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  • Roger Federer Return to the Tour Monte Carlo Preview Five Points

    Roger Federer Return to the Tour Monte Carlo Preview Five Points
    Federer Monte Carlo
    Photo courtesy of http://www.tennissport.org

    Roger Federer’s much awaited comeback from knee surgery is scheduled to be at the upcoming Monte Carlo Open, one of only two ATP 1000 titles he has not won. The Tennis Review previews his comeback and predicts how far he will go.

    This is Federer’s first time back from Surgery in his 18 year career

    There have been injuries and comebacks such as in late 2005 and in 2014, but Federer managed to get through an 18 year career without a single surgery until undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on the 3rd of February in Switzerland.

    Federer was originally scheduled to return at the Miami Open but had to pull out with flu

    That withdrawal- made after the draw had been done and Federer had a potential opening match versus Juan Martin del Potro- was quite a disappointment with both men being, arguably, two of the most popular players on tour.

    Fortunately, Federer has been looking good practicing in Monte Carlo, and the world No.3 looks to be having some fun, too.

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    Federer has never lifted the Monte Carlo trophy but he has been runner-up four times (2006-8 to Nadal, 2014 to Wawrinka).

    Monte Carlo is one of two ATP 1000 tournaments Federer has not managed to win, the other being Rome.

    The venue is, however, a good choice for a comeback considering it is said to be, surface wise, the closest to Roland Garros, and Federer is sure to get plenty of support in front of the tennis savvy crowd. Federer will also receive support of sorts from the surface with clay being the kindest surface on the knees.

    Federer has been in contention for the title, reaching four finals, but he has been beaten three times by Nadal, and once by Wawrinka, who also beat him in the 2009 Monte Carlo quarter-finals.

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    Overall, Federer has a 28-12 record in Monte Carlo and has beaten the likes of Novak Djokovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Marin Cilic, David Nalbandian, Juan Carlos Ferrero, David Ferrer and Michael Chang at the event.

    Besides Nadal and Wawrinka, the other players to beat Federer in Monte Carlo are Vincent Spadea, Jiri Novak, Sebastien Grosjean, David Nalbandian, Richard Gasquet, Jurgen Melzer and Gael Monfils.

    Watch highlights of the Wawrinka-Federer 2014 Monte Carlo final below.

    Last year, Federer lost to Gael Monfils in straights in the round of 16

    That loss to Monfils was not that much of a surprise considering the match-up and their recent encounters before the contest. In 2014, Monfils led Federer by two sets to one and held match point in the US Open last eight, beat Federer in straight sets on clay in the Davis Cup final, and had two other wins over the Swiss (Paris ’10, Shanghai ’13).

    Watch Federer praticing at Monte Carlo this week in the video below

    Federer is in Novak Djokovic’s half of the draw

    The last time Federer and Djokovic met in the Monte Carlo semis was in 2014 when Federer won in straight sets.

    Federer has a bye in the first round and is drawn to play either Thomaz Bellucci or Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the second. Federer leads Bellucci 2-0, but their matches, played in Indian Wells and Basel in 2012, have always gone three sets.

    Federer leads Garcia-Lopez 3-0, but they have not played since Wimbledon 2009.

    Roberto Bautista Agut is drawn to await in the last sixteen. Federer leads him 4-0 and has never dropped a set in any of their meetings.

    But there are a couple of players lurking in Federer’s section of the draw who could make Federer’s return to the tour trickier. Albert Ramos Vinolas plays Bautista Agut in 1st round and if he can get past the 14th seed and then win another round to make the last 16, that could pose Federer some problems. It was Ramos  who defeated Federer in his opening match in Shanghai last season.

    Jeremy Chardy is another potentially difficult player in that section of the draw- the Frenchman beat Federer the last time he returned to the tour on clay, after a break for the birth of his sons, in Rome 2014.

    Tsonga is seeded to meet Federer in the last eight. Those two have had some memorable matches and the Frenchman, who has five wins over Federer in 16 matches, is more than capable of defeating Federer if he hits form. The Frenchman has been up and down this season but did beat Dominic Thiem on his way to the last eight of Indian Wells where he took Djokovic to two tiebreaks.

    Federer could also meet Gasquet in the last eight- the Frenchman won their 2007 Monte Carlo quarter-final meeting in a final set tiebreaker. Gasquet also beat Federer on clay in another final set tiebreaker in the last sixteen in Rome in 2011. Those are Gasquet’s only two wins over Federer in 17 meetings- could he get a 3rd of they meet in the last eight next week?

    If Federer makes it to the last four and meets Djokovic, that match will be their first on Clay since their final meeting in Rome last season which Federer lost 4-6, 3-6.

    Considering that Federer would have three matches won, and would be feeling good if he gets past Tsonga or Gasquet, the Swiss might have a chance against Djokovic who is coming off another epic winning streak after the season’s first quarter.

    If a refreshed, confident and hungry Federer can catch a sub par Djokovic on a sunny day in Monte Carlo before an excitable crowd, then we might see a very positive return to the tour for Roger Federer.

    Win or lose, if Federer is playing on the semi-finals day of the Monte Carlo Open, tennis and Federer’s fans win whatever happens.

