In the 2016 season, I will be taking part in Jonathan Kelley's competition in which he gathers a few experts together to predict what the year end Top 10 will look like for American tennis players. If you don't already follow Jonathan and the rest of the experts taking part in the competition, go ahead and change that now.
Here, I go into detail about my picks for the ATP 21 and Under players and explain how I came up with my final predictions. If you are interested in my analysis for my predictions for the ATP players of any age, click here.
No. 10 Ernesto Escobedo
Escobedo's powerful game is enough to make the majority of opponents on the challenger and futures circuit struggle. Due to his ability to blow players off the court, Escobedo belongs on this list as he will surely be able to make a few finals appearances at futures events and reach a couple quarterfinals at challengers. If he is able to stay healthy throughout the entire 2016 season, Escobedo will have no problem entering into the Top 300.
No. 9 Deiton Baughman
Baughman has a great all-around game that allows him to compete with anybody on any surface. He will continue his success on the futures circuit in 2016 and look to carry that over into the challenger circuit later in the year as he increases his ranking. With his ranking currently sitting outside the Top 300, he will have to rely on some impressive results early in the year so that he can begin getting into more challenger main draws and possibly get some consideration for ATP wild cards. After winning three futures titles in 2015, he could possibly double that amount in 2016 and even contend for a challenger title.
No. 8 Michael Mmoh
Mmoh had a very successful second half of the season in 2015, giving him some much needed confidence and momentum heading into 2016. He has proven that he can make deep runs at futures events with ease and will look to translate that success to challengers this year. With his ranking currently sitting outside the Top 450, he will struggle to get into challenger main draws early in the year, but that will quickly change as long as he can dominate on the futures circuit. Once he begins getting into challengers, plus some ATP events via wild cards, Mmoh will be able to begin showing his true potential and begin approaching the Top 300.
No. 7 Stefan Kozlov
Like Mmoh, Kozlov had a great amount of success on the futures circuit in 2015. He won his first pro title in Belarus at the end of the year, to go along with three finals and two semifinals, and will look to carry that momentum into 2016. Kozlov has had a couple good results on the challenger circuit in his career, but has yet to prove that he can compete at that level consistently. If he can change that in 2016 and make a couple more quarterfinal appearances or better, his confidence will skyrocket and he will surely be able to end the year well inside the Top 300.
No. 6 Mackenzie McDonald
The oldest player on this list is also the only player on this list that will be playing college tennis in 2016. The reason McDonald makes this list, despite still playing in college, is because of his incredible ability to make deep runs in almost every tournament he plays in. He finished 2015 by making two semifinals and a quarterfinal in challenger events, joining his already impressive results of a futures final, semifinal, and quarterfinal. These results saw his ranking finish inside the Top 400, even though he had to miss a majority of the pro season due to college play. If he can repeat the results that he had last year and turn his early round losses into more deep runs, which he is more than capable of, McDonald will be able to finish inside the Top 300. In search of his first professional title, he will surely be able to get one on the futures level early in the year, leading to him contending for one on the challenger circuit once his college season ends.
No. 5 Tommy Paul
Without question, Paul is one of the clear bright spots in the future of American tennis, with his French Open juniors title being just a small indication of that. Paul's dominance on the juniors circuit translated easily into the pro ranks, as he won two futures titles, made the final of a challenger, made six other futures quarterfinals, and qualified for the main draw at the US Open. Paul will not play many futures events in 2016 thanks to his ranking being near the Top 250 right now, but he will still manage to make many deep runs on the challenger circuit and possibly win a couple titles. Paul has some of the biggest potential out of all the young Americans, and will prove that in 2016 as he will finish well inside the Top 200.
No. 4 Noah Rubin
Rubin had a variety of success in 2015 and really began proving himself amongst the higher levels of professional tennis. In college, he was able to make the final of the NCAA singles tournament and make history at Wake Forest, but he was also able to win a challenger title, make a final, two semifinals, and two quarterfinals at futures events, all while playing a limited schedule. Now that Rubin is able to play a full season, he will be able to make more impressive runs and compete for another challenger title. Rubin has the ability to finish 2016 near the Top 150, but first, he will look to make a stamp on the tour level as he has put extensive work into this offseason to ensure a successful journey at the Australian Open.
No. 3 Frances Tiafoe
Tiafoe won over many fans in 2015 as he splashed onto the scene early in the year and never faded away. His fiery attitude combined with his absurd skill level has made him one of the favorites for many American tennis fans, as he looks to approach the Top 100 in 2016. Tiafoe certainly has the ability to win every tournament he plays in, but the main factor for his success this season will depend on how well he is able to keep his composure on court. If he is able to stay level headed throughout tough matches in 2016, he will have no issue winning challenger titles and winning matches on the ATP level as he looks to crack the Top 100.
No. 2 Jared Donaldson
Donaldson pleasantly surprised American tennis fans early in 2015 when he won his first challenger title in Maui. He continued to have a great amount of success throughout the year, allowing him to finish inside the Top 150. Donaldson will surely have similar success on the challenger circuit in 2016 and look to win multiple challenger titles, as he will also attempt to make the transition to the ATP World Tour. With his various weapons and mature mindset, Donaldson will be able to compete with many players ranked above him as he looks to add to his number of ATP wins in 2016. His presence will certainly be felt at the highest level as he will be able to make it through qualifying draws throughout the year and will be granted wild cards at a few American tournaments, helping boost his ranking towards the Top 100.
No. 1 Taylor Fritz
It would be pretty stunning if Fritz doesn't finish the year inside the Top 100. Considering the fact that Fritz has less than 50 points to defend until after the US Open, he will have no issue increasing his ranking well inside the Top 100 by September. With Fritz's big serve and powerful ground game, he will be able to win most matches just by hitting his opponent off the court, whether it's at the challenger or ATP level. His stunning run of form at the end of 2015 left every American tennis fan very impressed, as he proved to the tennis world that he will be a force on the tour for many years to come. Look for Fritz to win multiple challenger titles and make deep runs at ATP events as he finishes the year as the No. 1 American 21 years of age or younger.
Honorable Mentions
The 10 players on this list have really separated themselves from the rest of the crop of young Americans, but there are a few others who may be able to sneak into the bottom end of this list. Obviously, Reilly Opelka is a name that many tennis fans know about thanks to his triumph at the Wimbledon juniors in 2015. While he does have a huge serve that can win matches on its own, his issue will be developing a more all around game that will be able to beat the players who can consistently get his serve back in play. If Opelka can manage to do that, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him sneak into the Top 10.
Henrik Wiersholm is another player I considered for this list, thanks to his win at the Pensacola Futures at the end of 2015, but he won't be able to play a full season due to his commitments to the University of Virginia. Once his college career is over, though, Wiersholm will be a shoe-in for this list as he will be able to play a full season and rack in points throughout the entire year.
Alex Rybakov will also be someone who could contend for a spot on this list in the future, but like Wiersholm, he has committed to play college tennis. He will still be able to make his presence felt in the pro ranks, he just simply won't be able to play enough tournaments throughout the year to reach the same ranking as the young Americans ahead of him.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Analysis for the Year-End American Rankings Predictions
In the 2016 season, I will be taking part in Jonathan Kelley's competition in which he gathers a few experts together to predict what the year end Top 10 will look like for American tennis players. If you don't already follow Jonathan and the rest of the experts taking part in the competition, go ahead and change that now.
Here, I go into detail about my picks for the ATP and explain how I came up with my final predictions. If you are interested in my predictions for the 21 and Under players, click here.
No. 10 Austin Krajicek
Krajicek makes the list due to his ability to make deep runs at many tournaments and beat many players that are ranked above him. With the weapons of his serve and net play at his disposal, nobody will want to see his name drawn next to Krajicek's in any draw. Despite having a career year in 2015, 2016 sees a lot of room for improvement for the Aggie, as he has minimal points to defend from the middle of April to August. If Krajicek can take advantage of this period of time and make a couple runs at ATP events, he will have no trouble getting back into the Top 100 in 2016 and finishing the year there. He has shown that he can make it through qualifying draws at ATP events, as he did so five times in 2015. If he can continue that success and rely on the wild cards that he will receive, increasing his ranking every week that he plays will not be an issue for him.
No. 9 Taylor Fritz
Fritz certainly belongs on this list, it's just a matter of where he ends up being placed. Ninth is my position for him simply because he has a lot more ground to make up than the rest of these players. Fritz has so many weapons and can crush the ball from anywhere on the court. This, combined with his big serve, makes him a difficult opponent for anyone on the tour. Early in the year, he will have to rely on making runs at challenger events to boost his ranking towards the Top 100, but once his ranking is high enough to get into ATP events, he will certainly make his presence known at the top flight of the game. Considering Fritz has less than 50 points to defend until after the US Open, he will feel no pressure in the early stages of the year as he stockpiles points and becomes a force on the ATP World Tour.
No. 8 Rajeev Ram
Ram was a no-brainer for me to put on this list. In 2015, he was able to make many deep runs at tournaments, including his win in Newport, simply because of his massive serve. With his ranking currently sitting in the Top 100, he will have no issues getting into ATP main draws throughout the beginning of the year, allowing himself to garner a lot of points every week while he continues to focus on his doubles play. A positive for Ram in 2016 is the fact that he should be able to get into the ATP main draws during the grass court season, something that he was not able to do in 2015. If Ram opts to play singles during this period, expect multiple deep runs and a massive increase in his ranking which should see him remain in the Top 100 for the rest of the year. He comes in at the lower end of this list simply because it is unclear how much singles he will want to play, but he will be a tough draw in any singles tournament that he does decide to enter.
No. 7 Ryan Harrison
It isn't a stretch to say that Harrison should be one of the favorites in every tournament that he plays in 2016. With the extensive amount of work that Harrison has put in this offseason, he surely has gotten himself in the best shape and the best mindset possible in order to have a great year in 2016. His ranking will likely take a hit at the beginning of the year because of his early challenger title and run to the semis in Acapulco, but he will be able to overcome this in the latter stages of the year by making deep runs at challenger tournaments and working his way into ATP main draws. Harrison will be a dangerous floater at any ATP event he can get into and he should be able to make a couple quarterfinal, or possibly even semifinal, appearances at ATP events in 2016. Because his ranking will drop early in 2016, he comes in at No. 7 on the list because he will have some ground to make up throughout the rest of the year. With his high level of skill and feisty style of play, he should have no issue working his way back inside the Top 100.
No. 6 Sam Querrey
Querrey has proven to be one of the biggest enigmas for American tennis fans. They know that he can compete at the highest level and make deep runs at tournaments at will, yet he has struggled to do so in the past few years, leading to him finishing 2015 at his lowest year end ranking since 2011. Because he had such a down year in 2015, it will actually be difficult for his ranking to drop any lower in 2016, simply because he has such a small amount of points to defend while he will still be able to play on the World Tour. (Plus, even if he does have to resort to playing challenger events, he will have no issue winning the majority of them, as he proved during the fall of the 2014 season.) Querrey's main problem has been losing in the early rounds of tournaments way too often and losing matches against players that he should be able to beat. If he can eliminate those issues and start winning a couple matches a week, then he will have no issue returning inside the Top 50. He comes in at No. 6 on the list because he has a very high skill level and always has the potential to win any tournament he enters, yet you never know what result he will end up getting once he actually steps on court.
No. 5 Denis Kudla
Kudla splashed onto the scene in 2015 when he made it to the Round of 16 at Wimbledon and took a set off of Marin Cilic. The rest of his season saw a great amount of success, as well, including a title and two finals on the challenger circuit, and making it through the qualifying draw at six different events. These results have proven that Kudla is able to perform at any level and on any surface. In 2016, Kudla will look to transfer his success from the challenger circuit and qualifying draws into the main draws of ATP events, something he will be able to do as he has shown that he can compete with guys ranked inside the Top 20. Kudla sits in the middle of this list because he doesn't quite have the same skill level as the guys ahead of him, yet he is still full of potential and is more proven on the World Tour than those ranked lower than him.
No. 4 Donald Young
One of the feel good stories for American tennis in 2015 came when Young had his magical run at the US Open. Young has been a player throughout his career that has shown glimpses of tremendous potential, but has never really been able to harness it for more than a couple weeks at a time. 2016 is the year that changes though, as Young is becoming one of the top dogs for American tennis as he is beginning to realize his true potential. Expect him to make more deep runs at higher level events, including slams. He has proven that he can never be counted out of any match and can contend with the players in the Top 10, something that will be pivotal to his success in 2016 as he looks to reach a new career high ranking, possibly inside the Top 30. Young is near the top of this list thanks to his fighting spirit and ability to play great defense, yet he still has to be able to find a consistent level of tennis from week to week in order to match those above him.
No. 3 Steve Johnson
The third spot on this list is the perfect position for Johnson as he is still slightly behind Sock and Isner, but he is slightly ahead of Young, Kudla, and the rest. Johnson had a very successful college career, fought his way through the challenger circuit, and is now sitting comfortable inside the Top 50, a place he will be for many years to come. At the end of 2015, Johnson was able to prove that he belongs at the top level of the game, making a final and a semifinal at prestigious tournaments in Europe, something that he will expect more of in 2016. With his ranking approaching the Top 30, Johnson will begin to get more comfortable draws at the majority of tournaments he plays in, allowing him to begin to make deep runs more consistently. Johnson has the ability to reach the Top 20 in 2016 and even contend for titles at the 500 level and Masters events.
No. 2 Jack Sock
It was tempting to put Sock in the No. 1 position of this list, but he might be just a year away from earning that right. Sock is a tremendous player in every aspect of the game, yet he is still completely adapting to the highest level of the game. On the positive side, Sock's heavy groundstrokes and high tenacity make him a tough opponent for everyone on the tour as he has the ability to win every match he plays. If he is able to stay healthy in 2016 and start to contend more against the highest ranked players, Sock has the potential to contend for a spot in the Top 10. Making deep runs consistently is not an issue for the Nebraska native, it is turning those deep runs into finals appearances and titles that may be the biggest issue for him. If he can do that a few times throughout 2016, don't be surprised if he ends the year near the Top 10.
No. 1 John Isner
Isner will end 2016 in a familiar position as he will be the No. 1 ranked American again. It's simply too difficult to pick against Isner because of his huge serve and the fact that his game is always evolving. His work with Justin Gimelstob has developed his game so that he has become a better player on the ground and at the net, two factors that will lead to huge success in 2016. While he had a very successful season in 2015, there are still a few periods of the year where he has room for improvement and will be able to pick up a lot more points than he did last year. One of Isner's main problems has been underperforming in some early rounds and losing to players he has no business losing to, as well as battling with the top guys but just barely coming out on the losing end. If he can begin to cut down on those types of matches and turn those close matches with the top guys into wins, he could easily finish 2016 inside the Top 10 and contend for a spot at the World Tour Finals.
Honorable Mentions
Many Americans deserved a spot on this list but unfortunately there were only 10 openings, and the first person to miss out was Tim Smyczek. His ability to fight and compete with almost anyone on the tour made it tough to leave him out of this list, but its his inconsistency from week to week that ended up being the deciding factor.
