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BNP Paribas Open Day 4 Review: Grigor Dimitrov defeats Nick Kyrgios.
CC courtesy of Marianne Bevis at flickr. The second round match between Grigor Dimitrov (11) and Nick Kyrgios was much anticpated and did not disappoint. The Tennis Review looks back at Dimitrov’s victory.
The match between Grigor Dimitrov, the 11th seed, and Nick Kyrgios was expected to be an intriguing one. The clash pitted the current generation versus the next, and would be a rare contest between two aggressive minded players.
The first set
The first set went with serve as both men were sharp on their delivery. Points were mostly short as the always aggressive Kyrgios brought out the aggressive best in Dimitrov.
Dimitrov did not disappoint with his shot-making, either. A passing backhand flick winner at 4-4, 30-30, will go down as one of the shots of the tournament.
It will most likely come after his backhand winner at 5-5. On that point, Dimitov brought Kyrgios in with a drop shot, then mis-anticipated the direction of the volley, going left, switched over to the right, got his racket on the ball and sent it past Kyrgios for a winner.
With both men racing through their service games, the set went to a tiebreaker. Dimitrov earned the early mini-break, hitting a slice backhand as he approached the net and forcing an error.
A forehand into the net from Kyrgios at 2-4 handed Dimitrov a second mini-break. Dimitrov held serve, hitting a service winner on set point, and he took the first set 7-6 (4).
The second set
In the second set, Dimitrov carried over his momentum and held break points on the rattled Kyrgios’ serve. The Bulgarian’s back hand slice went long though and his chance had passed as Kyrgios struck a service winner and an ace to hold for 1-0.
Both players then raced through their service games to 4-3 Kyrgios. The Australian then worked his way into the Dimitrov service game, displaying solid defensive skills. A netted smash from Dimitrov handed Kyrgios a break point.
The Bulgarian saved it with a service winner. The world No. 11 then hit a double fault to gift Kyrgios another chance. The Australian played wisely, keeping the ball in play and a Dimitrov forehand wide gave Kyrgios the break for 5-3 and a chance to serve out for the second set.
The 19 year old, two matches into a comeback from back injury, rose to the occasion, finding the winners and serves that have made him the first teenager since Roger Federer to make two Grand Slam quarter-finals. Kyrgios hit a forehand winner for 30-15, a service winner for 40-15, and an ace for the set.
The third set.
This time it was Kyrgios who had chances to break early in the set as he reached 15-40 on the Dimitrov serve. The Bulgarian saved the first with an ace down the tee and the second with a smash winner. At deuce, Dimitrov hit two service winners to hold for 1-0.
Clutch play from a player who lost his last match 0-6 in the third to then ranked 169 Ryan Harrison in his title defense in Acapulco.
Dimitrov put pressure on Kyrgios in the next game 15-40 down with more of his sublime shot-making when he hit a backhand winning return off a Kyrgios 102 mph serve. The Bulgarian just stuck out his racket and the ball flew cross-court for a winner. The eleventh seed then struck another strong return and took Kyrgios to deuce.
Kyrgios survived the pressure, fighting to game point and winning with a huge backhand down the line that forced a forehand error off the Bulgarian.
At 2-2, Kyrgios held break point as a Dimitrov backhand volley went long. That did not scare the Bulgarian from hitting another backhand volley on the next point, though, hitting a winner off a Kyrgios attempt at a forehand passing shot.
A service winner earned Dimitrov game point and a return error from Kyrgios put Dimitrov 3-2 up.
The match was now at its competitive peak with both men committed to aggressive play and bringing out the best in each other.
Kyrgios falls
At 5-5 in the third set, Dimitrov serving, the Bulgarian fell 15-30 behind. Kyrgios then had a look at a second serve, kept the ball in play, and the Bulgarian hit a forehand into the net off a short ball.
Break point Kygios. The Australian once again got a second serve and once again did nothing more than get the ball back into play, and once again a Dimitrov error came his way. But just as Dimitrov hit a forehand once more into the net and handed him the break, the Australian fell over at the baseline, going over on his ankle.