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  • ATP 2016 First Quarter Review Djokovic Dominates, the Young Guns Start Firing

    ATP 2016 First Quarter Review Djokovic Dominates, the Young Guns Start Firing
    ATP
    Photo courtesy of http://www.zimbio.com

    The ATP Tour is a quarter of the way through its 2016 season now that the Australian Open- Miami stretch is done. The Tennis Review looks back at a first quarter which featured a familiar narrative of a dominating Djokovic as his main challengers suffered, and some less familiar exciting sub-plots featuring up and coming players and a very popular return to the tour.

    Novak Djokovic dominated

    The Djokovic domination of the ATP’s biggest events, and the tour overall as a consequence, becoming the first player to have twice as many points as the world No.2, was the headlining story of the first quarter.

    Djokovic’s march to the Doha, Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami titles were all trademarked with a pattern he has made his own- some patchy performances until the semis and finals where he produced his very best.

    The Serb broke record after record- tying Roy Emerson for most Australian Open titles ever with six, and holding the record for most AO titles in the Open era, breaking the all time record for prize money, becoming the first man to win the Indian Wells-Miami double three times, and leading the all-time ATP 1000 title race with 28.

    There was a moment of imperfection though- the Serb had to withdraw during his Dubai quarter-final versus Feliciano Lopez with Ivan Lendl’s record of 18 consecutive finals just two matches away. Well, you cannot win them all, after all, except of course, when, if you are Djokovic, you do.

    The Young guns started firing

    There were some signs that a group of young players are getting ready to start making breakthroughs at the top of the game. Thiem beat Rafa Nadal on his way to the Buenos Aires title and won his first ATP 500 trophy in Acapulco, Kyrgios won his first ever ATP title in Marseille and reached his first ATP 1000 last eight in Miami, and Zverev beat Cilic and Simon in Montpellier and Rotterdam and held a match point versus Nadal at Indian Wells.

    David Goffin also progressed as he finally got a win over a top player, beating both his own mental demons and Stan Wawrinka in Indian Wells in a final set tiebreaker after leading the third set 5-3.

    Check out Wawrinka’s missed shot at 1:06 in the video below that helped Goffin seal his first ever win over a top player.

    Some not so new faces but players yet to fully realize their potential also popped up on the game’s big stages. Bernard Tomic made some noise, beating Kei Nishikori in Brisbane, reaching the Australian Open fourth round, and contesting the Acapulco final, and Martin Klizan took his first ATP 500 title in Rotterdam with some truly memorable fight-backs and on-court antics.

    Meanwhile, one of 2014’s young guns, Milos Raonic, made a successful comeback from an injury-hit 2015 to beat Federer in Brisbane, reach the Australian Open semis, make the Indian Wells final, and reach the Miami quarters.

    Djokovic’s main challengers struggled.

    While Djokovic thrived, some up and comers progressed, and a dark horse won big, Djokovic’s main challengers suffered.

    Federer’s woes could not be helped as the Swiss went down with a knee injury and had his first ever career surgery., forcing him off the tour for the rest of the quarter.

    Nadal struggled to get back to form, but he did show glimpses of his old self, especially on the forehand down the line,  when he took Djokovic to a first set tiebreak in the Indian Wells semi. Unfortunately for the Spaniard, whatever momentum that run gave him was blown over when he went out early in Miami with fitness issues.

    Murray was destroyed in the Australian Open final and then dropped 3-1  final set leads as he was upset early in both Indian Wells and Miami.

    Meanwhile Wawrinka was his usual self, winning in Chennai, going out in the Australian Open fourth round, getting upset by Paire at the Open 13, winning Dubai, beating Marcos Baghdatis in an entertaining final, and then winning just one match in the North American Spring Swing.

    Watch highlights of Wawrinka’s win over Baghdatis in the Dubai final in the video below.

    Tsonga was as wildly inconsistent as ever losing to world ranked 338 Thiago Monteiro in Rio and then pushing Djokovic to two tiebreakers in the Indian Wells last eight, Berdych failed to reach a single final and did not win a set in his seven defeats, and Kei Nishikori took a step forward making the Miami final only to take two steps back as both fitness issues and mental toughness failed him when he needed them most.

    Juan Martin del Potro returned to the tour.

    After playing just 14 matches the entire 2014-15 seasons, del Potro returned to the tour at Delray beach where he made the semis losing to Sam Querrey, reached the Indian Wells second round where Berdych defeated him, and went out in the Miami first round to the tricky Haracio Zeballos when he thought until just prior to the match he would be battling old friend and on-court foe Roger Federer.

    del Potro’s return had its high and lows- his serve and forehand were in tune, but his backhand was still struggling though it improved as his comeback went on.

    Whatever his results, the tennis scene was definitely better off for having the 2009 US Open champion back in main draws.

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    Where does this leave us for the clay season?

    Djokovic does very well in the Clay season, but he has yet to win the French Open despite being the favorite the past few seasons. He should continue to dominate the Clay ATP 1000s he enters, but he will be more susceptible to upsets, and he may skip Madrid, too, where the courts are a touch faster.

    Nadal and Wawrinka should pick up their games in the clay swing, Nishikori should do better if he meets Djokovic on the red stuff than he did in Miami, and players such as Zverev, Goffin and Thiem will be even more of a threat to Djokovic and those ranked above them.