Dennis Novikov also nearly missed out, simply because his ranking will take a hit at the end of the year due to his great run of form at the end of 2015. Novikov will most likely be a Top 10 American and enter into the Top 100 at some point in 2016, but it is difficult to tell if he will be able to stay there.
Jared Donaldson will get close to the Top 100 in 2016, but he is still growing and maturing which may not allow him to get the results he needs to finish the year as a Top 10 American. Surely though, 2016 will be the final year that he is kept out of this list.
The same goes for Frances Tiafoe as he is one of the toughest draws ranked outside of the Top 100 right now. Because he had such a spread of success in 2015, it will be difficult to defend points as often as he will have to.
Bjorn Fratangelo has to be considered for this list considering he finished 2015 as the No. 11 American. However, he may be stuck just outside the ranks of Top 10 Americans because some players behind him are going to leap ahead of him. He is only 22 though and has plenty of time left to really harness his game and enter into the Top 100.
The last person I really considered for this list may come as a surprise, but Mitchell Krueger has loads of potential. Coming off a very successful 2015 season, expect Krueger to make deep runs consistently on the challenger tour and increase his ranking inside the Top 150.
Here, I go into detail about my picks for the ATP and explain how I came up with my final predictions. If you are interested in my predictions for the 21 and Under players, click here.
No. 10 Austin Krajicek
Krajicek makes the list due to his ability to make deep runs at many tournaments and beat many players that are ranked above him. With the weapons of his serve and net play at his disposal, nobody will want to see his name drawn next to Krajicek's in any draw. Despite having a career year in 2015, 2016 sees a lot of room for improvement for the Aggie, as he has minimal points to defend from the middle of April to August. If Krajicek can take advantage of this period of time and make a couple runs at ATP events, he will have no trouble getting back into the Top 100 in 2016 and finishing the year there. He has shown that he can make it through qualifying draws at ATP events, as he did so five times in 2015. If he can continue that success and rely on the wild cards that he will receive, increasing his ranking every week that he plays will not be an issue for him.
No. 9 Taylor Fritz
Fritz certainly belongs on this list, it's just a matter of where he ends up being placed. Ninth is my position for him simply because he has a lot more ground to make up than the rest of these players. Fritz has so many weapons and can crush the ball from anywhere on the court. This, combined with his big serve, makes him a difficult opponent for anyone on the tour. Early in the year, he will have to rely on making runs at challenger events to boost his ranking towards the Top 100, but once his ranking is high enough to get into ATP events, he will certainly make his presence known at the top flight of the game. Considering Fritz has less than 50 points to defend until after the US Open, he will feel no pressure in the early stages of the year as he stockpiles points and becomes a force on the ATP World Tour.
No. 8 Rajeev Ram
Ram was a no-brainer for me to put on this list. In 2015, he was able to make many deep runs at tournaments, including his win in Newport, simply because of his massive serve. With his ranking currently sitting in the Top 100, he will have no issues getting into ATP main draws throughout the beginning of the year, allowing himself to garner a lot of points every week while he continues to focus on his doubles play. A positive for Ram in 2016 is the fact that he should be able to get into the ATP main draws during the grass court season, something that he was not able to do in 2015. If Ram opts to play singles during this period, expect multiple deep runs and a massive increase in his ranking which should see him remain in the Top 100 for the rest of the year. He comes in at the lower end of this list simply because it is unclear how much singles he will want to play, but he will be a tough draw in any singles tournament that he does decide to enter.
No. 7 Ryan Harrison
It isn't a stretch to say that Harrison should be one of the favorites in every tournament that he plays in 2016. With the extensive amount of work that Harrison has put in this offseason, he surely has gotten himself in the best shape and the best mindset possible in order to have a great year in 2016. His ranking will likely take a hit at the beginning of the year because of his early challenger title and run to the semis in Acapulco, but he will be able to overcome this in the latter stages of the year by making deep runs at challenger tournaments and working his way into ATP main draws. Harrison will be a dangerous floater at any ATP event he can get into and he should be able to make a couple quarterfinal, or possibly even semifinal, appearances at ATP events in 2016. Because his ranking will drop early in 2016, he comes in at No. 7 on the list because he will have some ground to make up throughout the rest of the year. With his high level of skill and feisty style of play, he should have no issue working his way back inside the Top 100.
No. 6 Sam Querrey
Querrey has proven to be one of the biggest enigmas for American tennis fans. They know that he can compete at the highest level and make deep runs at tournaments at will, yet he has struggled to do so in the past few years, leading to him finishing 2015 at his lowest year end ranking since 2011. Because he had such a down year in 2015, it will actually be difficult for his ranking to drop any lower in 2016, simply because he has such a small amount of points to defend while he will still be able to play on the World Tour. (Plus, even if he does have to resort to playing challenger events, he will have no issue winning the majority of them, as he proved during the fall of the 2014 season.) Querrey's main problem has been losing in the early rounds of tournaments way too often and losing matches against players that he should be able to beat. If he can eliminate those issues and start winning a couple matches a week, then he will have no issue returning inside the Top 50. He comes in at No. 6 on the list because he has a very high skill level and always has the potential to win any tournament he enters, yet you never know what result he will end up getting once he actually steps on court.
No. 5 Denis Kudla
Kudla splashed onto the scene in 2015 when he made it to the Round of 16 at Wimbledon and took a set off of Marin Cilic. The rest of his season saw a great amount of success, as well, including a title and two finals on the challenger circuit, and making it through the qualifying draw at six different events. These results have proven that Kudla is able to perform at any level and on any surface. In 2016, Kudla will look to transfer his success from the challenger circuit and qualifying draws into the main draws of ATP events, something he will be able to do as he has shown that he can compete with guys ranked inside the Top 20. Kudla sits in the middle of this list because he doesn't quite have the same skill level as the guys ahead of him, yet he is still full of potential and is more proven on the World Tour than those ranked lower than him.
No. 4 Donald Young
One of the feel good stories for American tennis in 2015 came when Young had his magical run at the US Open. Young has been a player throughout his career that has shown glimpses of tremendous potential, but has never really been able to harness it for more than a couple weeks at a time. 2016 is the year that changes though, as Young is becoming one of the top dogs for American tennis as he is beginning to realize his true potential. Expect him to make more deep runs at higher level events, including slams. He has proven that he can never be counted out of any match and can contend with the players in the Top 10, something that will be pivotal to his success in 2016 as he looks to reach a new career high ranking, possibly inside the Top 30. Young is near the top of this list thanks to his fighting spirit and ability to play great defense, yet he still has to be able to find a consistent level of tennis from week to week in order to match those above him.
No. 3 Steve Johnson
The third spot on this list is the perfect position for Johnson as he is still slightly behind Sock and Isner, but he is slightly ahead of Young, Kudla, and the rest. Johnson had a very successful college career, fought his way through the challenger circuit, and is now sitting comfortable inside the Top 50, a place he will be for many years to come. At the end of 2015, Johnson was able to prove that he belongs at the top level of the game, making a final and a semifinal at prestigious tournaments in Europe, something that he will expect more of in 2016. With his ranking approaching the Top 30, Johnson will begin to get more comfortable draws at the majority of tournaments he plays in, allowing him to begin to make deep runs more consistently. Johnson has the ability to reach the Top 20 in 2016 and even contend for titles at the 500 level and Masters events.
No. 2 Jack Sock
It was tempting to put Sock in the No. 1 position of this list, but he might be just a year away from earning that right. Sock is a tremendous player in every aspect of the game, yet he is still completely adapting to the highest level of the game. On the positive side, Sock's heavy groundstrokes and high tenacity make him a tough opponent for everyone on the tour as he has the ability to win every match he plays. If he is able to stay healthy in 2016 and start to contend more against the highest ranked players, Sock has the potential to contend for a spot in the Top 10. Making deep runs consistently is not an issue for the Nebraska native, it is turning those deep runs into finals appearances and titles that may be the biggest issue for him. If he can do that a few times throughout 2016, don't be surprised if he ends the year near the Top 10.
No. 1 John Isner
Isner will end 2016 in a familiar position as he will be the No. 1 ranked American again. It's simply too difficult to pick against Isner because of his huge serve and the fact that his game is always evolving. His work with Justin Gimelstob has developed his game so that he has become a better player on the ground and at the net, two factors that will lead to huge success in 2016. While he had a very successful season in 2015, there are still a few periods of the year where he has room for improvement and will be able to pick up a lot more points than he did last year. One of Isner's main problems has been underperforming in some early rounds and losing to players he has no business losing to, as well as battling with the top guys but just barely coming out on the losing end. If he can begin to cut down on those types of matches and turn those close matches with the top guys into wins, he could easily finish 2016 inside the Top 10 and contend for a spot at the World Tour Finals.
Honorable Mentions
Many Americans deserved a spot on this list but unfortunately there were only 10 openings, and the first person to miss out was Tim Smyczek. His ability to fight and compete with almost anyone on the tour made it tough to leave him out of this list, but its his inconsistency from week to week that ended up being the deciding factor.
Dennis Novikov also nearly missed out, simply because his ranking will take a hit at the end of the year due to his great run of form at the end of 2015. Novikov will most likely be a Top 10 American and enter into the Top 100 at some point in 2016, but it is difficult to tell if he will be able to stay there.
Jared Donaldson will get close to the Top 100 in 2016, but he is still growing and maturing which may not allow him to get the results he needs to finish the year as a Top 10 American. Surely though, 2016 will be the final year that he is kept out of this list.
The same goes for Frances Tiafoe as he is one of the toughest draws ranked outside of the Top 100 right now. Because he had such a spread of success in 2015, it will be difficult to defend points as often as he will have to.
Bjorn Fratangelo has to be considered for this list considering he finished 2015 as the No. 11 American. However, he may be stuck just outside the ranks of Top 10 Americans because some players behind him are going to leap ahead of him. He is only 22 though and has plenty of time left to really harness his game and enter into the Top 100.
The last person I really considered for this list may come as a surprise, but Mitchell Krueger has loads of potential. Coming off a very successful 2015 season, expect Krueger to make deep runs consistently on the challenger tour and increase his ranking inside the Top 150.
Monday, November 2, 2015
Chasing His Dreams: A Look inside the Journey of Jean-Yves Aubone
Jean Yves-Aubone has reached a career high ranking in the Top 500, played at the US Open, and represented the United States of America at the Pan-American Games, yet he is far from satisfied. Aubone has set his sights on playing in grand slam tournaments on a consistent basis, and he has the correct mindset that will help him get there. With his career high ranking of 459, Aubone has a wide variety of tennis experiences that have developed his tennis portfolio into what it is today. From playing college tennis at Florida State University, to playing futures and challenger tournaments in Israel and Ecuador, he has seen and been through everything that tennis can throw at him.
Just a few years ago, Aubone may not have even imagined having an ATP ranking. After graduating from Florida State, he had taken his college education and set off on starting a career in the field of finance. After working in finance for about two years, however, Aubone knew that there was something more to his life. He missed playing tennis and decided to return to the tour, opening up an entirely new set of possibilities for the Miami native.
One of the main reasons Aubone was eager to return to the tour was his experience playing in the US Open qualifying tournament in 2008, while he was still in college. "The US Open, by far" is what he claims to be the greatest place that he has been able to play tennis. "That feeling of being in the locker room, the environment, seeing the top guys...getting the personal experience, rather than just seeing it on TV" is what Aubone hopes to recreate in the future.
Since his return to the tour, Aubone's greatest experience was being able to represent the United States at the Pan-American Games in 2015. "What's great about the Pan-Am Games is that I didn't feel like a tennis player. I just felt like an American athlete representing his country," is how Aubone described the event, "it was more than [tennis], I was just trying to represent my country the best I could." Another moment that really stuck with Aubone was being able to take part in the opening ceremony. "Being there with all the other athletes, having Team USA on your back, that's priceless. You can't get that anywhere else."
Aubone is currently 27 years old with a birthday coming up in January, but is aware that the best tennis of his career could still very well be ahead of him. "It's definitely something I think about...just knowing that there is no ceiling," is something that motivates him each and every day. After a bad loss, he is able to tell himself "hey, there's still time, there's no need to rush." He can take a look at the players in the Top 100 today and realize that his story could be just like one of theirs. Victor Estrella Burgos is a specific inspiration to Aubone, as he made his debut in the Top 100 at the age of 33. "If he had stopped playing when he was ranked 200 at age 30, I don't think anybody would've yelled at him," claims Aubone, "but for him it wasn't enough." The same applies to Aubone, as he is eager to make his way up the rankings, hoping to work his way onto the ATP World Tour and have the opportunity to play in the grand slam events.
When talking about his ranking, Aubone states how difficult it is for players outside of the Top 300 or 400 to accept where they are in the rankings at any given time, "Nobody really cares about us, maybe it's because we don't get any media attention, nobody sees us on TV, so maybe we don't feel special because of that." He is often asked by recreational tennis players what his ranking is, and when they give him praise for being ranked so high, he thinks to himself "it's not even close" to where he wants to be. Despite not being near his goal when it comes to rankings, Aubone knows that he can take a large jump in the rankings at any given point in the season. "One good week at a challenger tournament, that changes my year," states Aubone. He had a couple of those in 2015, including making the quarterfinals in Granby in July.
Going back to his knowledge of finance and investments, Aubone likes to compare life on the tour to the stock market. "You can practice, you can prepare, you can do everything having the best intentions, then you get on the court and all of a sudden your opponent just plays way too good, and there's nothing that you could've done." Similarly to tennis, stock brokers can do as much research as they want, yet something completely unforeseen and outside of their sphere of influence can impact their stock negatively. This forces them to start all over and re-evaluate, something that Aubone has had to do many times throughout his career.
After having a few weeks early on in 2015 in which Aubone had lost 10 sets in a row, he had felt as if he had hit rock bottom. "I was going through a really horrendous time...the way I was feeling on the court, the way I was playing, I'm not even going to lie about it, I was just falling apart in matches, and I didn't understand why." After one specific match at a challenger tournament in Savannah, Aubone avoided anyone who would ask how his match went and refused to return to his hotel room, where he was staying with the player who had just beaten him. Despite his best efforts to avoid everyone, Aubone ran into Stanford Boster, a national coach for the USTA, who was able to give him some advice that completely turned his season around. "It was really a short conversation...but it put things into a perspective that was so true." The advice given to Aubone has helped him feel much better on court, and he has not "fallen apart" in any matches since then.
Aubone also discussed the adversity that players are forced to overcome every week when it comes to traveling. "If you don't travel well...all it takes is someone playing a little bit well, and you're going to struggle," claims Aubone. Anything from sleeping in an uncomfortable bed to a flight getting delayed could lead to a player not being ready to play on a Monday, leading to an early exit from a tournament that they were surely hoping to perform well in.
Not only does traveling impact the player, but it also impacts who travels with the player. Aubone is rarely able to travel with a coach or his fiancé because that would cause the costs of travel to skyrocket. "If you can have one familiar face there with you, it really changes things," claims Aubone truthfully, as he has had his best results this year when either his coach, fiancé, or father was in the crowd with him. "There's this comforting feeling when you can look over to the sidelines, it may sound kind of sad but just to look and see if someone cares, and if someone is with you through this grind, through this journey, just for that one week."