Kyrgios, who had gone unbroken the entire match was now serving for it, but that killer shot was now missing and Dimitrov broke for the first time in the match to level the set at 5-5.
Final set tiebreaker
Both men then held and the match would be decided on a final set tiebreaker. Kyrgios was still in it though, despite his misfortune, fighting through the pain barrier, even throwing in a second serve ace as both men held to 3-3.
But a backhand error from the Australian gave Dimtrov the mini-break for 4-3. The Bulgarian then struck a huge serve and hit a smash winner off the short return for 5-3. A forehand winner and Dimitrov led 6-3 and had match point.
Kyrgios, serving, managed to save the first but on the second he hit a forehand long.
A dramatic end with an unfortunate twist in a high quality contest. Dimitrov played the better tennis over the course of the match- he hit 47 winners to 30 unforced errors (Kyrgios was 30-33) but Kyrgios played the better tennis, until his fall, when it really mattered.
For Dimitrov it was a lucky escape from another early loss. For Kyrgios it was a taster of how unfair the game can be. Expect it to fire him on, though. What the win will do for Dimitrov, though, will be as mysterious as his form and ever changing game the past nine months.
Commentary by Christian Deverille.
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BNP Paribas Open Day 4 Preview: Nick Kyrgios Vs Grigor Dimitrov
CC courtesy of Marianne Bevis at Flickr Day 4 of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, features a clash between two generations as unseeded Nick Kyrgios takes on eleventh seed Grigor Dimitrov. The Tennis Review previews the action and predicts the winner.
This match features one of the leaders of the current ‘next Generation’, Grigor Dimitrov, versus Nick Kyrgios the leader of the generation behind them.
The worrying thing for Dimitrov’s generation, which includes Nishikori, Raonic and Tomic, is that the generation following them, made up of Kyrgios, Coric and Kokkinakis, are progressing fast and may even make big breakthroughs before the Dimitrov generation (their biggest achievement so far is Nishikori’s 2014 U.S runner-up finish).
Dimitrov looked like he might be ready to make a major breakthrough when he made the semi-finals of Wimbledon 2014 and broke into the top ten in August but since then he has not been past the fourth round of a slam and has fallen out of the top ten.
Kyrgios, meanwhile, has risen from world 144 to world no. 37 since his run to the Wimbledon last eight during which he knocked out Rafael Nadal. That climb is even more impressive considering Kyrgios has played only five events since SW19, a run that has included making the last eight of the Australian Open 2015.
The match comes at a time when neither player is at their best. Kyrgios is coming back from injury and had not played since Melbourne before his solid straight sets opening round Indian Wells win. Meanwhile, Dimitrov is still struggling to get back into form, failing to defend his Acapulco title a week ago. The Bulgarian lost to world 169 Ryan Harrison in the round of sixteen, losing the third set 0-6.
That was one of a string of bad losses for the Bulgarian– at the Australian Open, Dimitrov blew a 5-2 fourth set lead against Murray in the fourth round, and blew a gasket, too, smashing his racket.
Watch Dimitrov lose his cool in Melborune after blowing a 5-2 lead versus Murray in round four.
This match is the first meeting between the two and is a clash of styles. Kyrgios is a big server and power player who needs the short returns to tee off winners and will look to be aggressive at all opportunities. Dimitrov has a lot more touch and variety, and can play very aggressively, too, but recently he has tended to stay behind the baseline and be dictated to.
Kyrgios will be overjoyed if he can get Dimitrov pinned back behind the baseline, get him on the stretch, and get the short balls he loves. If the match follows that script, it is going to be another early loss for the world no.11.
Dimitrov has to be pro-active, and has to put pressure on the return, taking risks. Dimitrov has the better return game and if he can get some second serves at big moments, he will get the vital breaks he needs. But opportunities will be few and far between- Kyrgios struck 11 aces and won 77 % of his service points in his first round match and if he can maintain that rhythm, he is going to be hard to break.
Dimitrov will get a better look at returns in Indian Wells than he would on many other hard courts against Kyrgios. The surface is slow for a hard court, particularly on the center court, which suits Dimitrov who is an all court player– last year he won titles on all surfaces.