    In the first quarter of 2016, Djokovic and the young guns have set themselves up nicely for a successful clay season. How they get on, how Djokovic’s main rivals manage to pick up their games and see to it that it is not only Djokovic’s poor eyesight that gets in his way on the tennis court, how del Potro fares on a surface most favorable to him, and whether or not Djokovic can finally win the Roland Garros trophy will be stories we can look back on in our second quarter review.

    Join The Tennis Review this Clay Court season to see how your favorite ATP players get along. Why not sign up for email notifications for the latest posts?

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  • Five ATP Faces to Watch This 2016 Clay Court Season

    ATP
    Photo courtesy of http://www.zimbio.com

    The European Clay court season is upon us so to celebrate The Tennis Review put together five ATP faces who could be hitting the tennis headlines in the next few months.

    David Goffin

    Goffin broke out at the biggest clay court event of them all when as a lucky loser in 2012 he made his way to the fourth round where he took a set off Roger Federer.

    Goffin’s career was blighted somewhat by injuries after that breakthrough, but with his recent entry into the ATP top 20, and his back to back showing in the Indian Wells and Miami semis, he is well prepped for a good run this clay season.

    Goffin has other clay court pedigree, too- he beat Dominic Thiem in the 2014 Bet-at-home Cup final and in 2015 he was runner-up at Gstaad to his Austrian rival.

    Goffin has all the skills to do well on clay- great movement, shot-variety, and intelligent point construction- and with his recent improved mental toughness this clay court season could see him continue his ATP pro tour progress with an ATP 1000 final or an appearance in the Roland Garros last eight.

    Dominic Thiem

    Thiem Clay court season
    Photo courtesy of livesport.ru

    Thiem has already impressed in one of 2016’s clay swings- he beat Rafa Nadal, saving a match point, on his run to the Buenos Aires title, and defeated David Ferrer on his way to the Rio semis.

    Thiem got his clay court winning ways going when he won his first ever title on the clay courts of Umag in 2015 and then followed that up with Summer trophy runs in Gstaad and Umag.

    Currently ranked 14, Thiem will be looking to break into the top 12 before Roland Garros’ seedings are set in order to avoid Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Roger Federer or Stan Wawrinka, assuming they all maintain their top four rankings, in the last sixteen of Roland Garros.

    But even if he does end up among the 13-16 seeds, none of those players will want to see him in their sections of the draw, least of all the defending champion Wawrinka who was one of Thiem’s earliest and biggest scalps when he defeated the then reigning Australian Open and Monte Carlo champion in his Madrid opening match.

    Thiem enters this clay court season with an improved serve and a real commitment to being aggressive, and with the confidence he has been gaining these past few months, he will have a real shot at going one better than his current best ATP 1000 showing- the Miami Open quarters in 2015- and his best finish in a slam- the 2014 US Open last sixteen.

    Alexander Zverev

    Zverev Roland Garros
    Photo courtesy of portalrackets.com.br

    The 18 year old German has been causing quite a bit of excitement on the ATP this season with wins over Cilic and Simon, and should continue to generate interest this clay season.

    Clay is Zverev’s best surface and his backhand can cause his opponent’s all kinds of problems as he has plenty of time to set up his deep penetrating shots on that wing and he has the legs to slide into the shot and do some damage with it.

    Zverev broke out on the clay courts of Hamburg in 2014, reaching the semis, and he also made the Bstaad semis last year.

    This season he has been reaching semis of ATP 250s (Montpellier), the quarters of ATP 500s (Rotterdam), and he held a match point in his Indian Wells round of 32 match versus Rafa Nadal.

    Zverev was not too dispirited after that loss and it may turn out to be just the learning experience needed to push him onto reaching his first ATP final this clay season.

    Martin Klizan

    Klizan Roland Garros
    Photo courtesy of http://www.tennisculture.it

    As a qualifier in Munich 2014, Klizan blasted his formidable forehand all the way to the title, and with his impressive form this year- read here about his remarkable run to the Rotterdam trophy in February– he will be a dangerous opponent this clay season.

    Klizan’s high risk game and his nothing to lose attitude mean he can really go for his shots on the clay where he has the time to set up his strokes and hit through the court.

    Kei Nishikori found out just how dangerous Klizan can be on clay, arguably the Japanese’s best surface, when, going into the event as one of the favorites, he lost to the 2006 Junior French Open champion in the first round of the 2014 French Open.

    Klizan has already achieved a few mile stones on the ATP tour, with four titles on his resume including an ATP 500 and 3 250s (including the 2015 Casablanca title on clay), but he has yet to reach the last 16 of an ATP 1000, never getting past the round of 32 in 21 attempts, or the last eight of a slam (he reached the fourth round of the 2012 US Open, upsetting Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on the way). Will he manage either of those feats this European clay court swing?

    Guido Pella

    Pella Roland Garros
    Photo courtesy of http://www.labrujula24.com

    Guido Pella has come a long way since losing as a qualifier in the first round of the US Open last season.

    The 25 year old Argentine, who went 1-4 on the ATP tour in ’15,  spent the rest of the year playing Clay court Challengers, putting together a 22-7 record, winning 2 titles and reaching the semis of the ATP Challenger Tour finals in Sao Paolo.

    Since that US Open loss, Pella has increased his ranking from 95 to his current one of 46, 7 places below his career high of 39 achieved on March 21st this season.