The Seminole hopes to be able to travel more on the tour, but is currently stuck playing mostly in North America because of the financial risks that the tour causes. Because of the high costs of travel, he is unable to risk "going four grand in the hole, just to have a chance" to travel. Aubone, just like any other player on the tour, is aware of the potential that he could have a bad couple weeks at any given time, and does not want to risk having those bad couple weeks travelling across the seas to another continent. Despite this, he loves travelling internationally. "It's great seeing other places and different venues, and just playing against different players. That's the only thing, when you play in the same places all the time, you're going to play against the same people all the time, and it's just fun measuring yourself against other competitors."
Aubone has played against the likes of Kevin Anderson, Milos Raonic, Vasek Pospisil, and Robby Ginepri, but the first player that came to mind when asked about guys he has competed against was 15-year old Canadian, Felix Auger Aliassime. "The way he is able to compete, the energy, the power at such a young age...I've never seen anything like it before from anybody. I look forward to following him in the future." When asked about players that he's played doubles with, Aubone was quick to ensure that he intended to take nothing away from his other doubles partners, but mentioned the enjoyment and success he has had with Dennis Nevolo specifically "With Nevolo, there's a chemistry on the court and things just seem to go well." Aubone also mentioned Ben McLachlan, Benjamin Lock, and Liam Broady as other guys that he has enjoyed playing with.
An important thing to remember about tennis players, as well as all professional athletes, is that they are just like us. Aubone enjoys playing a round of golf whenever he gets the chance, likes to check out the stock market, and enjoys relaxing and watching football on the weekends, supporting his Florida State Seminoles and Miami Dolphins. Also, him and his fiancé currently plan on getting married in April. For those of you who are interested in following Jean-Yves Aubone throughout his journey can follow him on Twitter at @jynole, or check out his blog posts at tennisatlantic.com.
Pictures courtest of: collegeandjuniortennis.com, Aubone's blog, savannahnow.com, and mcbtennisks.org.
Just a few years ago, Aubone may not have even imagined having an ATP ranking. After graduating from Florida State, he had taken his college education and set off on starting a career in the field of finance. After working in finance for about two years, however, Aubone knew that there was something more to his life. He missed playing tennis and decided to return to the tour, opening up an entirely new set of possibilities for the Miami native.
Aubone hitting a shot at the US Open.
One of the main reasons Aubone was eager to return to the tour was his experience playing in the US Open qualifying tournament in 2008, while he was still in college. "The US Open, by far" is what he claims to be the greatest place that he has been able to play tennis. "That feeling of being in the locker room, the environment, seeing the top guys...getting the personal experience, rather than just seeing it on TV" is what Aubone hopes to recreate in the future.
Since his return to the tour, Aubone's greatest experience was being able to represent the United States at the Pan-American Games in 2015. "What's great about the Pan-Am Games is that I didn't feel like a tennis player. I just felt like an American athlete representing his country," is how Aubone described the event, "it was more than [tennis], I was just trying to represent my country the best I could." Another moment that really stuck with Aubone was being able to take part in the opening ceremony. "Being there with all the other athletes, having Team USA on your back, that's priceless. You can't get that anywhere else."
Aubone with his fellow Americans at the Pan-American games.
Aubone is currently 27 years old with a birthday coming up in January, but is aware that the best tennis of his career could still very well be ahead of him. "It's definitely something I think about...just knowing that there is no ceiling," is something that motivates him each and every day. After a bad loss, he is able to tell himself "hey, there's still time, there's no need to rush." He can take a look at the players in the Top 100 today and realize that his story could be just like one of theirs. Victor Estrella Burgos is a specific inspiration to Aubone, as he made his debut in the Top 100 at the age of 33. "If he had stopped playing when he was ranked 200 at age 30, I don't think anybody would've yelled at him," claims Aubone, "but for him it wasn't enough." The same applies to Aubone, as he is eager to make his way up the rankings, hoping to work his way onto the ATP World Tour and have the opportunity to play in the grand slam events.
When talking about his ranking, Aubone states how difficult it is for players outside of the Top 300 or 400 to accept where they are in the rankings at any given time, "Nobody really cares about us, maybe it's because we don't get any media attention, nobody sees us on TV, so maybe we don't feel special because of that." He is often asked by recreational tennis players what his ranking is, and when they give him praise for being ranked so high, he thinks to himself "it's not even close" to where he wants to be. Despite not being near his goal when it comes to rankings, Aubone knows that he can take a large jump in the rankings at any given point in the season. "One good week at a challenger tournament, that changes my year," states Aubone. He had a couple of those in 2015, including making the quarterfinals in Granby in July.
Going back to his knowledge of finance and investments, Aubone likes to compare life on the tour to the stock market. "You can practice, you can prepare, you can do everything having the best intentions, then you get on the court and all of a sudden your opponent just plays way too good, and there's nothing that you could've done." Similarly to tennis, stock brokers can do as much research as they want, yet something completely unforeseen and outside of their sphere of influence can impact their stock negatively. This forces them to start all over and re-evaluate, something that Aubone has had to do many times throughout his career.
After having a few weeks early on in 2015 in which Aubone had lost 10 sets in a row, he had felt as if he had hit rock bottom. "I was going through a really horrendous time...the way I was feeling on the court, the way I was playing, I'm not even going to lie about it, I was just falling apart in matches, and I didn't understand why." After one specific match at a challenger tournament in Savannah, Aubone avoided anyone who would ask how his match went and refused to return to his hotel room, where he was staying with the player who had just beaten him. Despite his best efforts to avoid everyone, Aubone ran into Stanford Boster, a national coach for the USTA, who was able to give him some advice that completely turned his season around. "It was really a short conversation...but it put things into a perspective that was so true." The advice given to Aubone has helped him feel much better on court, and he has not "fallen apart" in any matches since then.
Aubone hitting a forehand at the Savannah Challenger.
Aubone also discussed the adversity that players are forced to overcome every week when it comes to traveling. "If you don't travel well...all it takes is someone playing a little bit well, and you're going to struggle," claims Aubone. Anything from sleeping in an uncomfortable bed to a flight getting delayed could lead to a player not being ready to play on a Monday, leading to an early exit from a tournament that they were surely hoping to perform well in.
Not only does traveling impact the player, but it also impacts who travels with the player. Aubone is rarely able to travel with a coach or his fiancé because that would cause the costs of travel to skyrocket. "If you can have one familiar face there with you, it really changes things," claims Aubone truthfully, as he has had his best results this year when either his coach, fiancé, or father was in the crowd with him. "There's this comforting feeling when you can look over to the sidelines, it may sound kind of sad but just to look and see if someone cares, and if someone is with you through this grind, through this journey, just for that one week."
The Seminole hopes to be able to travel more on the tour, but is currently stuck playing mostly in North America because of the financial risks that the tour causes. Because of the high costs of travel, he is unable to risk "going four grand in the hole, just to have a chance" to travel. Aubone, just like any other player on the tour, is aware of the potential that he could have a bad couple weeks at any given time, and does not want to risk having those bad couple weeks travelling across the seas to another continent. Despite this, he loves travelling internationally. "It's great seeing other places and different venues, and just playing against different players. That's the only thing, when you play in the same places all the time, you're going to play against the same people all the time, and it's just fun measuring yourself against other competitors."
Aubone has played against the likes of Kevin Anderson, Milos Raonic, Vasek Pospisil, and Robby Ginepri, but the first player that came to mind when asked about guys he has competed against was 15-year old Canadian, Felix Auger Aliassime. "The way he is able to compete, the energy, the power at such a young age...I've never seen anything like it before from anybody. I look forward to following him in the future." When asked about players that he's played doubles with, Aubone was quick to ensure that he intended to take nothing away from his other doubles partners, but mentioned the enjoyment and success he has had with Dennis Nevolo specifically "With Nevolo, there's a chemistry on the court and things just seem to go well." Aubone also mentioned Ben McLachlan, Benjamin Lock, and Liam Broady as other guys that he has enjoyed playing with.
Aubone prepares to hit one of his favorite shots, the one-handed backhand.
An important thing to remember about tennis players, as well as all professional athletes, is that they are just like us. Aubone enjoys playing a round of golf whenever he gets the chance, likes to check out the stock market, and enjoys relaxing and watching football on the weekends, supporting his Florida State Seminoles and Miami Dolphins. Also, him and his fiancé currently plan on getting married in April. For those of you who are interested in following Jean-Yves Aubone throughout his journey can follow him on Twitter at @jynole, or check out his blog posts at tennisatlantic.com.
Pictures courtest of: collegeandjuniortennis.com, Aubone's blog, savannahnow.com, and mcbtennisks.org.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Doubles Action Gets Underway at the US Open
The doubles tournaments got underway at the US Open on Day 3, seeing action from the Men's, Women's, and Mixed Doubles draws. Star players, seeds, young guns, singles specialists, and plenty of Americans all took the court as they began their journey towards a grand slam title.
On the men's side, most of the matches went as expected with the majority of the favorites getting wins. The seeded teams of Matkowski/Zimonjic, Bopanna/Mergea, Murray/Peers, Nestor/Roger-Vasselin, Herbert/Mahut, and Cabal/Farah each got straight sets wins to get their biggest tournament of the year started on the right path. Meanwhile, three seeded teams were disappointed as Pospisil/Sock were upended by the team of Mayer/Sousa, while the No. 1 seeds, the Bryan brothers, and the No. 2 seeds, Dodig/Melo, were beaten. All three matches took three very tight sets to decide a winner.
There were seven all-American teams in action with the teams of Johnson/Querrey and Russell/Young getting the lone wins. Kudla/Smyczek, Baughman/Paul, Fratangelo/Novikov, and Krajicek/Monroe all exited after their first round matches. In fairness, none of these four teams were expected to win, but each of them should be excited to have garnered some experience at the US Open. The Bryan brothers, as mentioned earlier, were taken down by Johnson/Querrey. Meanwhile, the winners of the US Open National Playoff, Peralta/Seeberger, gave it a valiant effort, but eventually lost in three sets to Giraldo/Junaid, two very experienced players.
Winners not mentioned above: Bellucci/Demoliner, Chardy/Kubot, Bury/Istomin, Pavic/Venus, Fyrstenburg/Gonzalez, and Muller/Qureshi.
On the women's side, it was more of the same as seeded teams went 7-0 on the day. The teams of Dellacqua/Shvedova, Garcia/Srebotnik, Hlavackova/Hradecka, Muguruza/Suarez Navarro, Chan/Chan, Krajicek/Strycova, and Medina Garrigues/Parra Santonja all won with relative ease.
All-American teams went 3-1 on the day, with Gibbs/Townsend, Muhammad/Sanchez, and Black/Neel getting wins, while the team of Lepchenko/Riske bowed out to the No. 7 seeds Hlavackova/Hradecka. Meanwhile, another American, Vania King, teamed up with Saisai Zheng to get a win in a third set tiebreaker.
Singles star Jelena Jankovic teamed up with fellow Serbian Aleksandra Krunic to get an easy straight sets victory.
Winners not mentioned above: Niculescu/Savchuk, Kichenok/Kichenok, Barthel/Siegemund, Govortsova/Tsurenko, and Begu/Olaru.
The Mixed Doubles draw got under way but only with two matches on the schedule. The juniors team of Claire Liu and Taylor Fritz was on display, but were given the extremely difficult draw of Martina Hingis and Leander Paes losing 6-2 6-2. The other team on display was the US Open National Playoff winners Perianu/Daescu, who also received a tough draw. Anastasia Rodionova and Max Mirnyi got the win against them in straights 6-2 6-4.
More doubles action will take place on Day 4 with 9 men's doubles matches, 14 women's doubles matches, and 9 mixed doubles matches.
On the men's side, most of the matches went as expected with the majority of the favorites getting wins. The seeded teams of Matkowski/Zimonjic, Bopanna/Mergea, Murray/Peers, Nestor/Roger-Vasselin, Herbert/Mahut, and Cabal/Farah each got straight sets wins to get their biggest tournament of the year started on the right path. Meanwhile, three seeded teams were disappointed as Pospisil/Sock were upended by the team of Mayer/Sousa, while the No. 1 seeds, the Bryan brothers, and the No. 2 seeds, Dodig/Melo, were beaten. All three matches took three very tight sets to decide a winner.
There were seven all-American teams in action with the teams of Johnson/Querrey and Russell/Young getting the lone wins. Kudla/Smyczek, Baughman/Paul, Fratangelo/Novikov, and Krajicek/Monroe all exited after their first round matches. In fairness, none of these four teams were expected to win, but each of them should be excited to have garnered some experience at the US Open. The Bryan brothers, as mentioned earlier, were taken down by Johnson/Querrey. Meanwhile, the winners of the US Open National Playoff, Peralta/Seeberger, gave it a valiant effort, but eventually lost in three sets to Giraldo/Junaid, two very experienced players.
Winners not mentioned above: Bellucci/Demoliner, Chardy/Kubot, Bury/Istomin, Pavic/Venus, Fyrstenburg/Gonzalez, and Muller/Qureshi.
On the women's side, it was more of the same as seeded teams went 7-0 on the day. The teams of Dellacqua/Shvedova, Garcia/Srebotnik, Hlavackova/Hradecka, Muguruza/Suarez Navarro, Chan/Chan, Krajicek/Strycova, and Medina Garrigues/Parra Santonja all won with relative ease.
All-American teams went 3-1 on the day, with Gibbs/Townsend, Muhammad/Sanchez, and Black/Neel getting wins, while the team of Lepchenko/Riske bowed out to the No. 7 seeds Hlavackova/Hradecka. Meanwhile, another American, Vania King, teamed up with Saisai Zheng to get a win in a third set tiebreaker.
Singles star Jelena Jankovic teamed up with fellow Serbian Aleksandra Krunic to get an easy straight sets victory.
Winners not mentioned above: Niculescu/Savchuk, Kichenok/Kichenok, Barthel/Siegemund, Govortsova/Tsurenko, and Begu/Olaru.
The Mixed Doubles draw got under way but only with two matches on the schedule. The juniors team of Claire Liu and Taylor Fritz was on display, but were given the extremely difficult draw of Martina Hingis and Leander Paes losing 6-2 6-2. The other team on display was the US Open National Playoff winners Perianu/Daescu, who also received a tough draw. Anastasia Rodionova and Max Mirnyi got the win against them in straights 6-2 6-4.
More doubles action will take place on Day 4 with 9 men's doubles matches, 14 women's doubles matches, and 9 mixed doubles matches.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Retirements Plague the Men's Draw, Young Wins Match of the Tournament
Through one round at the US Open, history has already been made. An Open Era record 10 retirements in one round have occurred so far, including big names like Gael Monfils, Alex Dolgopolov, Marcos Baghdatis, and Ernests Gulbis. Seeing a player get hurt is never a good thing, especially at this tournament as it is what many players have worked for all year long. Also on tap in Day 2 was the massive victory from Donald Young, coming back from two sets and a break down to beat No. 11 seed Gilles Simon in the opening round.
