Since 2012, Jared Pine has attempted to predict what the year-end rankings will look like for the Top 100 before each season starts. This year, I've taken a page out of his book and attempted to do the same thing. Have a look at his 2016 predictions, here.
Lo and behold, my inaugural Top 100 Year End Rankings Predictions.
1. Novak Djokovic
2. Andy Murray
3. Rafael Nadal
4. Stan Wawrinka
5. Milos Raonic
6. Roger Federer
7. Kei Nishikori
8. John Isner
9. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
10. Tomas Berdych
11. David Ferrer
12. Grigor Dimitrov
13. Kevin Anderson
14. Jack Sock
15. Domonic Thiem
16. Bernard Tomic
17. Marin Cilic
18. Nick Kyrgios
19. David Goffin
20. Roberto Bautista Agut
21. Steve Johnson
22. Richard Gasquet
23. Vasek Pospisil
24. Fabio Fognini
25. Gael Monfils
26. Benoit Paire
27. Borna Coric
28. Donald Young
29. Joao Sousa
30. Marcos Baghdatis
31. Feliciano Lopez
32. Jiri Vesely
33. Gilles Simon
34. Jeremy Chardy
35. Viktor Troicki
36. Ivo Karlovic
37. Fernando Verdasco
38. Juan Monaco
39. Sam Groth
40. Aljaz Bedene
41. Pablo Carreno Busta
42. Alex Dolgopolov
43. Thomaz Bellucci
44. Martin Klizan
45. Ernests Gulbis
46. Leonardo Mayer
47. Denis Kudla
48. Andreas Seppi
49. Victor Estrella Burgos
50. Sam Querrey
51. Alex Zverev
52. Diego Schwartzman
53. Phillip Kohlschreiber
54. Pablo Andujar
55. Lucas Pouille
56. Nicolas Almagro
57. Thanasi Kokkinakis
58. Hyeon Chung
59. Lukas Rosol
60. Gilles Muller
61. Santiago Giraldo
62. Jerzy Janowicz
63. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez
64. Guido Pella
65. Ryan Harrison
66. Teymuraz Gabashvili
67. Andreas Haider-Maurer
68. Robin Haase
69. Simone Bolelli
70. Rajeev Ram
71. Nicolas Mahut
72. Ricardas Berankis
73. Tommy Robredo
74. Denis Istomin
75. Mischa Zverev
76. Adrian Mannarino
77. Mikhail Kukushkin
78. Ivan Dodig
79. Pablo Cuevas
80. Andrey Kuznetsov
81. Kyle Edmund
82. Ruben Bemelmans
83. Federico Delbonis
84. Yuki Bhambri
85. Inigo Cervantes
86. Taylor Fritz
87. Sergiy Stakhovsky
88. Elias Ymer
89. James Duckworth
90. Austin Krajicek
91. Yoshihito Nishioka
92. Mikhail Youzhny
93. John Millman
94. Andrey Rublev
95. Matt Ebden
96. Paolo Lorenzi
97. Albert Ramos-Vinolas
98. Daniel Munoz de la Nava
99. Jared Donaldson
100. Dusan Lajovic
I will check back to my predictions periodically throughout the year to see how they are holding up. Feel like I put some players too high or too low? Or left some players out completely? Feel free to let me know at @KCraig_Tennis.
Friday, January 1, 2016
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Analyzing My Predictions for the Year End Rankings of the 21&U Americans
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.
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.
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.
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