    Pella is the man who put an end to Thiem’s impressive South American clay swing run when he defeated him in straights in the Rio semis.

    Thiem may have been a little fatigued, but Pella had the baseline skills to exploit that, and the cool head to keep calm when on the verge of upsetting one of the season’s hottest stars.

    That was not Pella’s only noteworthy achievement that week- he also upset John Isner, an underrated clay courter- in the opening round in a final set tiebreaker.

    Pella enters the clay swing in some nice form, too, avenging his Rio final loss to Pablo Cuevas on his way to a three set defeat to David Goffin in the round of 32.

    Pella has achieved the least of our five faces, but this European clay court swing, we expect him to rank up there with the season’s break out clay courters.

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  • Novak Djokovic Defeats Kei Nishikori Miami Open Final Five Points

    djokovic
    Photo courtesy of saudigazette.com.sa

    Novak Djokovic defeated Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-3 in the 2016 Miami Open final. The Tennis Review takes a look at another few slices of history for the world No.1.

    Djokovic now leads the ATP 1000 title leader-board with 28 trophies.

    That haul will, barring injury or a sudden rise in one of his rival’s form or a drop in his own, only increase, too, with three Clay ATP 1000s coming up in the run-up to Roland Garros.

    Rafael Nadal is next on the leader-board with 27, and Roger Federer is third with 24.

    Djokovic won his sixth Miami Open, tying Andre Agassi’s haul.

    Djokovic also becomes the first player since Agassi (2001-03) to win three consecutive Miami Open titles.

    Like Agassi, Djokovic is one of the best aggressive base-liners to ever play the game, and has capitalized on that even more than Agassi could with his dedication to the sport and his subsequent incredible fitness and defensive skills.

    Djokovic has now completed the North American Spring Swing double three times. 

    The Indian Wells- Miami double has traditionally been a hard one to win- it is, for the top seeds, 12 back to back wins over three and a half weeks in windy, humid conditions against the world’s best tennis players.

    For Djokovic, though, it is more than manageable, and largely because no one is better at managing both his own games and those of his rivals. The world No.1 used his strategic smarts to get past 11 of his 12 rivals in straight sets. The only set he lost was to his Indian Wells opening round opponent Bjorn Fratangelo.

    Djokovic’s response to dropping that set? To drop just three more games the rest of the match and to win eleven straight sets matches on his way to creating more ATP tour history.

    Kei Nishikori started the final well, but that only seemed to push Djokovic to greater heights.

    Djokovic was once again the heavy favorite going into the final so when Nishikori broke in the opening game, we hoped we had a match on our hands with Nishikori in decent form, having scored two wins over Djokovic in their 8 meetings, and getting off to the best possible start.

    With the last ATP 1000 final to go the distance being the Montreal final back in August 2015, a three setter in Miami was much needed. However, Djokovic, who had won the last three ATP 1000s in straight set finals, likes to get things done as straightforwardly as possible and broke the Japanese for 1-1 before holding to love for 2-1.

    Nishikori still performed well- he won the first five rallies of the match going over nine shots- and at 2-3 had a point for 3-3 on his serve. But he lost the lengthy rally that really mattered- 14 shots-with a forced forehand error into the net and then lost another lengthy rally on the next point with an identical forced error to face break point.

    Djokovic got some luck on that break point- his backhand cross-court hit the net, pulled Nishikori in, and left the Japanese’ forehand side of the court wide open. Djokovic duly converted with a passing shot down the line winner to lead 4-2.

    The Japanese’s fighting skills, tested so intensely versus Gael Monfils in the last eight, were in full flow once more and the sixth seed broke back for 3-4 with a line-painting backhand cross-court winning return.

    Such a shot is what makes Nishikori so highly regarded, but that flash of promise was swiftly broken as Djokovic broke back immediately for 5-3.

    The set within his grasp, Djokovic’s athleticism really came to the fore- a backhand down the line winner on the stretch for 30-0 has to be the shot of the match- and his serve was at its most clutch as a service winner closed out the game to love and the set 6-3.

    Djokovic then broke at the start of the second, and carried the momentum all the way to a 4-2 lead, punctuating his command of the match with another fine backhand down the line winner. The Serb then threatened to break for 5-2, but Nishikori fought him off and held for 3-4.

    Watch highlights of Djokovic’s Miami Open final over Kei Nishikori in the clip below.

    Kei Nishikori had to call an injury time out in the second set.

    One thing that really separates Novak Djokovic from the rest of the tour is his fitness. His opponents are not only battling the first player to have more than double the points of the ATP No.2, but are also battling their own bodies.

    Like Milos Raonic in the recent Indian Wells final, Kei Nishikori was troubled by an injury and had to call the trainer at 3-4 down in the second set.

    The Japanese, who was rarely in contention in the match, was now even less so, and the world No.1 took the final two games, winning his serve to love for 5-3, and then fighting back from game point down to break Nishikori and take the match 6-3, 6-3.

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    Djokovic now goes into the clay season with as much confidence as he could possibly need with four titles this season.

    Djokovic’s 2016 is looking much like 2015, though the world No.1, who put together arguably the greatest season ever in 2015, would like this season to be quite different in one regard.

    Going into the 2015 clay court swing with the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami titles did not do much for Djokovic when it really mattered, however, as he lost the Roland Garros final to Stan Wawrinka.