Florian Mayer and Radek Stepanek were two of the players forced to retire on Day 1, which may not come as a surprise to many due to their histories with injuries as Mayer and Stepanek have been forced to miss a lot of time from the tour in recent months. Each player made it through three sets, but was forced to pull the plug in the fourth set of their respective matches, giving Martin Klizan and Marsel Ilhan victories through to the second round.
Retirements that were more of a surprise on Day 1 came from Yen-Hsun Lu, Pablo Andujar, Dolgopolov, and Monfils. Lu was unable to get anything going in his match as he retired down two sets to love and 3-0 in the third set. Andujar and Dolgopolov each retired after the end of sets, while Monfils called it quits two points away from dropping a set. Andujar's match was level at two sets all, while Dolgopolov and, essentially, Monfils were down two sets to one.
Day 2 saw more of the same as Alex Nedovyesov, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Gullbis, and Baghdatis each were unable to make it through their matches. Kokkinakis had battled Richard Gasquet at a very high level of play for the majority of four sets, but succumbed to cramps at the end of the fourth. Unable to move or hit serves effectively, the Australian was forced to retire after going down a break in the fifth set. Gulbis and Nedovyesov both retired in the third sets of their matches, with Gulbis' match even at one set all and Nedovyesov down two sets to love. Baghdatis was only three games from losing when he ended his match.
Another big headline was made at the US Open on Day 2, though, by American Donald Young. In his 11th appearance at the tournament, Young won his first match in which he had to come back from two sets to love down. After breaking in the opening game of the match, Young was unable to find a rhythm in the opening two sets, only winning six games total. From that point on, though, he was able to battle through the veteran from France, pulling off arguable the best win of his career. The five set comeback was full of impressive groundstrokes, unbelievable defense, and tons of emotion from the American, as he soared into the second round. His next opponent will be Aljaz Bedene, who benefitted from the retirement of Ernests Gulbis.
With nine retirements, nine five-set matches, and a few seeds being upset highlighting the first round of the US Open on the men's side, surely there will be many more unexpected events occurring throughout the rest of the tournament.
Florian Mayer and Radek Stepanek were two of the players forced to retire on Day 1, which may not come as a surprise to many due to their histories with injuries as Mayer and Stepanek have been forced to miss a lot of time from the tour in recent months. Each player made it through three sets, but was forced to pull the plug in the fourth set of their respective matches, giving Martin Klizan and Marsel Ilhan victories through to the second round.
Retirements that were more of a surprise on Day 1 came from Yen-Hsun Lu, Pablo Andujar, Dolgopolov, and Monfils. Lu was unable to get anything going in his match as he retired down two sets to love and 3-0 in the third set. Andujar and Dolgopolov each retired after the end of sets, while Monfils called it quits two points away from dropping a set. Andujar's match was level at two sets all, while Dolgopolov and, essentially, Monfils were down two sets to one.
Day 2 saw more of the same as Alex Nedovyesov, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Gullbis, and Baghdatis each were unable to make it through their matches. Kokkinakis had battled Richard Gasquet at a very high level of play for the majority of four sets, but succumbed to cramps at the end of the fourth. Unable to move or hit serves effectively, the Australian was forced to retire after going down a break in the fifth set. Gulbis and Nedovyesov both retired in the third sets of their matches, with Gulbis' match even at one set all and Nedovyesov down two sets to love. Baghdatis was only three games from losing when he ended his match.
Another big headline was made at the US Open on Day 2, though, by American Donald Young. In his 11th appearance at the tournament, Young won his first match in which he had to come back from two sets to love down. After breaking in the opening game of the match, Young was unable to find a rhythm in the opening two sets, only winning six games total. From that point on, though, he was able to battle through the veteran from France, pulling off arguable the best win of his career. The five set comeback was full of impressive groundstrokes, unbelievable defense, and tons of emotion from the American, as he soared into the second round. His next opponent will be Aljaz Bedene, who benefitted from the retirement of Ernests Gulbis.
With nine retirements, nine five-set matches, and a few seeds being upset highlighting the first round of the US Open on the men's side, surely there will be many more unexpected events occurring throughout the rest of the tournament.
Monday, August 31, 2015
Seeds' Aspirations for Success Soiled on Day 1
The US Open has only been going on for a day and many top players have already packed their bags. Ana Ivanovic, Karolina Pliskova, Carla Suarez Navarro, Jelena Jankovic, Sloane Stephens, and Svetlana Kuznetsova all bit the dust on Day 1 in New York, massively opening up the top half of the draw for Serena Williams.
Ana Ivanovic was coming off a good summer in which she made the quarterfinals in Toronto and Cincinatti, each time losing to the player that would go on to win the championship. After only a 2nd Round showing at last year's open, she surely was disappointed to get one of the toughest draws of the tournament, Dominika Cibulkova. Cibulkova, the 2014 Australian Open finalist, took the 1st set, but Ivanovic fought back and forced a deciding 3rd set. The fight was not enough for the Serb, however, as Cibulkova held on and took the match 6-3 in the final set.
Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic also had a good summer, winning the US Open Series with a finals appearance in Stanford and a quarterfinal in New Haven. She would've been hoping to back up her Third Round appearance at last year's US Open and prove her #8 seed this year, but she was completely outplayed by American qualifier Anna Tatishvili, who easily won 6-2 6-1. Pliskova's 57% first serve percentage and only winning 40% of all her service points led to her bowing out in the First Round.
The #10 seed Carla Suarez Navarro may be viewed as less of an upset as she had been on a 6-match losing streak and had not won a match on a hard court since her run to the final in Miami, however she should've been favored over Denisa Allertova, ranked 76 in the world, who hadn't played a match on a hard court since April. It appeared as though Allertova was the high ranked veteran, as she was able to break serve four times and hold Suarez Navarro to only 40% points won on second serve, allowing her to garner the 6-1 7-6(5) win.
Jelena Jankovic joined her fellow Serbian Ivanovic in exiting the US Open after only one match, losing to French wild card Oceane Dodin, 2-6 7-5 6-3. What looked like a comfortable victory quickly changed in the 2nd set, as Dodin, 18 years old, broke late in the set and carried that momentum into the 3rd. Dodin has been in good form, making the final of an ITF event only a couple weeks ago, but Jankovic will be massively disappointed with the result.
Sloane Stephens' loss to Coco Vandeweghe is not much of an upset as both young Americans look to have bright careers ahead of them. While Stephens had been in good form, going 17-6 in her last 23 matches, she came up against the huge serve of Vandeweghe, who fired her way into the 2nd Round with a 6-4 6-3 win. Though Vandeweghe didn't face a single break point in this match, expect more great battles from these two in the years to come.
Young Kristina Mladenovic, more known for her doubles prowess, upended the two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-3 7-5 on the opening day. The #30 seed had her powerful game stunted by the Frenchwoman, as she was broken 5 times.
While these six seeded women going out in the First Round is a delight to see for Serena Williams, the draw may still be just as tough as it was to begin with. Though Serena won't have to face any Top 10 players until the final, players like Madison Keys, Aga Radwanska, sister Venus Williams, and Belinda Bencic are still alive in the top half, while Coco Vandeweghe may also be able to pose a threat to Serena and her shot at the calendar slam. Vandeweghe's big serve and powerful groundstrokes could be dangerous for Serena if they meet in the Third Round.
Ana Ivanovic was coming off a good summer in which she made the quarterfinals in Toronto and Cincinatti, each time losing to the player that would go on to win the championship. After only a 2nd Round showing at last year's open, she surely was disappointed to get one of the toughest draws of the tournament, Dominika Cibulkova. Cibulkova, the 2014 Australian Open finalist, took the 1st set, but Ivanovic fought back and forced a deciding 3rd set. The fight was not enough for the Serb, however, as Cibulkova held on and took the match 6-3 in the final set.
Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic also had a good summer, winning the US Open Series with a finals appearance in Stanford and a quarterfinal in New Haven. She would've been hoping to back up her Third Round appearance at last year's US Open and prove her #8 seed this year, but she was completely outplayed by American qualifier Anna Tatishvili, who easily won 6-2 6-1. Pliskova's 57% first serve percentage and only winning 40% of all her service points led to her bowing out in the First Round.
The #10 seed Carla Suarez Navarro may be viewed as less of an upset as she had been on a 6-match losing streak and had not won a match on a hard court since her run to the final in Miami, however she should've been favored over Denisa Allertova, ranked 76 in the world, who hadn't played a match on a hard court since April. It appeared as though Allertova was the high ranked veteran, as she was able to break serve four times and hold Suarez Navarro to only 40% points won on second serve, allowing her to garner the 6-1 7-6(5) win.
Jelena Jankovic joined her fellow Serbian Ivanovic in exiting the US Open after only one match, losing to French wild card Oceane Dodin, 2-6 7-5 6-3. What looked like a comfortable victory quickly changed in the 2nd set, as Dodin, 18 years old, broke late in the set and carried that momentum into the 3rd. Dodin has been in good form, making the final of an ITF event only a couple weeks ago, but Jankovic will be massively disappointed with the result.
Sloane Stephens' loss to Coco Vandeweghe is not much of an upset as both young Americans look to have bright careers ahead of them. While Stephens had been in good form, going 17-6 in her last 23 matches, she came up against the huge serve of Vandeweghe, who fired her way into the 2nd Round with a 6-4 6-3 win. Though Vandeweghe didn't face a single break point in this match, expect more great battles from these two in the years to come.
Young Kristina Mladenovic, more known for her doubles prowess, upended the two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-3 7-5 on the opening day. The #30 seed had her powerful game stunted by the Frenchwoman, as she was broken 5 times.
While these six seeded women going out in the First Round is a delight to see for Serena Williams, the draw may still be just as tough as it was to begin with. Though Serena won't have to face any Top 10 players until the final, players like Madison Keys, Aga Radwanska, sister Venus Williams, and Belinda Bencic are still alive in the top half, while Coco Vandeweghe may also be able to pose a threat to Serena and her shot at the calendar slam. Vandeweghe's big serve and powerful groundstrokes could be dangerous for Serena if they meet in the Third Round.
Monday, August 3, 2015
My Experience at Citi Open Qualies
DAY 1
I began the journey to Washington D.C. from Virginia Beach early Saturday morning, making the trip in personal record time (slightly under 3 hours). After a bit of confusion, I was able to locate a parking garage and the shuttle system for the Citi Open, making the final leg of the trip relaxing for me. As you arrived at the complex on the shuttle, you could see the practice courts filled with players in the qualifying draw with their high expectations, hoping to fight their way through to the main draw.
When you walk onto the grounds of the Rock Creek Park tennis center, the Stadium Court and practice courts are to your left with vendors, tables, trees, and various other tents set up in front of you. So as I turn to my left to check out who is practicing before play began, I see James Ward walking with two other members of his team walking towards me. Instinctively I call out "Good luck, James!" and he gives me an acknowledging head nod and thank you. While I was ecstatic to see a relatively well known player and have him notice me, I was unaware at the time that this would be the least enthusiastic interaction I would have with a tennis player during the weekend.
As I continued my trek around the grounds, I stopped to watch Alex and Mischa Zverev practicing together on Grandstand 1, Tommy Haas practicing on the Stadium Court, Coco Vandeweghe and Sloane Stephens practicing together on an unused match court, and Daniel Nestor hitting on one of the practice courts. As I'm watching the lanky Canadian get some reps in, Ryan Harrison walks up to watch and begins asking when Nestor's half-volley clinic will be. The two continued their light-hearted discussion for a few minutes before Ryan broke away and began walking towards me, and I wasn't going to miss out on this opportunity. I shook hands with him and wished him luck in the tournament, as we engaged in conversation for a few seconds before he had to get on his way.
I then began to settle down as play was getting ready to begin. I headed over to Match Court 2 to watch some of Matija Pecotic and JP Smith opening up play on Day 1. As I made my walk to the court, I noticed a familiar face sitting on a bench near Grandstand 2 (which is directly between Match Court 1 and Match Court 2). At first glance I thought it was Radek Stepanek, but I then realized that it was Ivan Dodig taking a few seconds to relax and get himself together before taking on Liam Broady in just a few minutes. I walked up to him and just shook his hand and wished him luck, and he kindly responded with a smile and a thank you. What a nice man. As I took my seat on Match Court 2, Sekou Bangoura was finishing up his practice, but unfortunately for me I had no clue at that moment in time what Bangoura looked like, and that he was even in DC to begin with (this was before it was announced that he took Rajeev Ram's spot in the draw after Ram pulled out with an injury).
I watched the entirety of the first set between Smith and Pecotic (nothing too exciting), before heading over to a seat on Grandstand 2 that gave me viewing access to Dodig-Broady and Zverev-Edmund, the match going on behind me. I watched Dodig and Broady split sets and Zverev roll over Edmund before walking around the grounds some more, catching glimpses of Austin Krajicek, Kei Nishikori, Leonardo Mayer, and Andy Murray practicing. Needless to say, the largest crowd was on Murray's court as it was extremely difficult to find a good view of his practice. I then headed back over to Grandstand 2 to watch the end of Dodig-Broady and the beginning of Quigley-Sugita. Dodig and Broady both played a very high-level of tennis in the 3rd set, creating an exciting end that was only to become anti-climactic, due to a controversial call on match point, giving Ivan Dodig the win on an ace.
(Andy Murray hitting a backhand in practice in front of a large crowd.)
After the Dodig win, I went back to Match Court 2 to watch Eric Quigley out-fight Yuichi Sugita in a very entertaining match. Quigley, after winning the 1st set, looked like he would cruise to the win at 5-3 in the 2nd, but Sugita was able to win 4 games on the trot, forcing a decider. Quigley fought hard, though, continuing to make his shots and stick to his game plan, allowing himself to keep his composure and grab the 3rd set for the win. After the match, Eric took a few minutes to get off the court as he was greeted by fans asking for autographs and taking pictures, as well as a few of his friends talking to him and congratulating him. I managed to work a few seconds in with him, giving him a hand shake, congratulating him, and wishing him luck in the next round.
I then closed out Day 1 by heading over to Grandstand 1 and watching Ryan Harrison take on Guilherme Clezar. I managed to catch the end of the 2nd set, which was very tight up until the tiebreak, which Clezar was able to run away with. Ryan, though, asserted himself in the 3rd set, not allowing Clezar to have any success. Ryan breezed through the 3rd set to grab the win, and as he walked off the court and back to the locker room, I was able to shake hands with and congratulate him on the win.
(Ryan Harrison shaking my hand after his win.)
Day 1 was a truly amazing experience to me, and I was only halfway done with my weekend at the Citi Open.
DAY 2
Day 2 saw more of the same from Day 1, watching the stars practice and the lower-ranked guys try to fight their way into the main draw. The day started with watching Eric Quigley practicing with Jesse Witten on the Stadium Court, followed by Mischa and Alex Zverev after them. I walked around the grounds a little bit before play started, running into Ryan Harrison (who acknowledged me first). I then also saw and spoke to Rajeev Ram for a few seconds, congratulating on his recent run of form and wishing him luck in the doubles draw.
(Eric Quigley hitting with Jesse Witten before play begins on Day 2.)