However, this match is second on stadium court and the balls will fly a little faster in the afternoon heat which will help Kyrgios who despite the slowness of the court still has enough power and aggression to hit through it.
Dimitrov does not fare well against the more aggressive players. Big serving Gilles Muller beat him in straight sets in the last sixteen of Rotterdam and he could only win four games off Federer in the Brisbane semi-finals.
But neither does Kyrgios do well against defensive ones on slower courts- Murray handled him relatively easily in Melbourne- so this match really could go either way depending on who can impose their games more.
Kyrgios tends to impose his game better than Dimitrov, though, as he is naturally aggressive while Dimitrov plays better when he lets his aggressive instincts take over but often reacts to his opponent’s games when he should assert his own.
Dimitrov may have strong defensive skills, but he is no Murray or Djokovic and could be overwhelmed at times by the power of Kyrgios’ ground strokes.
Most likely, both will come out playing their most aggressive tennis and sets will be decided on tiebreaks. Those could be decided on who serves the best and who takes the most risks, and if the last nine months is anything to go by, that is most probably going to be Kyrgios.
Prediction: Kyrgios to win in three very intriguing sets.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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BNP Paribas Open Day 3 Review: Ernests Gulbis Earns First 2015 Win
Photo courtesy of http://www.zimbio.com The Tennis review looks back at Ernests Gulbis’ first win of 2015 on the third day of the BNP Paribas Open and gives its player of the day award to the fourteenth seed.
Player of the day: Ernests Gulbis.
Gulbis, ranked 15 in the ATP rankings, earned his first win on the ATP tour in 2015, beating Daniel Gimeno Traver 6-4, 6-1.
Gulbis was 0-5 in 2015 prior to the victory. Gulbis grabbed his first win of the season with his service in full swing. The Latvian hit 15 aces and won 87% of points behind his first serve. The Latvian won 75% of his total service points.
Gulbis saved three break points, and broke his opponent three times, winning 57% of points when he had a look at a Gimeno Travern second serve.
Strong service and return stats like those are just what the Latvian needed after his dismal start to the season. Gulbis is a confidence player, and a streaky one, too. A few decent performances could wind him up again and get him going on another winning streaks just like he winds up for his unique forehand to hit powerful winners.
Gulbis struck plenty of forehand winners against Gimeno Traver as he romped through the second set, losing just one game.
Watch the video below to see Gulbis’ extreme wind up on his forehand.
The win is Gulbis’ first since reaching the 2014 Moscow semi-final. The 2014 Roland Garros semi-finalist picked up an injury in his U.S Open second round match last season with good friend Dominic Thiem and has struggled ever since.
Next up for Gulbis is Adrian Mannarino who beat 19th seed Fabio Fognini. Gulbis lost to Mannarino the only time they played, in 2011 on grass at Queen’s.
If Gulbis gets past Mannarino, who knocked out 19th seeded Fabio Fognini, he could face Andy Murray. The Scot, who leads Gulbis 5-1, would need to be at the top of his game- the last time he faced Gulbis on hard courts, in 2013 in Montral, he was overwhelmed in straight sets.
Gulbis earned that win on a similar medium-slow fast hard court which allows Gulbis to serve big and fire away at short returns and set up his, at times, sublime shot-making from inside the court.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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BNP Paribas Open Day 3 Preview: Djokovic Vs Baghdatis, Coric Vs Tomic
CC courtesy of Marianne Bevis at Flickr. The BNP Paribas Open has a packed day 3 schedule featuring some very intriguing clashes. The Tennis Review previews Djokovic versus Baghdatis, Cilic versus Monaco and Coric versus Tomic, looks at Gulbis’ and Kokkinakkis’ chances and gives its predictions.
Djokovic Vs Baghdatis
This one is the big match of the day occupying the Stadium 1 night slot and featuring the world No.1 and three time champion up against the former top tenner and Australian Open runner up who beat Federer in the desert in 2010.
The intriguing factor about this match is how the conditions suit both men in different ways.
The conditions, which will be slower at night, will allow Djokovic all the time he thrives on to set up his ground-strokes, track down balls and structure points so he can turn defense into offense when he needs t0.