    Since that loss, though, Djokovic has really stepped it up for the finals, producing his best tennis at that stage of tournaments.

    The world No.1 has had plenty of practice winning big titles since Roland Garros ’15 with three slams, a WTF, four ATP 1000s, an ATP 500, and an ATP 250 on his resume.

    Those numbers give us an idea how much Djokovic has learned from that Roland Garros final loss about raising his game when he really needs it, but we will only really find out much that unexpected defeat has taught him the first weekend of June.

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  • Miami Open ATP Final Preview Novak Djokovic Vs Kei Nishikori

    djokovic nishikori
    Photo courtesy of bangkokbiznews.com

    The Miami Open final features the world No.1 Novak Djokovic versus one of the few players to get the better of him in a big match the past few seasons, Kei Nishikori. The Tennis Review previews the action and predicts the winner.

    Kei Nishikori is one of a handful of players who have inflicted big defeats on Novak Djokovic since the summer of 2014. Those names also include Stan Wawrinka, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray who have all managed to upset the no.1 in slams or ATP finals. Nishikori’ name belongs near the front of that list because he beat Djokovic in the semi-finals of a slam, the 2014 US Open, one of just two slam defeats Djokovic has suffered since Wimbledon 2014.

    Watch highlights of Nishikori’s win over Djokovic in the US Open ’14 semis.

    A year and a half on, Miami’s 6th seed Nishikori has lost five times to the tournament’s top seed, and has won just 2 sets. In their last encounter at this season’s Australian Open Nishikori went down in straights in a flurry of errors as he tried to blast Djokovic off court at a venue where no one has won more titles in the Open era than the Serb.

    In New York 2014, Nishikori caught Djokovic the rustiest he had been for a while– the world No.1 had lost early in Cincinnati and Canada-and the highly-regarded Japanese managed to out-hit Djokovic from the baseline with his aggressive shot-making. Since that meeting, Djokovic has been much steadier and in-form when playing Nishikori, and with history on the line- Djokovic could both tie Andre Agassi’s record six Miami Open titles and lead the all-time ATP 1000 title leader-board with 28– he is not going to be much more focused and resilient than he will be tomorrow.

    This, the pair’s ninth meeting, (Djokovic leads 6-2) is their first ATP final, which is not great news for Nishikori. Facing Djokovic in a final is a different beast altogether than facing him in the quarters or a semi. Djokovic has perfected the art of doing just what needs to be done until it really needs to get done, and done better than anyone else, in the finals. The Serbian did lose two finals last Summer- in Montreal and Cincinnati (historically, his weakest part of the season)- and he did lose the French Open final (where he has never won before), but put Djokovic on a surface he does well on- like slow hard courts-and at a venue where he has that winning feeling, and you are very likely to see him hold aloft the trophy. In fact, Djokovic has not lost an Indian Wells, Miami, Australian Open, Paris-Bercy, or Shanghai final since the 2009 Miami Open, and that, along with Indian Wells ’07, is the only time he has lost a final at any of those events.

    Nishikori, meanwhile, will be appearing in only his second ever ATP 1000 final. In 2014 he led Rafael Nadal by a set and a break in the Madrid final before injury got the better of him. Injuries have continued to mess with Nishikori’s progress, as has his inability to produce his best tennis when he needs it most such as in the US Open 2014 final, or in his Australian Open last eight this season.

    Reaching ATP 1000 finals is, however, where Kei Nishikori should be at this stage of his career. In fact, it could be argued he should be winning them. Challenging Djokovic for big titles is also where he should be, and where, as that US Open ’14 win shows, he has been.

    The Japanese has the athletic baseline skills, explosive shot-making, and a great heart, as was witnessed in his quarter-final win over Gael Monfils in which he saved five match points, to go further than his career high 4 in the rankings (02.03.15) and the finals of Slams.

    Nishikori may be back to the kind of form that has already taken him pretty far on the ATP tour. His semi-final win was particularly encouraging- he played exactly the steady baseline tennis needed to see off Kyrgios in straights. In that win, his second serve held up, too ( he won 17/24 points behind that shot), which will be vital if he wants to win his first Miami title versus Djokovic, the game’s best returner.

    Prediction: Djokovic has beaten Dominic Thiem, Tomas Berdych, and David Goffin in his last three matches and all in straights. Playing at an event that favors his game, versus a player who is vulnerable to poor decision-making and fitness, the world No.1 should get this done in straights. Nishikori will likely be more patient than he was in Melbourne and play a decent match, but his level would have to rise considerably for him to pull off a career best performance and take the title tomorrow.

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  • Miami Open Semi-final Preview Novak Djokovic Vs David Goffin

    Miami Open Semi-final Preview Novak Djokovic Vs David Goffin
    djokovic
    Photo courtesy of twitter.com

    The Miami Open semi-final features another match between the world No.1 and one of the game’s up-and-coming players making their mark on the ATP tour, David Goffin. The Tennis Review previews the action and predicts the winner.

    While, in Novak Djokovic’s case, 2016 is ticking along much like 2015 did, things are quite different for David Goffin. The  world no.15 has been climbing steadily up the rankings the past 2 seasons, winning ATP 250 events and reaching 500 finals, but in the last three weeks he has taken some further steps forward in his pro career by reaching the semi-finals of the North American Spring Swing ATP 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami.