I headed back to the Stadium Court and watch Eric Qugley begin his Final Round Qualifying match with Guido Pella at 10am, getting play started on Day 2. Eric fought extremely well and didn't play a bad match, but Pella played a near perfect match and was able to use his experience and steady game to take out Eric. There should be no shame in losing that match, and I wish Eric the best of luck throughout the rest of the summer and beyond. This match was followed by Ryan Harrison taking on Mischa Zverev in a very high quality match. Ryan looked to struggle with the serve and volley strategy of Zverev, but once he figured it out he was able to breeze to a 1st set win. The 2nd set was much tighter, seeing a couple breaks by each man. Ryan was able to stay tough, though, winning the match in a 2nd set tiebreak and seeing his way through to the main draw.
After the match I had to grab some lunch, getting a slice of pepperoni pizza that was twice the size of my head. As I was eating my lunch I decided to camp outside of the player's locker room, waiting to congratulate Ryan Harrison again. Before Ryan came out, though, Eric Quigley came out and started walking the opposite direction of where I was standing. I had to put a little pep in my step to catch up to him, but it was worth it. We chatted for a few minutes, discussing his play during the weekend and his plans for the summer before I let him go. Eric could not have been any more of a nicer guy to me. He's not only of the nicest tennis players I've met, he's one of the nice people in general that I've met.
I caught up with Ryan Harrison a few minutes later, giving him a congratulatory fist bump. It seemed like he was in a bit of a rush though, so there wasn't much conversation there. I then headed over to one of the tents set up outside of the stadium in which people could measure the speed of their serve, and if their serve was a high enough speed based on their age and gender, money would be donated to the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation in their name. For my age group, I had to hit at least 90mph. I came up clutch, hitting 92mph, although I'm convinced it was a slow gun. I was pumping at least triple digits....ok fine, I'll take 92.
The last thing I did at the Citi Open was entirely a spur of the moment thing. I was walking out of the grounds when I stopped to watch Donald Young practice. No more than 10 seconds later did Darian King, who made it through qualies to make the main draw, walk up next to me to watch Donald also. Darian had one of the most enthusiastic reactions to me, as he shook my hand with one of the brightest smiles I've ever seen. 
(Donald Young getting ready to hit a backhand in practice.)
Throughout the weekend I also saw guys like Viktor Troicki, Mardy Fish, Jack Sock, Steve Johnson, Kevin Anderson, Grigor Dimitrov, Alex Dolgopolov, Go Soeda, Tim Smyczek, Lukas Lacko, Ben Becker, Ricardas Berankis, Ze Zhang, and Blaz Rola practicing.
Overall, I was amazed by how easy to was to access the players. They literally just walk around the grounds like the spectators do and you can walk up to and interact with them. This was my favorite part of the tournament, as it makes you feel like you belong with some of the highest ranked tennis players in the world.
I began the journey to Washington D.C. from Virginia Beach early Saturday morning, making the trip in personal record time (slightly under 3 hours). After a bit of confusion, I was able to locate a parking garage and the shuttle system for the Citi Open, making the final leg of the trip relaxing for me. As you arrived at the complex on the shuttle, you could see the practice courts filled with players in the qualifying draw with their high expectations, hoping to fight their way through to the main draw.
When you walk onto the grounds of the Rock Creek Park tennis center, the Stadium Court and practice courts are to your left with vendors, tables, trees, and various other tents set up in front of you. So as I turn to my left to check out who is practicing before play began, I see James Ward walking with two other members of his team walking towards me. Instinctively I call out "Good luck, James!" and he gives me an acknowledging head nod and thank you. While I was ecstatic to see a relatively well known player and have him notice me, I was unaware at the time that this would be the least enthusiastic interaction I would have with a tennis player during the weekend.
As I continued my trek around the grounds, I stopped to watch Alex and Mischa Zverev practicing together on Grandstand 1, Tommy Haas practicing on the Stadium Court, Coco Vandeweghe and Sloane Stephens practicing together on an unused match court, and Daniel Nestor hitting on one of the practice courts. As I'm watching the lanky Canadian get some reps in, Ryan Harrison walks up to watch and begins asking when Nestor's half-volley clinic will be. The two continued their light-hearted discussion for a few minutes before Ryan broke away and began walking towards me, and I wasn't going to miss out on this opportunity. I shook hands with him and wished him luck in the tournament, as we engaged in conversation for a few seconds before he had to get on his way.
(Matija Pecotic and JP Smith getting ready for their match.)
After the Dodig win, I went back to Match Court 2 to watch Eric Quigley out-fight Yuichi Sugita in a very entertaining match. Quigley, after winning the 1st set, looked like he would cruise to the win at 5-3 in the 2nd, but Sugita was able to win 4 games on the trot, forcing a decider. Quigley fought hard, though, continuing to make his shots and stick to his game plan, allowing himself to keep his composure and grab the 3rd set for the win. After the match, Eric took a few minutes to get off the court as he was greeted by fans asking for autographs and taking pictures, as well as a few of his friends talking to him and congratulating him. I managed to work a few seconds in with him, giving him a hand shake, congratulating him, and wishing him luck in the next round.
(Eric Quigley taking a photo with some excited fans after his win.)
I then closed out Day 1 by heading over to Grandstand 1 and watching Ryan Harrison take on Guilherme Clezar. I managed to catch the end of the 2nd set, which was very tight up until the tiebreak, which Clezar was able to run away with. Ryan, though, asserted himself in the 3rd set, not allowing Clezar to have any success. Ryan breezed through the 3rd set to grab the win, and as he walked off the court and back to the locker room, I was able to shake hands with and congratulate him on the win.
Day 1 was a truly amazing experience to me, and I was only halfway done with my weekend at the Citi Open.
DAY 2
Day 2 saw more of the same from Day 1, watching the stars practice and the lower-ranked guys try to fight their way into the main draw. The day started with watching Eric Quigley practicing with Jesse Witten on the Stadium Court, followed by Mischa and Alex Zverev after them. I walked around the grounds a little bit before play started, running into Ryan Harrison (who acknowledged me first). I then also saw and spoke to Rajeev Ram for a few seconds, congratulating on his recent run of form and wishing him luck in the doubles draw.
I headed back to the Stadium Court and watch Eric Qugley begin his Final Round Qualifying match with Guido Pella at 10am, getting play started on Day 2. Eric fought extremely well and didn't play a bad match, but Pella played a near perfect match and was able to use his experience and steady game to take out Eric. There should be no shame in losing that match, and I wish Eric the best of luck throughout the rest of the summer and beyond. This match was followed by Ryan Harrison taking on Mischa Zverev in a very high quality match. Ryan looked to struggle with the serve and volley strategy of Zverev, but once he figured it out he was able to breeze to a 1st set win. The 2nd set was much tighter, seeing a couple breaks by each man. Ryan was able to stay tough, though, winning the match in a 2nd set tiebreak and seeing his way through to the main draw.
After the match I had to grab some lunch, getting a slice of pepperoni pizza that was twice the size of my head. As I was eating my lunch I decided to camp outside of the player's locker room, waiting to congratulate Ryan Harrison again. Before Ryan came out, though, Eric Quigley came out and started walking the opposite direction of where I was standing. I had to put a little pep in my step to catch up to him, but it was worth it. We chatted for a few minutes, discussing his play during the weekend and his plans for the summer before I let him go. Eric could not have been any more of a nicer guy to me. He's not only of the nicest tennis players I've met, he's one of the nice people in general that I've met.
I caught up with Ryan Harrison a few minutes later, giving him a congratulatory fist bump. It seemed like he was in a bit of a rush though, so there wasn't much conversation there. I then headed over to one of the tents set up outside of the stadium in which people could measure the speed of their serve, and if their serve was a high enough speed based on their age and gender, money would be donated to the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation in their name. For my age group, I had to hit at least 90mph. I came up clutch, hitting 92mph, although I'm convinced it was a slow gun. I was pumping at least triple digits....ok fine, I'll take 92.
The last thing I did at the Citi Open was entirely a spur of the moment thing. I was walking out of the grounds when I stopped to watch Donald Young practice. No more than 10 seconds later did Darian King, who made it through qualies to make the main draw, walk up next to me to watch Donald also. Darian had one of the most enthusiastic reactions to me, as he shook my hand with one of the brightest smiles I've ever seen.
Throughout the weekend I also saw guys like Viktor Troicki, Mardy Fish, Jack Sock, Steve Johnson, Kevin Anderson, Grigor Dimitrov, Alex Dolgopolov, Go Soeda, Tim Smyczek, Lukas Lacko, Ben Becker, Ricardas Berankis, Ze Zhang, and Blaz Rola practicing.
Overall, I was amazed by how easy to was to access the players. They literally just walk around the grounds like the spectators do and you can walk up to and interact with them. This was my favorite part of the tournament, as it makes you feel like you belong with some of the highest ranked tennis players in the world.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Round of 16 Davis Cup Predictions
Germany v. France
Simon d. Struff in 3
Monfils d. Kohlschreiber in 4
Becker/Begemann d. Benneteau/Mahut in 5
Simon d. Kohlschreiber in 4
Becker d. Benneteau in 2
France d. Germany 3-2
Great Britain v. USA
Murray d. Young in 4
Isner d. Ward in 4
Bryan/Bryan d. Inglot/JMurray in 5
Murray d. Isner in 4
Young d. Ward in 4
USA d. Great Britain 3-2
Czech Republic v. Australia
Rosol d. Kokkinakis in 4
Tomic d. Vesely in 3
Groth/Hewitt d. Rosol/Vesely in 5
Tomic d. Rosol in 4
Groth d. Pavlasek in 2
Australia d. Czech Republic 4-1
Kazakhstan v. Italy
Bolelli d. Kukushkin in 4
Seppi d. Golubev in 3
Bolelli/Fognini d. Golubev/Nedovyesov in 4
Fognini d. Nedovyesov in 3
Lorenzi d. Popko in 2
Italy d. Kazakhstan 5-0
Argentina v. Brazil
Berlocq d. Souza in 4
Mayer d. Bellucci in 5
Melo/Soares d. Delbonis/Schwartzman in 3
Mayer d. Souza in 5
Bellucci d. Schartzman in 3
Argentina d. Brazil 3-2
Serbia v. Croatia
Djokovic d. Delic in 3
Troicki d. Coric in 4
Troicki/Zimonjic d. Draganja/Skugor in 3
Djokovic d. Coric in 3
Krajinovic d. Delic in 2
Serbia d. Croatia 5-0
Canada v. Japan
Raonic d. Ito in 3
Nishikori d. Pospisil in 4
Nestor/Pospisil d. Nishikori/Uchiyama in 4
Raonic d. Nishikori in 5
Dancevic d. Soeda in 3
Canada d. Japan 4-1
Belgium v. Switzerland
Bemelmans d. Laaksonen in 4
Darcis d. Lammer in 3
Bemelmans/Desein d. Bossel/Lammer in 3
Goffin d. Marti in 2
Desein d. Bossel in 3
Belgium d. Switzerland 5-0
Final Points:
- If Kohlschreiber beats Monfils on Day 1, I like Germany's chances for the upset.
- Donald Young will not choke.
- Bernard Tomic is going to step up big time.
- Australia v. Italy for a spot in the semis? That'll be one heck of a tie.
- Berlocq is clutch in the Davis Cup. That's not stopping this weekend.
- Coric will get some good Davis Cup experience, but lose both of his matches.
- I'm a firm believer that Raonic will have a better career than Nishikori. Raonic will win the clincher against Kei this weekend.
- Switzerland's title defense efforts are laughable, they'll get drubbed by Belgium.
- I miss writing about tennis, but for now...playing baseball is my priority. I'll be back soon.
Simon d. Struff in 3
Monfils d. Kohlschreiber in 4
Becker/Begemann d. Benneteau/Mahut in 5
Simon d. Kohlschreiber in 4
Becker d. Benneteau in 2
France d. Germany 3-2
Great Britain v. USA
Murray d. Young in 4
Isner d. Ward in 4
Bryan/Bryan d. Inglot/JMurray in 5
Murray d. Isner in 4
Young d. Ward in 4
USA d. Great Britain 3-2
Czech Republic v. Australia
Rosol d. Kokkinakis in 4
Tomic d. Vesely in 3
Groth/Hewitt d. Rosol/Vesely in 5
Tomic d. Rosol in 4
Groth d. Pavlasek in 2
Australia d. Czech Republic 4-1
Kazakhstan v. Italy
Bolelli d. Kukushkin in 4
Seppi d. Golubev in 3
Bolelli/Fognini d. Golubev/Nedovyesov in 4
Fognini d. Nedovyesov in 3
Lorenzi d. Popko in 2
Italy d. Kazakhstan 5-0
Argentina v. Brazil
Berlocq d. Souza in 4
Mayer d. Bellucci in 5
Melo/Soares d. Delbonis/Schwartzman in 3
Mayer d. Souza in 5
Bellucci d. Schartzman in 3
Argentina d. Brazil 3-2
Serbia v. Croatia
Djokovic d. Delic in 3
Troicki d. Coric in 4
Troicki/Zimonjic d. Draganja/Skugor in 3
Djokovic d. Coric in 3
Krajinovic d. Delic in 2
Serbia d. Croatia 5-0
Canada v. Japan
Raonic d. Ito in 3
Nishikori d. Pospisil in 4
Nestor/Pospisil d. Nishikori/Uchiyama in 4
Raonic d. Nishikori in 5
Dancevic d. Soeda in 3
Canada d. Japan 4-1
Belgium v. Switzerland
Bemelmans d. Laaksonen in 4
Darcis d. Lammer in 3
Bemelmans/Desein d. Bossel/Lammer in 3
Goffin d. Marti in 2
Desein d. Bossel in 3
Belgium d. Switzerland 5-0
Final Points:
- If Kohlschreiber beats Monfils on Day 1, I like Germany's chances for the upset.
- Donald Young will not choke.
- Bernard Tomic is going to step up big time.
- Australia v. Italy for a spot in the semis? That'll be one heck of a tie.
- Berlocq is clutch in the Davis Cup. That's not stopping this weekend.
- Coric will get some good Davis Cup experience, but lose both of his matches.
- I'm a firm believer that Raonic will have a better career than Nishikori. Raonic will win the clincher against Kei this weekend.
- Switzerland's title defense efforts are laughable, they'll get drubbed by Belgium.
- I miss writing about tennis, but for now...playing baseball is my priority. I'll be back soon.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Countdown to 2015: What You Need To Know About American Tennis
In 2014, we witnessed John Isner continue his consistent run in the top 20, Sam Querrey bounced back from a rough start to win 3 titles at the end of the year, and Steve Johnson, Jack Sock, and Donald Young all solidified their places in the top level of the game. With all of these successes, combined with the potential of the younger stars of American tennis, 2015 should hold many bright moments for the red, white, and blue.
In New Year's Fashion, let's do this countdown style. We'll see the 10 players that will make the most noise, 9 young players rising through the rankings, 8 players hoping to solidify their places at the highest level, 7 players who will excel in doubles action, 6 minor tournaments in the ATP World Tour held in the United States, 5 major tournaments held in the United States, 4 Davis Cup ties (hopefully), 3 players who could see 2015 be their last chance, 2 semi-bold predictions, and 1 bold prediction that hopefully is not too crazy.