Baghdatis will benefit from the extra time, too- he will be better able to get to shots and showcase his at times sublime shot-making.
This extra time could also be a downfall for Baghdatis, though- he might have too much time to think about which shot to use from his heavy arsenal and while Baghdatis may be one of the game’s greatest ever shot-makers, he is far from one of its greatest ever shot selectors, prone to making head-scratching errors.
And Baghdatis will have to select plenty of shots. Djokovic’s steadiness and athleticism means he can get back most of Baghdatis’ best shots which will dishearten the Cypriot.
Baghdatis has a lot of heart, but even the heartiest of players can have their most vital organ torn out by the relentless Djokovic.
Prediction: Baghdatis is a showman, a big match player, and will rise to the occasion- a Saturday night match at one of tennis’ biggest events.
But history tells us who is the superior player in this match up- Djokovic leads 7-0, 4-0 on hard, (last played 2012 in Miami.) and all signs point to an attractive but ultimately predictable contest with Djokovic winning in two.
Cilic Vs Monaco
Cilic has not played since the 2014 WTF, but he won’t have been sitting idly by with Goran Ivaneseivic as his coach. The two masterminded Cilic’s superb U.S Open win last season, and are working hard on another slam win this season.
Slow hard court is not Cilic’s best surface, but this match will be played early in the day so the conditions will be a little faster. This will make the match a good opportunity to get some shots going again before Cilic’s best part of the season-the Grass court season and then the North American hard court stretch starting.
Monaco will be a challenging opponent for a first match back after four months. The two are tied at 1-1 in their head to head, with Cilic winning their only hard court match, a three set contest at the 2008 Beijing Olymoics. The two have not played since 2009.
Monaco has been in good form recently, getting his ranking back up to 48 and making the final in his home event in Argentina on Clay. The former top tenner is 7-6 this year, though, did not record his first hard court win of the sesason until be beat 78th ranked Teymuraz Gabashvili in 3 sets in his first round match in Indian Wells.
That is a lot of recent match play for Monaco who will have the advantage when it comes to match fitness, confidence and rhythm. The Argentine will get lots of balls back and will be able to pass an attacking Cilic. The Croat will need to avoid giving him a target and make the Argentine win points actively, which will be tough as the Argentine lacks a major weapon.
Cilic, though, has plenty of those with his serve and forehand. His serve should get him a lot of winners and short balls. He will also be able to tee off on any weak Monaco second serves directed at his forehand.
Cilic also has underrated defensive skills and will be able to go toe to toe with Monaco from the back of the court, and most crucially, will have the upper hand when it comes to turning defense into attack and taking control of points.
Prediction: Cilic to win in straight sets.
Thanasi Kokkinakkis Vs Guillermo Garcia-Lopez
This will be the first contest between the tour veteran and the up and comer ranked 124th.
Garcia-Lopez has made a recent return to form, got his ranking up to 26 and is close to his 2011 career high of 23. (21.02). The Spaniard is 10-5 this year and reached the last sixteen at the Australian Open and won the indoor hard event at Zagreb.
Kokkinakis is also having a strong year. He started it by beating Gulbis 10-8 in the fifth at the Australian Open. That was an opportunistic win as Gulbis was injured, but it showed what a great match player Kokkinakis is for someone so young. He displayed that skill again when he beat Rosol last week on clay in the Davis Cup.
The young Australian, playing in only his third ATP 1000 event, will exploit Lopez’ weaknesses on a slower court and make him hit a lot of balls. He will also go for his shots and be pumped up. But Garcia-Lopez is very experienced, has an 8-6 record at Indian Wells and is in good form.
Prediction: Garcia-Lopez in a tight three setter.
Daniel Gimeno Traver Vs Ernests Gulbis
Gulbis has been struggling coming back from injury and is 0-5 this season. The confidence player is going to need a win and soon before he has to defend his Roland Garros semi-final points, and this might be the perfect place to do it.
Gulbis has a powerful enough game for all surfaces and will enjoy the time he has to set his shots up in Indian Wells, and with this match played early in the day, the ball will fly faster through the courts which will play into his hands.