    The next step would be an ATP 1000 final, and if he is to take it, he would have to stop Djokovic’s brutal pendulum swinging at its peak.

    Goffin had a chance to become one of the few players to stop Djokovic the past few seasons the last time they met, back in the last sixteen of the 2015 Cincinnati Open. The Belgian led 3-0 in the final set only to lose the next six games as he suffered his third defeat in 3 meetings to the world No.1.

    Watch highlights of Djokovic-Goffin at the 2015 Cincinnati Open below

    Back then, however, Djokovic was struggling a little, well, compared to his standards anyway- he had suffered his only loss to Andy Murray in nine matches versus the Scot the week before in Montreal– and the upset was there for the taking.

    This time things are a little different- Djokovic has lost just three matches since that escape act versus the Belgian– to Roger Federer in the Cincinnati final, to Federer in the WTF round robin stage, and to Feliciano Lopez in Dubai, and has collected no less than two slams, a WTF title, three ATP 1000s, an ATP 500, and an ATP 250 just to balance things out.

    Mind you, things are a little different for Goffin right now, too. The world no.15 was a little infamous for letting leads slip back last Summer, but in Indian Wells a couple of weeks ago, he finally closed out a match he seemed intent on letting slip from his grasp when he defeated Stan Wawrinka 7-6 in the third after leading 5-3 in the second and third sets.

    That win was a big one for Goffin. Wawrinka may not have had a great record in Indian Wells and he may be one of the streakiest slam winners, but he is a tough match player and he had a nice 3-0 head to head lead over the Belgian. In fact, before that Indian Wells match, Wawrinka had not dropped a single set to Goffin.

    That Indian Wells win should give Goffin some confidence and the knowledge that letting a big lead slip against a top player is not the be all and end all- if you stay in the match things might turn your way again, and as happened to Goffin versus Wawrinka, your opponent might give you a helping hand by missing an easy overhead at 5-5 in the final set breaker.

    The overhead is actually one of Djokovic’s few weaknesses that the Belgian can attempt to punish. Goffin has the tools to also exploit another weakness- the variety of stroke and shot to keep Djokovic guessing and keep the Serbian’s beloved and devastating rhythm at bay.

    Of course, knowing what to do versus Djokovic and doing it are very different things because the world no.1- who is the first ever player of such status to lead the world number 2 by double the ranking points- does not let you do what you want to do. He has the serve and, as he said after his win over Raonic in Indian Wells, the return game to dictate how points will go. From the get-go, he will break down both your weaknesses and your strengths with his scarily precise baseline game, range of depth and spins, and the game’s best point construction that allows him to control the baseline and finish points at the net when the chance arises.

    As Raonic found out in Indian Wells last week, and as Thiem discovered in this week’s Miami Open last sixteen, no one quite tests how far you’ve come than Djokovic, and no one quite points you in which direction you need to go.

    If Goffin is to stand a chance, he will have to be keep Djokovic guessing on the serve and off the ground and take the initiative in rallies. Such is the tall order to beat the very best, but Goffin will not expect anything less, and as we have come to see of him these past weeks, he will give it everything he has, and then some.

    Prediction: Djokovic should take this one in straight sets but it won’t be straightforward with Goffin coming into the match match fit, confident and with the kind of game that can unsettle the world No.1.

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  • Miami Open Last Sixteen Preview Novak Djokovic Versus Dominic Thiem

    Miami Open Last Sixteen Preview Novak Djokovic Versus Dominic Thiem
    Thiem Djokovic Miami Open
    Photo courtesy of http://www.zimbio.com

    The Miami Open last sixteen features one of the season’s most intriguing match ups- the world No.1 Novak Djokovic versus one of the hottest players of the season world No.14 Dominic Thiem. The Tennis Review previews the action and predicts the winner.

    History: Djokovic won their sole meeting 6-3, 6-4 in the round of 32 at the 2014 Shanghai Open.

    Watch highlights of Djokovic-Thiem at Shanghai 2014 below

    Form coming in: Novak Djokovic is still dominating the tour, winning the Australian Open and Indian Wells. The only blip in 2016 has been his retirement from his Dubai quarter-final versus Feliciano Lopez.

    Djokovic has been creating history left, right and center and it does not look like this is going to come to an end anytime soon, which is what makes this match up so interesting.

    While the likes of Murray and Federer have been unable to get in Djokovic’s way, it will be interesting to see if one of the season’s breakout stars can do so. Thiem, one of those stars, has made his presence felt on the ATP Tour in 2016 winning titles in Buenos Aires and Acapulco and scoring wins over Nadal and Ferrer along the way.

    This Miami Open he is looking good, too, beating Groth and Nishioka in straights.

    Who should win?: Djokovic. Thiem has not faced anyone like Djokovic in his recent run- after all, there is no one like the Serb. No one has the all round strength and  consistency of the world No.1 and no one else is better than using an opponent’s strengths against them and exploiting their weaknesses.

    This match will tell us a lot about Thiem’s game and where he is at. We know he can serve and return great, be aggressive, and be mentally tough when matches go down to the wire. The question is can he do it against the game’s very best?