10 - Players that will Make the Most Noise
John Isner (19)
This man has been the number 1 American for quite some time now, and he should keep these title for at least a few more months in 2015, if not the whole year. With a new season comes more experience on the tour, and new coach in Justin Gimelstob should help give him the push he needs to get closer to the top 10 again. John is coming off of his lowest year-end ranking since 2010, but the bright side of this is that he does not have as many points to defend as he has the past few seasons. Starting his season with the Hopman Cup should work him up to his highest level of form, and prepare him for a good run at the Australian Open and continued success throughout 2015.
Sam Querrey (35)
Sam got off to a very pour start in 2014 in which he struggled to win many matches at the tour level. Despite this, he had a very successful end to the season, winning three challenger tournaments in a row. This is a great sign for Sam, as he is brimming with confidence heading into the season. Sure they were just challengers, but winning at any level breeds more winning. Sam is ready to bounce back into the tour level events and win a lot of matches, and potentially tournaments, this year. He's used to being the number 2 guy for American tennis, but this year he's ready to leap John in the rankings, as well as many other players in front of him.
Steve Johnson (37)
Steve is coming off of his best year as a pro by far. He had his first top 150 finish, which also just happened to be his first top 40 finish. Steve did end the year on a 3 match losing streak, but he's poised to bounce back and start off 2015 in the best of ways. He has a lot to defend early in the season, unfortunately, after making the quarters in Auckland, winning the Le Gosier and Dallas challengers, making the semis in Delray Beach, and the final in Irving. He will be playing more tour level events this year which should make up for any points lost from these results, but it will be difficult to keep his ranking from dropping. However, if there is an American who is ready to make the jump to tour level events and have consistently good results, it is Steve Johnson.
Jack Sock (42)
Jack is one of the brightest spots in the future of American tennis. This guy has the potential to be top 10 in the world, and we could see that happen in the next couple of years. He unfortunately will miss all of January with an injury, but is expected to come back at Memphis in February. Jack is currently at a career high ranking after his first top 100 finish landed him at 42. After a successful year that saw him make 5 quarters, 2 semis, and a challenger final, we can expect good results from him in the tour level events. He only had 4 wins each at masters events and the grand slams, so much more will be expected of him from these events. Expect Jack to continue to rise in the rankings, and maybe get a seed at Wimbledon or the US Open.
Donald Young (57)
Donald has been an enigma for his whole career, but guess what...he's only 25 years old. It feels like he's been on the tour forever, but this year will be his best year so far. He had his highest year-end ranking since 2011, and he doesn't have many points defend through March, as he only had 4 main draw wins in that period in 2014. He did, however, have a very strong middle portion of the season, making the quarters of Houston and Sarasota, the semis of Tallahassee and Washington, and the 3rd Round of the French Open. After his semi-final run in DC, though, Donald finished 4-8. This leaves the beginning and end of the season with a lot of potential for Donald to make some big points and possibly crack the top 30.
Denis Kudla (121)
Denis has so much potential that its astonishing. He's coming off a season in which he made 6 quarters at challengers, the semis at Charlottesville, a final at Guadalajara, qualified for the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and Memphis, and won Winnetka, all while he missed 4 months of the season due to injury. If this guy has a full 2015, he will have no issue cracking into the top 100 and possibly the top 75. He may not be ready for the jump to tour level events yet, but he will be soon, and a big 2015 will help him get there.
Austin Krajicek (152)
Austin is coming off of his first top 240 finish and is sitting at a career high ranking. Thanks to making 9 quarters at challengers, the semis at Rimouski, qualifying for Newport, and winning Medellin, Austin is primed for an even bigger 2015. He's full of confidence and will get more direct acceptances into challengers along with some seeds, as well as a few appearances in tour level events. Expect Austin to continue his good form into this season and get near the top 100 in the world.
Ryan Harrison (191)
Let's just pretend like 2014 didn't happen for Ryan. We all know it was a terrible year as he saw his worst year-end ranking since 2009, including 17 losses in the 1st Round or qualifying rounds of tournaments, as well as a 5 match losing streak at one point. On the bright side, he qualified for 4 tour level events last year and had a lot of tough draws including Monfils, Dimitrov twice, and Hewitt, just to name a few. With not many points to defend this season and an offseason in which Ryan surely got his act together, expect him to get back into the top 100. Remember, he's only 22 years old, he's still figuring some things out.
Jarmere Jenkins (193)
The UVA grad is coming off a career year in which he won more than triple the amount of matches he lost (46-15). His first finish in the top 330 sees him inside the top 200 after winning 5 futures events, making the semis at Burnie, and the quarters at West Lake. This year will see the insanely athletic Jarmere play in more challengers, and possibly get some wild cards into tour level events, increasing the amounts of points he will be receiving. If he continues his good form into this season, expect a finish near the top 150.
Jared Donaldson (261)
The last player to expect a lot of noise from is also the youngest on this list. Jared finished almost 500 spots higher in the rankings than in 2013, coming off of 3 futures titles, qualifying at 2 challengers and Washington, as well as a semi at Napa, and a quarter at Sacramento. Same with Jarmere, Jared will be playing in more challengers and tour level events, which will only boost his ranking, as well as his confidence. Jared could get near the top 200, as he leads a large amount of young American tennis stars.
9 - Rising Stars
Jared Donaldson
Jared is utilizing 2 years of training in Argentina to get a jump start on his career, as he has risen through the rankings quicker than anyone could have imagined. Turning pro in 2014 and deciding to forego college, he made his first tour main draw as he qualified for Washington. Next up was a wild card into the US Open, something that any young start would dream of. 2015 will be bright for Jared, as well as the many other young stars behind him.
Marcos Giron
The 2014 NCAA champ from UCLA has a very big game and incorporates a high level of fitness in his matches. In 2014, he won a futures event and made another final, as well as qualifying for 5 events, and getting 6 wins in the main draws of challengers. He's coming off a very strong finish in 2014, making the quarters in Champaign, and making the final of a futures in Mexico. After having wins over guys like Ante Pavic, Bradley Klahn, and Gastao Elias, Giron should be brimming with confidence heading into the 2015 season.
Stefan Kozlov
Everybody knows about Stefan Kozlov, and this young man has earned that right. Stefan works harder than any other player his age, and this has earned him a spot as one of the rising stars of American tennis. Coming off a year in which he made 2 junior slam finals and won the Orange Bowl, he is primed for another big year, jumping 701 spots from 2013 to 2014. After making the final in Sacramento beating Harrison, Smith, Williams, and Smyczek along the way, as well as making his tour level debut in Valencia, Stefan can only be full of confidence as he looks to continue his rise in the rankings.
Noah Rubin
The 2014 Wimbledon juniors champ is heading to Wake Forest for college, but could still have a big 2015 in the pro ranks. This young man has drawn comparisons to David Ferrer thanks to his speed around the court and great defensive ability. These skills earned him 2 finals at futures events, as well as a title at Kalamazoo. Noah will continue to put in the hard yards at college, setting himself up for a great career in the future.
Bjorn Fratangelo
This guy is ready to make it big. Ever since he won the 2011 French Open juniors, he has been labeled with a lot of potential, and he's ready to show it. After winning 5 futures events and making the quarters at Tiburon and Sacramento, Bjorn will be playing in more challengers and receiving a lot more points for wins, which will boost his ranking massively, possibly approaching the top 200. On top of this, he only has 1 main draw win to defend through May, which means a lot of points will be coming his way. Finishing the season 31-6 has this man full of confidence heading into 2015.
Dennis Novikov
After winning 4 futures events in 2014, Dennis is sitting at a career high ranking. This man beat Jerzy Janowicz at the US Open in 2012, that's all you need to know about Dennis and what he brings to the court. He fights out every single point, putting him in the position to win a lot more matches than he truly should. Expect Dennis to get into more challengers this year and make some noise in those tournaments.
Ernesto Escobedo
Escobedo is another guy with a lot of potential. We've seen his ability as he made the semis of 3 futures events, as well as the quarters at Binghamton and the FRQ at the US Open. This young man who is known for his power and speed is ready to make some noise in 2015, as long as he can stay healthy.
Michael Mmoh
Coming off a big year in the juniors, Mmoh is poised for a big 2015. He won a futures event, made the quarters at the Orange Bowl, Round of 16 at the French Open and Wimbledon juniors, as well as the final of the Eddie Herr tournament. Drawing comparisons to Gael Monfils, this young man has the entertainment level and will hopefully prove he matches the skill level as well.
Francis Tiafoe
Tiafoe made his name known in 2014 as he made his tour level debut at Washington. After winning the Easter Bowl, making the quarters at 3 futures events, and the semis at the US Open juniors, Francis is primed for some big results in 2014, and hopefully a few appearances in challenger tournaments. Expect Tiafoe to continue his rise through the rankings, as this man can beat anyone on any given day.
8 - Players Looking for Solidification at the Highest Level
Tim Smyczek
Smyczek has hovered around the top 100 for the past couple years and has won some big matches and had many good results on tournaments. It just seems that he doesn't bring the same level of play to the court week in and week out. He did make 3 quarters, 3 semis, and a final in challengers in 2014, as well as qualifying for 2 tour level events. Despite this, he had 11 1st Round losses (5 in challengers, 6 in tour level events). Sure, some of the losses were to Kevin Anderson and Gilles Simon, but others were to Facundo Bagnis and Yoshihito Nishioka, guys that Tim should not be losing to. If Tim could simply win one match at each of these tournaments, his ranking would drastically improve. If he can match the level of play that earned him 7 appearances in the quarters or better every week, Tim could be a top 50 player.
Bradley Klahn
Bradley is the definition of streaky. He started the year 13-2(!!!) but followed this up with an 8 match losing streak. At the end of the season, he was 4-6 before winning Traralgon, but then had 2 1st Round losses. Klahn did win 3 challengers and made the quarters at Binghamton, but he dropped 51 spots in year-end rankings and had losses to guys like Adam Pavasek and Axel Michon. Klahn has a lot of points to defend through early February, but if he can keep his ranking inside the top 200 during that time, expect him to bounce back and get near the top 100 again.
Wayne Odesnik
Odesnik is one of those guys that you either love or hate, but that's a story for another day. He had his lowest year-end ranking since 2006 (not counting 2010), had 17 1st Round losses, and 2 4-match losing streaks. To contrast this, he won the US Open wild card by making the final in Bighamton and the semis in Lexington, as well as making back to back quarters in Santiago and Santos (which was promptly followed by 3 1R losses), and winning Chitre. He also qualified for 4 tour level events, but after qualifying for Winston-Salem, he finished the year 3-7. Odesnik is another guy that needs to find some consistency from week to week if he wants to get back near the top 100.
Alex Kuznetsov
Kuznetsov had a very good year last year, making 3 quarters, a semi at Charlottesville, an FRQ at the Australian Open, and qualifying for 4 tour level events. He had wins over Goffin, Kukushkin, Mannarino, Stakovsky, and Groth, but he also had losses to Thibaud Berland (his only win of 2014), Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, and David Guez. He also had 17 1R losses, and followed a 5-2 run with a 4 match losing streak. Add Kuznetsov to the list of guys who needs more consistency from week to week.
Rhyne Williams
Now that I have Lang's attention...Rhyne is an amazing tennis player with great ability. He showed us this by making the quarters in Delray Beach, as well as two challengers, making the semis at Aptos, and qualifying for 3 tournaments. He had a win over Alejandro Falla, but had losses to Josh Milton and Stefan Kozlov (don't get me wrong, Kozlov is a great player and I love the kid, but he shouldn't be beating Rhyne at this point). After dropping 93 spots in year-end rankings and being 107 spots below his career high, we have to remember that Rhyne has the ability to be a top 50 player, and consistency isn't really his issue. For him, it may be more of a mental block. If he could put everything together, he could easily be back in the top 100 in 2015.
Chase Buchanan
The Ohio State grad is coming off a career year in 2014, making 4 quarters, 2 semis, and a final all in challenger events. A good thing for Chase in 2015 is that he started and ended 2014 somewhat poorly, going 10-19 from January through April and mid-August through the end of the season. In other words, Chase was in his best form from May to August, going 18-10. If Chase could play at that level all season, his ranking will continue to rise near the top 100.
Tennys Sandgren
Tennys' problem isn't mental or consistency, it's his health. Tennys only played in 11 tournaments in 2014, as he missed February through August. While he played, however, he made the semis of a futures event, the quarters in Charlottesvill, and 3 semis in doubles tournaments, also garnering wins over Blaz Rola, James McGee, and Gastao Elias. If he can stay healthy for most of 2015 and is able to find some good form, Tennys could return to the top 250, and maybe even crack the top 150.
Donald Young
Yes, Donald is going to make a lot of noise in 2015...if he can handle playing tour level events every week. Donald could easily be a top 10 player if he brought his A-game every match, but sometimes he leaves it at home, and unfortunately that tends to be at the beginning of tournaments for Donald. I saw him play Blaz Kavcic at the US Open in 2014, and, to put it nicely, Donald could've left his racket in the bag for the match and had a better result. With matches like that thrown in throughout the season, he could struggle to stay in the top 60. Expect him to limit those types of matches this year, though, and solidify his spot near the top 40.
7- Doubles Stars
Bob and Mike Bryan
Everybody knows the Bryan twins because they are the best, and they're also pretty cool guys. After yet another amazing year in 2014 that included 10 titles (6 masters, the US Open, the World Tour Finals, and two others), 3 more finals, and a 25-match win streak, there are no signs of these guys slowing down. They will turn 37 in April, and guess what...they will still be the best. The team they thought would be the toughest competition in 2015 (Llodra/Zimonjic) is not happening anymore, as Llodra is still not healthy. Of course they will have their fluke matches where they lose to teams like Herbert/Przysiezny (Tokyo 2014), but no one will be able to beat these guys consistently. Continue to bring the trophies home, guys.
Eric Butorac
Eric is coming off his best year since 2011 as he had a very successful partnership with Raven Klaasen. They made the finals of the Australian Open, won Memphis and Stockholm, semis at 3 250 events and 1 500 event, and the quarters at the US Open and Paris Masters. This team is breaking up though, and Butorac is expected to be playing with Sam Groth this year, a team that could strike fear in the hearts of a lot of other teams. Expect Butorac/Groth to have a very strong start to the season, on their way to qualifying for the World Tour Finals.
Scott Lipsky
Scott is one of the most underrated American tennis players. He consistently finishes in the top 60 (4 straight top 32 finishes), despite having to play with a lot of different partners. Scott won 3 titles in 2014, as well as 2 semis appearances, and a final. He did play with Santiago Gonzalez in 18 out of his 30 tournaments in 2014, but Gonzalez is leaving, so Scott is on the market again. Rajeev Ram could be a potential partner for Scott as they made the semis at the US Open together, and played 3 other tournaments as a team. Expect another top 40 finish from Scott, no matter who his partner ends up being.