The Latvian has had a favorable draw, too. Gulbis leads Gimeo Traver, the world no. 94, 2-0 and beat him twice last year, in Moscow and Barcelona, in straight sets.
Prediction: Gulbis in 3. Gimeno Traver has not beaten a top 150 player this season and Gulbis has had plenty of time between losing in the Dubai first round and this opening match to work on his game which should be too much for his opponent.
Bernard Tomic Vs Borna Coric
This is arguably the match most tennis fans will be most looking forward to. This is the first contest between the highly touted yet underachieving Australian talent against an up and coming highly touted talent who seems to have the hard working ethic Tomic has appeared to lack.
Coric has certainly been working hard this past month. He qualified for his first ATP 1000 event in Indian Wells, saving three match points in his final qualifying round. He is also coming of the back of a run to the Dubai semi-finals as a lucky loser.
The Croats’s great return and defense will be his weapons against Tomic. His ability to get every ball back will frustrate the flashier shot-making of Tomic and force him to come out of his comfort zone and be more aggressive.
Tomic will have to bring Coric out of his comfort zone, too, denying him any rhythm with his great variety and unsettling him by bringing him in and passing him at the net.
Tomic has been playing well this year, and has compiled a 16-6 win-loss record, showing a new found commitment to the game. A clash against a member of the generation threatening to outshine his before his has even achieved anything will certainly test that commitment. Coric will be solid, will not give up and loves an upset, and Tomic cannot afford to lose focus for even a second. Tomic has been prone to give up when matches have not gone his way, but those days seem over and this match will be a perfect opportunity for him to prove his improved mental toughness.
Prediction: Tomic in 3. The Australian has too much experience, is in good form, and will come out sharp against a dangerous opponent.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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What do you think will happen in today’s matches? Please share your opinions in the comments box below.
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BNP Paribas Open Day 2 Preview: Kyrgios Vs Kudla
CC courtesy of Marianne Bevis at Flickr. The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells features Nick Kyrgios up against Denis Kudla. The Tennis review previews their match and predicts the result.
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) Vs Denis Kudla (U.S.A)
Ranked 37, Nick Kyrgios is the highest ranked ATP player on the schedule today and has earned the right to headline Friday night’s Stadium 1 match.
The 19 year old reached the quarter finals of Wimbledon 2014 and this year’s Australian Open, and his big serve, attacking game, athleticism and shot-making will certainly get the crowd going.
This will be Kyrgios’ first match since injury forced him off the tour after the Australian Open. So, the first round might be the best time to catch him and take advantage of any rustiness.
His opponent, Denis Kudla, a former junior world No. 3 and runner up at the U.S Open juniors, will have a shot.
Kudla, aged 22, may be 2-4 on the ATP tour this year, but he has managed to qualify for two main draws, in Brisbane and Memphis, and, as a wildcard, took Feliciano Lopez to 10-8 in the fifth set in their Australian Open first round match. That hard court form certainly justifies the home player’s wildcard and indicates he has what it takes to make a match of this first round encounter.
Kudla will also have the home support, but that won’t scare off Kyrgios. What might scare off the youngster a bit is if Kudla can get some balls back on the slow Indian Wells courts. Kyrgios likes to control rallies and get them over with sooner rather than later, and with 6 weeks out of action, he may find it tough to be consistent if the rallies go past five shots.
Kudla will be helped by the colder night conditions which will slow the court down, giving him a better chance with extending rallies and a better shot at returning the Kyrgios serve.
The American will certainly strong strategic support with the experienced Tom Gullickson as his coach, and if Kudla can combine his own aggressive play with some strong defense, he might have a chance to make the second round of Indian Wells for the second time in his career (lost to Federer, 2012)
Prediction: Kudla has a chance, but Kyrgios is a big match player, will enjoy the night time atmosphere and will be well-prepared if a touch rusty. The Australian will find his game though and eventually win in three.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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BNP Paribas Open Day 1 Preview: Baghdatis Vs Vesely
Photo courtesy of abc.net.au Indian Wells gets up and running today and features Marcos Baghdatis, Mardy Fish and Borna Coric. The Tennis Review previews the action and predicts the winners on day one of the season’s first ATP 1000 event.