    Thiem can win if: he can mix it up and keep Djokovic a little out of his comfort zone on big points. Thiem also has to serve his best and stay aggressive, the only way to defeat Djokovic on these slow courts. Thiem has shown great aggression this season, but Djokovic’s passing shots and retrieving skills will force errors and raise doubts. Thiem has to be strong to withstand the pressure and maintain the self-belief that has seen him reach world No.14 this past month.

    Prediction: Djokovic to win in straights. The Serb has the extra motivation of leading the ATP 1000 overall title leaderboard with 28 if he wins the Miami title, and he will be ready for a motivated and confident opponent who could be one of the big threats to his quest for the one remaining slam missing from his collection- Roland Garros- this June.

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  • Anyone for 2016’s Most Exciting Tennis Event? Five Reasons Why Tennis Lovers Should Attend the Tennis Experience

    Anyone for 2016’s Most Exciting Tennis Event? Five Reasons Why Tennis Lovers Should Attend the Tennis Experience
    Tennis expo
    Photo courtesy of Connected Clubs

    Anyone for 2016’s Most Exciting Tennis Event? Five Reasons Why Tennis Lovers Should Attend the Tennis Experience Powered by Connected Clubs and Visio Motion Tennis at the Elite Sports Performance Expo 2016

    This Summer Connected Clubs and Visio Motion Tennis will be powering one of the most exciting tennis events of 2016- the Tennis Experience at The Elite Sports Performance Expo held from June 15th-16th at ExCeL London. If you are passionate about tennis, here are five reasons why you cannot afford to miss this free event.

    Face One of the World’s Fastest Serves with The Ace Attack Ball Machine

    The return of serve is one of the most under-practiced shots in tennis yet one of the most effective- Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray both have the best returns in the game and are currently the world’s No.1 and 2 players.

    Come along to The Tennis Experience and check out The Ace Attack Ball Machine which stimulates the kind of serves Djokovic and Murray have mastered the art of returning with venom- serves of up to 110mph with a variety of spins and directions.

    The Ace Attack Ball Machine is not only the best piece of equipment on the market for practicing your returns, it can also be used for other shots, too.

    At the Tennis Experience, coaches and players can take a look at a machine which could help you get some big returns yourselves by improving the shot which could take your tennis to the next level.

    Also, if you want to be part of the action, and are feeling brave, you can hit our full sized covered court and try returning the kind of serves Murray is not just a master at getting back into play, but the 110 mph kind he is a pro at serving up, too.

    Get Yourself into the Guinness Book of World Records

    Get along to the Tennis Experience and into the Guinness Record Books this June.

    The Tennis Experience will give you the chance to break the record for most people bouncing a tennis ball on a racket at once.

    The current record is held by the Shanghai Open which set the record on September 5th 2015 with 767 people.

    Help us beat that world record at this year’s Tennis Experience at the Elite Sports Performance Expo and make this year’s event not just one of the most fun Tennis Experiences ever, but a record-breaking one, as well.

    Connected clubs tennis expo

    Learn from Some of the World’s Best International Tennis Experts and Speakers

    Listen to some of the world’s best international tennis experts and speakers at the Tennis Experience talk about topics ranging from mental health in tennis, the return of serve, and maximizing income from your coaching.

    Learn from the best and improve your game as well as your business.

    Get Huge Discounts on Leading Equipment Brands

    Connected Clubs in partnership with leading equipment brands such as Oncourt OffCourt will be offering huge discounts on various brands at our pop up sports shop at the Expo.

    Come Along and Take a Look at Our Mini Covered Tennis Court

    Thinking of getting a new court at your club? Come and see our Tennis Experience Centerpiece-a mini covered tennis court.

    Watch top juniors and former pros hitting on the Bergo Tile medium to fast paced surface and take advantage of some special deals we have negotiated with suppliers on indoor court facilities.

    See the latest coaching technology, get into the Guinness world record books, enjoy huge discounts on equipment, improve your own tennis and business related expertise, and see our full sized covered tennis court and get special deals on indoor facilities- that’s five great reasons for tennis lovers to get along to the Tennis experience powered by Connected Clubs and Visio Motion Tennis at the Elite Sports Performance Expo held from June 15th to 16th at ExCeL London.

    Come and spend a few hours finding out how to improve your game and then spend a lifetime playing better tennis. See you there!

  • Miami Open Preview Roger Federer Vs Juan Martin del Potro

    federer del potro
    Post courtesy of forumindex.hu

    Roger Federer takes on old foe Juan Martin del Potro in the Miami Open second round today. The Tennis Review previews a much anticipated match between two players on very different injury comebacks. 

    History: Federer may lead the head to head 15-5, but del Potro prevailed in their most significant match, the 2009 US Open final which went five sets.

    These two have produced other classics such as the 2012 Olympic semi-final and their last seven matches have gone the distance  featuring some of the finest forehands on the tour up against each other.

    Form coming in: Both men are coming back from injury, though in very different circumstances. Federer’s knee injury, which led to his first ever surgery as a tennis professional, has only sidelined him from the tour for seven weeks, while del Potro’s wrist injury has meant he only played 14 matches throughout 2014 and 2015.

    del Potro, though, who returned to the tour at Delray Beach, has been playing since Federer’s time-out, and is 5-2 this season, reaching the Delray beach semis, the Indian Wells second round where he lost to Berdych, and he won his Miami Open Opener versus Guido Pella so he will face Federer with some recent match mileage on the clock.