Jack Sock
I guess we can call him a Jack of all trades...*crickets* Ok, ignore the bad pun. But yes, Jack is just as good at doubles as he is singles, if not better. We all know he won Wimbledon with Vasek Pospisil, as well as Atlanta, but he also made two semis, and two finals. He was very successful with Ryan Harrison, making the semis in Delray and Miami, but hopefully him and Pospisil stick together, as they just seem to have this great chemistry together in which they very rarely lose a match. If they play a full season together, they could be a top 4 team.
Austin Krajicek
The lefty is another underrated doubles player for American tennis. After winning 3 challenger titles, making 6 semis, and 3 finals, Krajicek has proved his worth as a doubles partner and could attract bigger name players for higher level tournaments, like Dustin Brown. They played 4 tournaments together and won a few matches, but Austin's most successful partner was JP Smith. Together they won a title and made two finals and two semis. This team could win a lot of tournaments in the challenger ranks this year, and possibly work their way into some tour level draws.
Kevin King
A relatively unknown player, the Georgia Tech grad is an incredibly skilled doubles player. He seems to be trying to make it big in singles and plays doubles on the side, but he has a lot more success in the doubles draws. He had 8 different partners in 2014 and won 4 titles (2 futures and 2 challengers), 4 finals, and 5 semis. His most successful partner was Juan-Carlos Spir, a teammate from Georgia Tech. Together they won 3 titles, had 2 finals, and 3 semis, and had their ranking sit just outside the top 100 all year. If they keep making deep runs into challengers, expect them to reach the top 100 very soon and get some appearances at tour level events.
6 - 250 Events in the United States
Memphis, Delray Beach, Houston, Newport, Atlanta, and Winston-Salem are the hosts of 250 level tournaments in the States, and they hold great amounts of opportunity for American players. With 3 wild cards present at each of these, we often see young stars get big opportunities to make their names known. Also, the home nation advantage is always beneficial to Americans, even on the clay in Houston as we have seen John Isner and Ryan Sweeting take home the trophy there in the past few years. In 2015, expect guys like Kudla, Donaldson, and Kozlov to make some noise in the 250 level tournaments.
5 - 500, Masters, and Grand Slam Events
Indian Wells, Miami, Washington, Cincinnati, and New York are the hosts of some of the greatest tennis moments of the season. Indian Wells and Miami always show who is going to make it big throughout the season, while Washington and Cincinnati show who is ready to make a deep run at the US Open. If you've never had the opportunity to go to one of these tournaments, put it on your bucket list. I've been to Washington and New York, and those have been some of the greatest days of my life. Watching the best tennis players in the world play in our home nation is an honor, and hopefully some of the Americans can make themselves a force to be reckoned with at these tournaments and defend their home nation.
4 - Davis Cup ties...hopefully
It's safe to say that all American tennis fans were disappointed with the Davis Cup performance in 2014. A loss to Great Britain in the Round of 16 was not something that many people expected, but the stars and stripes are ready to turn that around this year.
Round of 16
With a shot at redemption, we face Great Britain again in the Round of 16, but this time we have to go across the pond. If a fully healthy team of Isner, Querrey, and the Bryan brothers goes to Great Britain, a win is certainly expected, even if Murray plays 3 matches. The tie is currently set to be played on an indoor hard court, which greatly benefits the powerful games of Isner and Querrey. They would each be expected to win a singles match against the Britain number 2, while the Bryan brothers can always be chalked up as a win. If one of these players is hurt, expect Steve Johnson to be called upon, because Jack Sock would still be out at this point of the season. Johnson should definitely be ready to make his Davis Cup debut, and could get a win if need be.
Quarterfinals
After a win against Great Britain, the United States would either host France, or go to Germany. Going to Germany may be better for the USA, even if the tie will be played on clay. France has such a dominant team comprised of Tsonga, Monfils, Simon, Gasquet, Benneteau, and Chardy, that facing a team of Kohlschriber, Becker, Struff, and Brown on clay in Germany doesn't sound too bad. Isner does have a great track record on the road on clay in Davis Cup, with wins over Federer, Tsonga, and Simon, and Querrey has always had a knack for the red stuff. Against France, there would be more nerves playing in front of a home crowd, and facing a much tougher team could be difficult for the states.
Semifinals
The semis would likely see a matchup against the Czech Republic or Italy. We would host the Czechs and go to Italy, and honestly neither one is that appealing, but a win is certainly possible in either scenario. Again, Isner's record on the road on clay would be huge against Italy, having to play against two great clay courters in Fognini and Seppi. Meanwhile, a home tie with the Czechs may not be that bad, as they would have to rely on Berdych for most of the tie. Again, the Bryans could be chalked up as a win against either of these sides, but may have difficulty against a doubles team of Berdych/Stepanek that has a great record in Davis Cup play.
Final
Yes, I'm getting ahead of myself, but a spot in the finals would likely see the US face Argentina, Serbia, or Switzerland. Argentina and Serbia would be on the road, while we would host Switzerland. Argentina would likely be the easiest of the three, however they could use Juan Martin del Potro, if he is healthy at the time of tie. Other than that, Monaco, Berlocq, Mayer, and Delbonis would not be that tough to beat on the road. Serbia on the road would be very difficult with Djokovic and Zimonjic leading the way, as well as Troicki, Lajovic, and Krajinovic fighting for the other two spots. If Isner and Querrey could both beat the number 2 Serb, a win would be expected though thanks to the Bryans. Lastly, we definitely don't want to face Switzerland, even if the tie is at home. A team of the GOAT and Stan Wawrinka is scary, especially after their Davis Cup win in 2014. The tie could be won though, if John and Sam step up big.
Expect Steve Johnson and Jack Sock to get some looks in Davis Cup action this year. If John or Sam don't play to their full potential in 2015, they could easily step in and do the job for America.
3 - Players in Their Final Year?
Rajeev Ram, Michael Russell, and Robby Ginepri could be nearing the ends of their very successful careers. Ram could still get into some tour level events and rely on doubles to stick around for a while, but Russell and Ginepri have to rely on challengers to continue their careers. If any of these guys does decide to call it quits in 2015, we will be saying farewell to a tremendous player and representative of the United States.
2 - Semi-bold Predictions
A. The Bryan brothers will win the calendar slam this year. They have done literally everything except this, and it could be the last year to do it. There aren't very many doubles teams set up that could scare the Bryan brothers this year, and coming off their momentum from a great 2014 (or their entire career for that matter), they could certainly pull off the calendar slam.
B. Ryan Harrison will return to the top 100 and win a 250 tournament. Coming off his worst year as a pro in 2014, Ryan is looking to bounce back in a big way. As I stated earlier, he won't have very many points to defend and could quickly raise his ranking back near the top 100. Doing so could get him into a 250 tournament, and I fully expect him to go all the way in one. My guess is either Nottingham or Bogota.
1 - Bold Prediction
Sam Querrey will win a Masters 1000 event and make the quarters of a Grand Slam (either Wimbledon or the US Open). You heard it hear first. I fully expect Sam to have a career year this year, coming off of a subpar 2014. Carrying the momentum from the end of the season will set up him for a great start to 2015 and continued success throughout the year. Remember this post, ladies and gentlemen.
Bonus - Who to Follow on Twitter for American Tennis
@LangTennis
@BaselineBagels
@jokelley_tennis
@MikeCTennis
@Dimonator
@TheTennisNerds
@TennisAtlantic
@matthigh1111
@JaredPine
@jmeistennis
@rourkeytenis
@Smith_J1989
@nolesfan2011 @PatrickMcEnroe
In New Year's Fashion, let's do this countdown style. We'll see the 10 players that will make the most noise, 9 young players rising through the rankings, 8 players hoping to solidify their places at the highest level, 7 players who will excel in doubles action, 6 minor tournaments in the ATP World Tour held in the United States, 5 major tournaments held in the United States, 4 Davis Cup ties (hopefully), 3 players who could see 2015 be their last chance, 2 semi-bold predictions, and 1 bold prediction that hopefully is not too crazy.
10 - Players that will Make the Most Noise
John Isner (19)
This man has been the number 1 American for quite some time now, and he should keep these title for at least a few more months in 2015, if not the whole year. With a new season comes more experience on the tour, and new coach in Justin Gimelstob should help give him the push he needs to get closer to the top 10 again. John is coming off of his lowest year-end ranking since 2010, but the bright side of this is that he does not have as many points to defend as he has the past few seasons. Starting his season with the Hopman Cup should work him up to his highest level of form, and prepare him for a good run at the Australian Open and continued success throughout 2015.
Sam Querrey (35)
Sam got off to a very pour start in 2014 in which he struggled to win many matches at the tour level. Despite this, he had a very successful end to the season, winning three challenger tournaments in a row. This is a great sign for Sam, as he is brimming with confidence heading into the season. Sure they were just challengers, but winning at any level breeds more winning. Sam is ready to bounce back into the tour level events and win a lot of matches, and potentially tournaments, this year. He's used to being the number 2 guy for American tennis, but this year he's ready to leap John in the rankings, as well as many other players in front of him.
Steve Johnson (37)
Steve is coming off of his best year as a pro by far. He had his first top 150 finish, which also just happened to be his first top 40 finish. Steve did end the year on a 3 match losing streak, but he's poised to bounce back and start off 2015 in the best of ways. He has a lot to defend early in the season, unfortunately, after making the quarters in Auckland, winning the Le Gosier and Dallas challengers, making the semis in Delray Beach, and the final in Irving. He will be playing more tour level events this year which should make up for any points lost from these results, but it will be difficult to keep his ranking from dropping. However, if there is an American who is ready to make the jump to tour level events and have consistently good results, it is Steve Johnson.
Jack Sock (42)
Jack is one of the brightest spots in the future of American tennis. This guy has the potential to be top 10 in the world, and we could see that happen in the next couple of years. He unfortunately will miss all of January with an injury, but is expected to come back at Memphis in February. Jack is currently at a career high ranking after his first top 100 finish landed him at 42. After a successful year that saw him make 5 quarters, 2 semis, and a challenger final, we can expect good results from him in the tour level events. He only had 4 wins each at masters events and the grand slams, so much more will be expected of him from these events. Expect Jack to continue to rise in the rankings, and maybe get a seed at Wimbledon or the US Open.
Donald Young (57)
Donald has been an enigma for his whole career, but guess what...he's only 25 years old. It feels like he's been on the tour forever, but this year will be his best year so far. He had his highest year-end ranking since 2011, and he doesn't have many points defend through March, as he only had 4 main draw wins in that period in 2014. He did, however, have a very strong middle portion of the season, making the quarters of Houston and Sarasota, the semis of Tallahassee and Washington, and the 3rd Round of the French Open. After his semi-final run in DC, though, Donald finished 4-8. This leaves the beginning and end of the season with a lot of potential for Donald to make some big points and possibly crack the top 30.
Denis Kudla (121)
Denis has so much potential that its astonishing. He's coming off a season in which he made 6 quarters at challengers, the semis at Charlottesville, a final at Guadalajara, qualified for the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and Memphis, and won Winnetka, all while he missed 4 months of the season due to injury. If this guy has a full 2015, he will have no issue cracking into the top 100 and possibly the top 75. He may not be ready for the jump to tour level events yet, but he will be soon, and a big 2015 will help him get there.
Austin Krajicek (152)
Austin is coming off of his first top 240 finish and is sitting at a career high ranking. Thanks to making 9 quarters at challengers, the semis at Rimouski, qualifying for Newport, and winning Medellin, Austin is primed for an even bigger 2015. He's full of confidence and will get more direct acceptances into challengers along with some seeds, as well as a few appearances in tour level events. Expect Austin to continue his good form into this season and get near the top 100 in the world.
Ryan Harrison (191)
Let's just pretend like 2014 didn't happen for Ryan. We all know it was a terrible year as he saw his worst year-end ranking since 2009, including 17 losses in the 1st Round or qualifying rounds of tournaments, as well as a 5 match losing streak at one point. On the bright side, he qualified for 4 tour level events last year and had a lot of tough draws including Monfils, Dimitrov twice, and Hewitt, just to name a few. With not many points to defend this season and an offseason in which Ryan surely got his act together, expect him to get back into the top 100. Remember, he's only 22 years old, he's still figuring some things out.
Jarmere Jenkins (193)
The UVA grad is coming off a career year in which he won more than triple the amount of matches he lost (46-15). His first finish in the top 330 sees him inside the top 200 after winning 5 futures events, making the semis at Burnie, and the quarters at West Lake. This year will see the insanely athletic Jarmere play in more challengers, and possibly get some wild cards into tour level events, increasing the amounts of points he will be receiving. If he continues his good form into this season, expect a finish near the top 150.
Jared Donaldson (261)
The last player to expect a lot of noise from is also the youngest on this list. Jared finished almost 500 spots higher in the rankings than in 2013, coming off of 3 futures titles, qualifying at 2 challengers and Washington, as well as a semi at Napa, and a quarter at Sacramento. Same with Jarmere, Jared will be playing in more challengers and tour level events, which will only boost his ranking, as well as his confidence. Jared could get near the top 200, as he leads a large amount of young American tennis stars.
9 - Rising Stars
Jared Donaldson
Jared is utilizing 2 years of training in Argentina to get a jump start on his career, as he has risen through the rankings quicker than anyone could have imagined. Turning pro in 2014 and deciding to forego college, he made his first tour main draw as he qualified for Washington. Next up was a wild card into the US Open, something that any young start would dream of. 2015 will be bright for Jared, as well as the many other young stars behind him.
Marcos Giron
The 2014 NCAA champ from UCLA has a very big game and incorporates a high level of fitness in his matches. In 2014, he won a futures event and made another final, as well as qualifying for 5 events, and getting 6 wins in the main draws of challengers. He's coming off a very strong finish in 2014, making the quarters in Champaign, and making the final of a futures in Mexico. After having wins over guys like Ante Pavic, Bradley Klahn, and Gastao Elias, Giron should be brimming with confidence heading into the 2015 season.
Stefan Kozlov
Everybody knows about Stefan Kozlov, and this young man has earned that right. Stefan works harder than any other player his age, and this has earned him a spot as one of the rising stars of American tennis. Coming off a year in which he made 2 junior slam finals and won the Orange Bowl, he is primed for another big year, jumping 701 spots from 2013 to 2014. After making the final in Sacramento beating Harrison, Smith, Williams, and Smyczek along the way, as well as making his tour level debut in Valencia, Stefan can only be full of confidence as he looks to continue his rise in the rankings.
Noah Rubin
The 2014 Wimbledon juniors champ is heading to Wake Forest for college, but could still have a big 2015 in the pro ranks. This young man has drawn comparisons to David Ferrer thanks to his speed around the court and great defensive ability. These skills earned him 2 finals at futures events, as well as a title at Kalamazoo. Noah will continue to put in the hard yards at college, setting himself up for a great career in the future.
Bjorn Fratangelo
This guy is ready to make it big. Ever since he won the 2011 French Open juniors, he has been labeled with a lot of potential, and he's ready to show it. After winning 5 futures events and making the quarters at Tiburon and Sacramento, Bjorn will be playing in more challengers and receiving a lot more points for wins, which will boost his ranking massively, possibly approaching the top 200. On top of this, he only has 1 main draw win to defend through May, which means a lot of points will be coming his way. Finishing the season 31-6 has this man full of confidence heading into 2015.