Marcos Baghdatis Vs Jiri Vesely
The veteran takes on the the up and comer for the second time in their careers, with Baghdatis leading the head to head 1-0. His previous win came on hard courts at Delray beach, a match he won in 3 sets. In 2014, he also beat Vesely on hard in the qualifying round of Geneva.
Each time, the Cypriot’s return of serve has been too good for the big serving Vesely and Baghdatis, one of the game’s great shotmakers, has had too much game for the still developing 21 year old who needs his serve to be at its best if he is to stand a chance.
Baghdatis is not only a bad match-up for Vesely, he also has form on his side. While Baghdatis is ranked 61 to Vesely’s 45, the Cypriot is having a better 2015, compiling a 6-3 win-loss record and beating David Goffin twice. Meanwhile, Vesely is 6-6 and has not won a match since his impressive title run at Auckland.
Baghdatis has history at Indian Wells, too. In 2010 he beat then world No. 1 Federer in a third set tiebreaker. Those memories should inspire the 2006 Australian Open runner up, one of the game’s biggest talents and biggest big match players.
Prediction: A 2-0 head to head lead on hard, a better recent run, and history in the Californian desert make it hard not to go with Baghdatis in straights.
Watch highlights of Baghdatis’ 2010 victory over Roger Federer below
Ryan Harrison Vs Mardy Fish
Fish leads Harrison 3-0. However, Fish has not played on the ATP Tour since Winston Salem 2013 due to anxiety attacks.
Harrison, ranked 110, has been playing well recently, making the semi-finals of Acapulco where he beat Dimitrov and Karlovic.
While the heart may want Fish to win at the venue where he reached the 2009 final, beating Federer on the way, the head says Harrison’s recent good form will be the deciding factor against a man who has not played on the pro tour for 18 months.
Prediction: Harrison wins in straight sets.
Borna Coric Vs Andreas Haider-Maurer
These two are close in the rankings with Coric at 60 and the 27 year old at 56.
Maurer’s best results have come on clay while Coric has had his best career results, including wins over Nadal and Murray, on the tour’s faster courts of Basel (Indoor hard) and Dubai.
Coric saved three match points in his final qualifying round yesterday, beating local hope Fratangelo in a third set breaker. Coric survived the brutal desert sun, an inspired opponent and an excitable home crowd to get that win, and it is easy to see that experience, and his better hard court form, helping him grab his first win in the main draw of an ATP 1000 event.
Prediction: Coric to win in straights.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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Indian Wells Preview: Questions the BNP Paribas Open Will Answer about Federer, Nadal and Nishikori
CC courtesy of Marianne Bevis at Flickr. The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells will answer a few questions many tennis fans will have about ATP Players and their games. The Tennis Review looks at those questions on the eve of the season’s first ATP 1000 event.
1. Can Roger Federer bring his A game to a big final against Novak Djokovic?
Federer’s Dubai run showed he still had the game and the belief to beat Djokovic in a final. We knew Federer could beat the world No.1 – he did it three times in 2014- but in finals Federer had come up short (Indian Wells, Wimbledon) or not turned up at all (World Tour Finals) so the Dubai win was something of a breakthrough.
Beating Djokovic in an ATP 500 final is one thing, doing it in an ATP 1000 final is another. Djokovic may have had problems in slam finals over the years, but he has had no problems winning ATP 1000s- the Serb has won his last 8 ATP 1000 finals. The last one he last? Cincinnati 2012, beaten by Federer.
If Federer makes the Indian Wells final and fails, the Dubai win, like his victory last season, may prove to be meaningless in the long run, the finish line of that run an 18th slam.
Indian Wells is the last event for Federer before the clay season where there will be few expectations. Then comes the transition to grass and Wimbledon, the tournament the Swiss recently said he was aiming to peak for.
An Indian Wells win, beating Djokovic in the final, would help set the Swiss up nicely for an eighth Wimbledon win while another loss in a big final to his Wimbledon 2014 conqueror could set Federer up for another fall in the final stages of the events that mean the most as Federer’s career approaches its end.