    Who should win: Federer matches up well against del Potro, his aggressive game not really asked too many questions by del Potro’s defense. He should also be able to exploit del Potro’s big weakness on the backhand side.

    Watch Federer vs del Potro at the 2012 French Open in the video below

    del Potro can win if: del Potro still has two big weapons working with his serve and forehand. That forehand can keep Federer back behind the baseline and get the better of the Swiss in lengthy exchanges.

    The Miami courts are slow, too, which will help del Potro cover the weaker backhand side and allow him to run round it and hit inside out forehands which could put pressure on the Federer backhand and force some errors.

    If del Potro can keep the pressure on Federer, and stay with him deep into sets, his comeback might be sealed with a headline-hitting win.

    Prediction: Federer to win in straights. Federer may have been off the tour but he has been training recently, and he has had some rest from the ATP tour, too. A refreshed, motivated Federer will be hard for del Potro, still early in his comeback, to upset.

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  • Miami Open Preview The Return of Roger Federer

    Federer
    Photo courtesy of Richard Fisher @ Flickr (Creative commons license)

    Roger Federer has been sorely missed from the tour this past couple of months. After undergoing knee surgery in February, the world No.3 had to pull out of Dubai, Rotterdam and Indian Wells, events where final finishes and trophies would have been likely. The Tennis Review previews Roger Federer’s return to the ATP Tour at the upcoming Miami Open.

    Federer, originally expected to return in Monte Carlo,  announced his Miami comeback with a surprising emoji tweet on March 17.

    //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js There were some clues to an earlier return in Miami in the run-up to Federer’s emojiment such as the tweet below.

     

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    Miami has not been the most successful of the ATP 1000 tournaments for Roger Federer.

    Federer has only won twice at Crandon Park- in 2005 and 2006. Compare that to his other hard court ATP 1000 title hauls such as his seven Cincinnati titles or his four Indian Wells trophies.

    The venue is also where he suffered his first ever defeat to Rafa Nadal when in 2004 he lost to the then 17 year old 3-6, 3-6 in the third round.

    Miami is also the scene of one of Federer’s rare outbursts. Check out the video below to see him smashing his racket in his 2009 semi-final versus Novak Djokovic.

    Federer has been vulnerable to athletic, aggressive baseliners on the slow Crandon Park hard courts, suffering losses to Canas, Berdych, Djokovic, Nadal and Nishikori. He has also suffered two of his three  (from a total of 24 matches played) losses to Andy Roddick there.

    Miami, then, was, for some, a surprising choice for the scene of a Federer comeback. However Monte Carlo has never been a great hunting ground for Federer either, and Miami will be a great chance for him to get some match play in, and with relatively little pressure.

    Federer has comeback from injury on two other occasions with great success.

    In 2005, Federer suffered a foot injury and missed the season from September onwards until the WTF where he lost in a five set final to David Nalbandian. In 2006, he was soon back on track, winning the Australian Open at the start of the season.

    Federer also suffered a back injury which contributed to his fall down the rankings to No.8 in the 2013 season. Once again, Federer came back strong, climbing back to No.2, challenging for the No.1 spot and reaching 3 slam finals in the 2014-2015 seasons.

    Federer has a very exciting, but tough, draw

    Federer has drawn Juan Martin del Potro in the second round. Federer leads the head to head 15-5, but he has suffered some big losses to the Argentine, none more notable than his 2009 US Open defeat to the then 20 year old.

    del Potro is also coming back from injury (see our Juan Martin del Potro comeback fan survival guide) which makes their second round clash particularly intriguing.

    If Federer gets past del Potro, his draw is projected like this:

    3r: Jeremy Chardy (28), who beat Federer in his 2013 Rome opener when he came back to the tour from the birth of his twin sons. Fernando Verdasco might also lie in wait if he can upset Chardy. Verdasco would be a challenge- his game works well on slow hard courts and his high risk baseline game can catch fire any time.

    4r: David Goffin (15). Federer matches up well to Goffin and leads him 4-0. Goffin has won sets from Federer, though, and recently had something of a break through win versus Wawrinka in Indian Wells, and made the semis there which will help his chances confidence wise.

    QF: David Ferrer (8). Federer leads Ferrer 16-0. More dangerous would be Marin Cilic (11) who defeated him so impressively on his run to the 2014 US Open title.

    SF: Novak Djokovic (1). Novak Djokovic, fresh off a run to a historic fifth Indian Wells title, on a slow court is a nightmare for Roger Federer. Realistically, Federer’s run would end here. The Swiss might benefit from someone upsetting the worrld No.1 such as Dominic Thiem, scheduled to meet Djokovic in the last 16, or Berdych, his last eight projected opponent.

    Final: Andy Murray (2). Though Federer matches up well to Murray in the last few years, the slow courts would favor Murray who has won in Miami twice (2009, 2013) and trains there.

    Rafa Nadal (5) could also await. That final would be a dream for the ATP- it’s recent revival in the 2015 Basel final was a huge talking point. Nadal’s recent return to good form in Indian Wells and the fact Federer would have to be playing great tennis to make the final would make this match one to watch.

    Watch highlights of Roger Federer versus Juan Martin del Potro at the 2012 WTF in the video below.

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