with foot surgery. He could face a slumping (11) Grigor Dimitrov or (21) Richard Gasquet in the round of 16 before potentially facing (4) Stan Wawrinka.
All of the talk of Wimbledon is on Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, but no one has mentioned (6) Tomas Berdych, who finished runner-up (l. to Nadal) in 2010. With a favorable draw, he should be in good shape until he faces (2) Roger Federer in the quarterfinals. Berdych beat Federer in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2010.
(23) Victoria Azarenka is quietly working her way back to form after struggling with injuries last year. The former two-time semifinalist at SW19 has a favorable draw with a potential third round matchup against (9) Carla Suarez Navarro on her weakest surface. Two former Wimbledon semifinals, Pironkova and (7) Ivanovic loom ahead in the round of 16. Awaiting in the quarterfinals, could be 20-time major champion (1) Serena Williams.
(21) Keys has struggled a bit since her surprise run to the semifinals at the Australian Open in January. However, her lone career title was won on grass in Eastbourne last year. Add in a solid draw with a potential match against the slumping (12) Eugenie Bouchard in the third round, Keys could find herself with a nice run this year.
(25) Cornet would have to beat (8) Ekaterina Makarova in the second round. But if she does, a round of 16 match against Keys for a spot in the quarterfinals could be on the line.
(17) Elina Svitolina could face another struggling player in (13) Agnieszka Radwanska in the third round before facing the defending champion (2) Petra Kvitova in the round of 16.
(18) Lisicki is a former runner-up here and seems to always play her best tennis on the lawns of Wimbledon. With a mini-upset on a surging (15) Timea Baczinsky and an upset of (3) Simona Halep in the third and fourth rounds, Lisicki could very well find herself in another final at SW19.
If you don't have time to watch each match of each round, you'll want to make time to watch or set your DVRs for these first round showdowns.
Best Men's 1st Round Matches:
(1) Novak Djokovic vs. Philipp Kohlschreiber
(WC) Lleyton Hewitt vs. Jarkko Nieminen
(27) Bernard Tomic vs. Jan-Leonard Struff
Teymuraz Gabashvili vs. Alexander Zverev
Martin Klizan vs. Fernando Verdasco
(Q) Luke Saville vs. (21) Richard Gasquet
(Q) Dustin Brown vs. Lu Yen-hsun
(13) Jo-Wifried Tsonga vs. Gilles Muller
Sergiy Stakhovsky vs. Borna Coric
(6) Tomas Berdych vs. Jeremy Chardy
(PR) Nicolas Almagro vs. (12) Gilles Simon
Best Women's 1st Round Matches:
Heather Watson vs. (32) Caroline Garcia
Kirsten Flipkens vs. Annika Beck
(30) Belinda Bencic vs. Tsvetana Pironkova
Daria Gavrilova vs. (29) Irina-Camelia Begu
(27) Barbora Strycova vs. Sloane Stephens
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni vs. Yaroslava Shvedova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. Mona Barthel
(15) Timea Baczinsky vs. Julia Gorges
Abbreviations
WC-Wild Card
PR- Protected Rankings
all seedings for Wimbledon are in parentheses
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Eliminating East and West for NBA Playoffs
Imagine if the NBA decided to completely eliminate "Eastern" and "Western" divisions and seed teams 1-16 based on their record, with head-to-head serving as tie-breakers. These would be the match-ups for the 2015 NBA playoffs along with my predictions for the winners of the series.
1st Round
1 Golden State Warriors (67-15) vs. 16 Boston Celtics (40-42): Golden State wins 4-0
2 Atlanta Hawks (60-22) vs. 15 Milwaukee Bucks (41-41): Atlanta wins 4-1
3 Houston Rockets (56-26) vs. 14 Oklahoma City Thunder (45-37): Houston wins 4-2
4 Los Angeles Clippers (56-26) vs. 13 New Orleans Pelicans (45-37): Los Angeles wins 4-2
5 Memphis Grizzlies (55-27) vs. 12 Washington Wizards (46-36): Washington wins 4-2
6 San Antonio Spurs (55-27) vs. 11 Toronto Raptors (49-33): San Antonio wins 4-1
7 Cleveland Cavaliers (53-29) vs. 10 Dallas Mavericks (50-32): Cleveland wins 4-1
8 Portland Trail Blazers (51-31) vs. 9 Chicago Bulls (50-32): Chicago wins 4-3
Quarterfinals
1 Golden State vs. 9 Chicago: Golden State wins 4-3
2 Atlanta vs. 7 Cleveland: Atlanta wins 4-2
3 Houston vs. 6 San Antonio: San Antonio wins 4-2
4 Los Angeles vs. 12 Washington: Washington wins 4-2
Semifinals
1 Golden State vs. 12 Washington: Golden State wins 4-2
2 Atlanta vs. 6 San Antonio: San Antonio wins 4-3
NBA Finals
1 Golden State vs. 6 San Antonio: San Antonio wins in 6.
1st Round
1 Golden State Warriors (67-15) vs. 16 Boston Celtics (40-42): Golden State wins 4-0
2 Atlanta Hawks (60-22) vs. 15 Milwaukee Bucks (41-41): Atlanta wins 4-1
3 Houston Rockets (56-26) vs. 14 Oklahoma City Thunder (45-37): Houston wins 4-2
4 Los Angeles Clippers (56-26) vs. 13 New Orleans Pelicans (45-37): Los Angeles wins 4-2
5 Memphis Grizzlies (55-27) vs. 12 Washington Wizards (46-36): Washington wins 4-2
6 San Antonio Spurs (55-27) vs. 11 Toronto Raptors (49-33): San Antonio wins 4-1
7 Cleveland Cavaliers (53-29) vs. 10 Dallas Mavericks (50-32): Cleveland wins 4-1
8 Portland Trail Blazers (51-31) vs. 9 Chicago Bulls (50-32): Chicago wins 4-3
Quarterfinals
1 Golden State vs. 9 Chicago: Golden State wins 4-3
2 Atlanta vs. 7 Cleveland: Atlanta wins 4-2
3 Houston vs. 6 San Antonio: San Antonio wins 4-2
4 Los Angeles vs. 12 Washington: Washington wins 4-2
Semifinals
1 Golden State vs. 12 Washington: Golden State wins 4-2
2 Atlanta vs. 6 San Antonio: San Antonio wins 4-3
NBA Finals
1 Golden State vs. 6 San Antonio: San Antonio wins in 6.
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