Dennis Novikov
After winning 4 futures events in 2014, Dennis is sitting at a career high ranking. This man beat Jerzy Janowicz at the US Open in 2012, that's all you need to know about Dennis and what he brings to the court. He fights out every single point, putting him in the position to win a lot more matches than he truly should. Expect Dennis to get into more challengers this year and make some noise in those tournaments.
Ernesto Escobedo
Escobedo is another guy with a lot of potential. We've seen his ability as he made the semis of 3 futures events, as well as the quarters at Binghamton and the FRQ at the US Open. This young man who is known for his power and speed is ready to make some noise in 2015, as long as he can stay healthy.
Michael Mmoh
Coming off a big year in the juniors, Mmoh is poised for a big 2015. He won a futures event, made the quarters at the Orange Bowl, Round of 16 at the French Open and Wimbledon juniors, as well as the final of the Eddie Herr tournament. Drawing comparisons to Gael Monfils, this young man has the entertainment level and will hopefully prove he matches the skill level as well.
Francis Tiafoe
Tiafoe made his name known in 2014 as he made his tour level debut at Washington. After winning the Easter Bowl, making the quarters at 3 futures events, and the semis at the US Open juniors, Francis is primed for some big results in 2014, and hopefully a few appearances in challenger tournaments. Expect Tiafoe to continue his rise through the rankings, as this man can beat anyone on any given day.
8 - Players Looking for Solidification at the Highest Level
Tim Smyczek
Smyczek has hovered around the top 100 for the past couple years and has won some big matches and had many good results on tournaments. It just seems that he doesn't bring the same level of play to the court week in and week out. He did make 3 quarters, 3 semis, and a final in challengers in 2014, as well as qualifying for 2 tour level events. Despite this, he had 11 1st Round losses (5 in challengers, 6 in tour level events). Sure, some of the losses were to Kevin Anderson and Gilles Simon, but others were to Facundo Bagnis and Yoshihito Nishioka, guys that Tim should not be losing to. If Tim could simply win one match at each of these tournaments, his ranking would drastically improve. If he can match the level of play that earned him 7 appearances in the quarters or better every week, Tim could be a top 50 player.
Bradley Klahn
Bradley is the definition of streaky. He started the year 13-2(!!!) but followed this up with an 8 match losing streak. At the end of the season, he was 4-6 before winning Traralgon, but then had 2 1st Round losses. Klahn did win 3 challengers and made the quarters at Binghamton, but he dropped 51 spots in year-end rankings and had losses to guys like Adam Pavasek and Axel Michon. Klahn has a lot of points to defend through early February, but if he can keep his ranking inside the top 200 during that time, expect him to bounce back and get near the top 100 again.
Wayne Odesnik
Odesnik is one of those guys that you either love or hate, but that's a story for another day. He had his lowest year-end ranking since 2006 (not counting 2010), had 17 1st Round losses, and 2 4-match losing streaks. To contrast this, he won the US Open wild card by making the final in Bighamton and the semis in Lexington, as well as making back to back quarters in Santiago and Santos (which was promptly followed by 3 1R losses), and winning Chitre. He also qualified for 4 tour level events, but after qualifying for Winston-Salem, he finished the year 3-7. Odesnik is another guy that needs to find some consistency from week to week if he wants to get back near the top 100.
Alex Kuznetsov
Kuznetsov had a very good year last year, making 3 quarters, a semi at Charlottesville, an FRQ at the Australian Open, and qualifying for 4 tour level events. He had wins over Goffin, Kukushkin, Mannarino, Stakovsky, and Groth, but he also had losses to Thibaud Berland (his only win of 2014), Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, and David Guez. He also had 17 1R losses, and followed a 5-2 run with a 4 match losing streak. Add Kuznetsov to the list of guys who needs more consistency from week to week.
Rhyne Williams
Now that I have Lang's attention...Rhyne is an amazing tennis player with great ability. He showed us this by making the quarters in Delray Beach, as well as two challengers, making the semis at Aptos, and qualifying for 3 tournaments. He had a win over Alejandro Falla, but had losses to Josh Milton and Stefan Kozlov (don't get me wrong, Kozlov is a great player and I love the kid, but he shouldn't be beating Rhyne at this point). After dropping 93 spots in year-end rankings and being 107 spots below his career high, we have to remember that Rhyne has the ability to be a top 50 player, and consistency isn't really his issue. For him, it may be more of a mental block. If he could put everything together, he could easily be back in the top 100 in 2015.
Chase Buchanan
The Ohio State grad is coming off a career year in 2014, making 4 quarters, 2 semis, and a final all in challenger events. A good thing for Chase in 2015 is that he started and ended 2014 somewhat poorly, going 10-19 from January through April and mid-August through the end of the season. In other words, Chase was in his best form from May to August, going 18-10. If Chase could play at that level all season, his ranking will continue to rise near the top 100.
Tennys Sandgren
Tennys' problem isn't mental or consistency, it's his health. Tennys only played in 11 tournaments in 2014, as he missed February through August. While he played, however, he made the semis of a futures event, the quarters in Charlottesvill, and 3 semis in doubles tournaments, also garnering wins over Blaz Rola, James McGee, and Gastao Elias. If he can stay healthy for most of 2015 and is able to find some good form, Tennys could return to the top 250, and maybe even crack the top 150.
Donald Young
Yes, Donald is going to make a lot of noise in 2015...if he can handle playing tour level events every week. Donald could easily be a top 10 player if he brought his A-game every match, but sometimes he leaves it at home, and unfortunately that tends to be at the beginning of tournaments for Donald. I saw him play Blaz Kavcic at the US Open in 2014, and, to put it nicely, Donald could've left his racket in the bag for the match and had a better result. With matches like that thrown in throughout the season, he could struggle to stay in the top 60. Expect him to limit those types of matches this year, though, and solidify his spot near the top 40.
7- Doubles Stars
Bob and Mike Bryan
Everybody knows the Bryan twins because they are the best, and they're also pretty cool guys. After yet another amazing year in 2014 that included 10 titles (6 masters, the US Open, the World Tour Finals, and two others), 3 more finals, and a 25-match win streak, there are no signs of these guys slowing down. They will turn 37 in April, and guess what...they will still be the best. The team they thought would be the toughest competition in 2015 (Llodra/Zimonjic) is not happening anymore, as Llodra is still not healthy. Of course they will have their fluke matches where they lose to teams like Herbert/Przysiezny (Tokyo 2014), but no one will be able to beat these guys consistently. Continue to bring the trophies home, guys.
Eric Butorac
Eric is coming off his best year since 2011 as he had a very successful partnership with Raven Klaasen. They made the finals of the Australian Open, won Memphis and Stockholm, semis at 3 250 events and 1 500 event, and the quarters at the US Open and Paris Masters. This team is breaking up though, and Butorac is expected to be playing with Sam Groth this year, a team that could strike fear in the hearts of a lot of other teams. Expect Butorac/Groth to have a very strong start to the season, on their way to qualifying for the World Tour Finals.
Scott Lipsky
Scott is one of the most underrated American tennis players. He consistently finishes in the top 60 (4 straight top 32 finishes), despite having to play with a lot of different partners. Scott won 3 titles in 2014, as well as 2 semis appearances, and a final. He did play with Santiago Gonzalez in 18 out of his 30 tournaments in 2014, but Gonzalez is leaving, so Scott is on the market again. Rajeev Ram could be a potential partner for Scott as they made the semis at the US Open together, and played 3 other tournaments as a team. Expect another top 40 finish from Scott, no matter who his partner ends up being.
Jack Sock
I guess we can call him a Jack of all trades...*crickets* Ok, ignore the bad pun. But yes, Jack is just as good at doubles as he is singles, if not better. We all know he won Wimbledon with Vasek Pospisil, as well as Atlanta, but he also made two semis, and two finals. He was very successful with Ryan Harrison, making the semis in Delray and Miami, but hopefully him and Pospisil stick together, as they just seem to have this great chemistry together in which they very rarely lose a match. If they play a full season together, they could be a top 4 team.
Austin Krajicek
The lefty is another underrated doubles player for American tennis. After winning 3 challenger titles, making 6 semis, and 3 finals, Krajicek has proved his worth as a doubles partner and could attract bigger name players for higher level tournaments, like Dustin Brown. They played 4 tournaments together and won a few matches, but Austin's most successful partner was JP Smith. Together they won a title and made two finals and two semis. This team could win a lot of tournaments in the challenger ranks this year, and possibly work their way into some tour level draws.
Kevin King
A relatively unknown player, the Georgia Tech grad is an incredibly skilled doubles player. He seems to be trying to make it big in singles and plays doubles on the side, but he has a lot more success in the doubles draws. He had 8 different partners in 2014 and won 4 titles (2 futures and 2 challengers), 4 finals, and 5 semis. His most successful partner was Juan-Carlos Spir, a teammate from Georgia Tech. Together they won 3 titles, had 2 finals, and 3 semis, and had their ranking sit just outside the top 100 all year. If they keep making deep runs into challengers, expect them to reach the top 100 very soon and get some appearances at tour level events.
6 - 250 Events in the United States
Memphis, Delray Beach, Houston, Newport, Atlanta, and Winston-Salem are the hosts of 250 level tournaments in the States, and they hold great amounts of opportunity for American players. With 3 wild cards present at each of these, we often see young stars get big opportunities to make their names known. Also, the home nation advantage is always beneficial to Americans, even on the clay in Houston as we have seen John Isner and Ryan Sweeting take home the trophy there in the past few years. In 2015, expect guys like Kudla, Donaldson, and Kozlov to make some noise in the 250 level tournaments.
5 - 500, Masters, and Grand Slam Events
Indian Wells, Miami, Washington, Cincinnati, and New York are the hosts of some of the greatest tennis moments of the season. Indian Wells and Miami always show who is going to make it big throughout the season, while Washington and Cincinnati show who is ready to make a deep run at the US Open. If you've never had the opportunity to go to one of these tournaments, put it on your bucket list. I've been to Washington and New York, and those have been some of the greatest days of my life. Watching the best tennis players in the world play in our home nation is an honor, and hopefully some of the Americans can make themselves a force to be reckoned with at these tournaments and defend their home nation.
4 - Davis Cup ties...hopefully
It's safe to say that all American tennis fans were disappointed with the Davis Cup performance in 2014. A loss to Great Britain in the Round of 16 was not something that many people expected, but the stars and stripes are ready to turn that around this year.
Round of 16
With a shot at redemption, we face Great Britain again in the Round of 16, but this time we have to go across the pond. If a fully healthy team of Isner, Querrey, and the Bryan brothers goes to Great Britain, a win is certainly expected, even if Murray plays 3 matches. The tie is currently set to be played on an indoor hard court, which greatly benefits the powerful games of Isner and Querrey. They would each be expected to win a singles match against the Britain number 2, while the Bryan brothers can always be chalked up as a win. If one of these players is hurt, expect Steve Johnson to be called upon, because Jack Sock would still be out at this point of the season. Johnson should definitely be ready to make his Davis Cup debut, and could get a win if need be.
Quarterfinals
After a win against Great Britain, the United States would either host France, or go to Germany. Going to Germany may be better for the USA, even if the tie will be played on clay. France has such a dominant team comprised of Tsonga, Monfils, Simon, Gasquet, Benneteau, and Chardy, that facing a team of Kohlschriber, Becker, Struff, and Brown on clay in Germany doesn't sound too bad. Isner does have a great track record on the road on clay in Davis Cup, with wins over Federer, Tsonga, and Simon, and Querrey has always had a knack for the red stuff. Against France, there would be more nerves playing in front of a home crowd, and facing a much tougher team could be difficult for the states.
Semifinals
The semis would likely see a matchup against the Czech Republic or Italy. We would host the Czechs and go to Italy, and honestly neither one is that appealing, but a win is certainly possible in either scenario. Again, Isner's record on the road on clay would be huge against Italy, having to play against two great clay courters in Fognini and Seppi. Meanwhile, a home tie with the Czechs may not be that bad, as they would have to rely on Berdych for most of the tie. Again, the Bryans could be chalked up as a win against either of these sides, but may have difficulty against a doubles team of Berdych/Stepanek that has a great record in Davis Cup play.
Final
Yes, I'm getting ahead of myself, but a spot in the finals would likely see the US face Argentina, Serbia, or Switzerland. Argentina and Serbia would be on the road, while we would host Switzerland. Argentina would likely be the easiest of the three, however they could use Juan Martin del Potro, if he is healthy at the time of tie. Other than that, Monaco, Berlocq, Mayer, and Delbonis would not be that tough to beat on the road. Serbia on the road would be very difficult with Djokovic and Zimonjic leading the way, as well as Troicki, Lajovic, and Krajinovic fighting for the other two spots. If Isner and Querrey could both beat the number 2 Serb, a win would be expected though thanks to the Bryans. Lastly, we definitely don't want to face Switzerland, even if the tie is at home. A team of the GOAT and Stan Wawrinka is scary, especially after their Davis Cup win in 2014. The tie could be won though, if John and Sam step up big.
Expect Steve Johnson and Jack Sock to get some looks in Davis Cup action this year. If John or Sam don't play to their full potential in 2015, they could easily step in and do the job for America.
3 - Players in Their Final Year?
Rajeev Ram, Michael Russell, and Robby Ginepri could be nearing the ends of their very successful careers. Ram could still get into some tour level events and rely on doubles to stick around for a while, but Russell and Ginepri have to rely on challengers to continue their careers. If any of these guys does decide to call it quits in 2015, we will be saying farewell to a tremendous player and representative of the United States.
2 - Semi-bold Predictions
A. The Bryan brothers will win the calendar slam this year. They have done literally everything except this, and it could be the last year to do it. There aren't very many doubles teams set up that could scare the Bryan brothers this year, and coming off their momentum from a great 2014 (or their entire career for that matter), they could certainly pull off the calendar slam.
B. Ryan Harrison will return to the top 100 and win a 250 tournament. Coming off his worst year as a pro in 2014, Ryan is looking to bounce back in a big way. As I stated earlier, he won't have very many points to defend and could quickly raise his ranking back near the top 100. Doing so could get him into a 250 tournament, and I fully expect him to go all the way in one. My guess is either Nottingham or Bogota.
1 - Bold Prediction
Sam Querrey will win a Masters 1000 event and make the quarters of a Grand Slam (either Wimbledon or the US Open). You heard it hear first. I fully expect Sam to have a career year this year, coming off of a subpar 2014. Carrying the momentum from the end of the season will set up him for a great start to 2015 and continued success throughout the year. Remember this post, ladies and gentlemen.
Bonus - Who to Follow on Twitter for American Tennis
@LangTennis
@BaselineBagels
@jokelley_tennis
@MikeCTennis
@Dimonator
@TheTennisNerds
@TennisAtlantic
@matthigh1111
@JaredPine
@jmeistennis
@rourkeytenis
@Smith_J1989
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