2. Nadal who?
Rafael Nadal won the ATP 250 event in Argentina recently, his sole title since Roland Garros 2014. A good starter as he comes back from another injury, but not exactly a statement to the rest of the tour he is ‘back’.
Nadal is the ‘comeback king’ of the ATP tour and Indian Wells 2013 was the scene of one of his most successful returns from inury. The Spaniard won his first ATP 1000 on hard court since 2009, four tournaments into a comeback from a seven month lay off. That season Nadal would win two slams and another four ATP 1000 titles.
This Indian Wells, Nadal has a great opportunity to make a statement after eight months in the tennis wilderness, and the draw has been kind, placing him in the Raonic-Dimitrov quarter and the Federer half.
Federer may be world No.2 and in strong form, but Nadal’s matches with Federer are played out in the mind far more than on the court and a win over Federer and a place in the final would remind everyone just who Nadal is.
3. Is the next generation ready to step up at an ATP 1000?
Kei Nishikori nearly did it last season in Madrid when he led Nadal by a set and a break in the final before injury got the better of him. Since then, Raonic’s appearance in the Paris-Bercy final is the closest that the generation led by the trio of Nishikori-Raonic-Dimitrov have gotten to holding an ATP 1000 trophy.This is the third season that tennis pundits and fans are talking about this group of players, ‘the young guns’, stepping up onto the winner’s podium. But last year Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, Wawrinka and Tsonga took home the ATP 1000 trophies, and Dimitrov failed to even make a final at the ATP’s premier events.
With Nishikori turning 26 this year, Raonic, 25, and Dimitrov 24, this is the final season they get to be called the next generation before that title belongs to Coric, Kokkinakis, and Kyrgios.
All of them have the games, and now they have the experience, to compete with the tour’s reigning veteran class, and if the ‘young guns’ want to make sure ‘their’ time does not pass them by, they need to step up fast.
Indian Wells would be a great place to start and get generation ‘when’ up and running.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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Indian Wells 2015 Players to Watch: Cilic, Fish to Return, Kokkinakis Gets Wildcard
CC image courtesy of Marianne Bevis on flickr. The 2015 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells will be host to ATP Tour comebacks for Marin Cilic, Tommy Haas and Mardy Fish, plus a surprise appearance from wild card Thanasi Kokkinakis. The Tennis Review looks at the players to watch in the Californian desert.
Marin Cilic
Cilic has not played on the ATP tour since the ATP World Tour Finals 2014. The U.S Open champion withdrew from the Australian Open with a shoulder injury and was unable to defend his title at his home tournament the Zagreb Open.
The Croat achieved the biggest success of his career the last time he played on American hard courts, winning the 2014 U.S Open.
Last year in Indian Wells, the Croat took the first set 6-1 off Novak Djokovic before losing in three sets in the last sixteen. That performance has been his best showing in the desert- he is 6-7 at the event.
If Cilic can reproduce the big ground strokes and serves he showcased against Djokovic last year and which were the hallmarks of his U.S Open title run, he should at the very least repeat his 2014 last sixteen finish.
Watch highlights of Cilic’s three set battle with Novak Djokovic at last year’s BNP Paribas Open below.
Mardy Fish
Fish has not played since the 2013 Winston Salem Open when he retired with an anxiety attack, a side effect of a heart condition. Those attacks derailed his career, none more heartbreaking than the one that forced him to pull out of his 2012 U.S Open last sixteen clash against Roger Federer.
Fish could not have chosen a better place to come back to the tour. Indian Wells will bring back some good memories for the American- he beat Roger Federer in the 2008 semi-finals and took Novak Djokovic to three sets in the final.
The 33 year old, who has a protected ranking of 25, is 15-12 at the event and has also beaten David Nalbandian, Nikolay Davydenko (2008) and won a love set against Djokovic (2010) at the tournament.
Fish will have the home support of a sympathetic home crowd, and that could help him reproduce some of the form that has served him so well in previous visits to Indian Wells.
Thanasi Kokkinakis
Kokkinakis got a wild card after Juan Martin Del Potro withdrew from the tournament. The 18 year old Australian, ranked 124, is coming off a big Davis cup victory over 31st ranked Lukas Rosol in which he came back from two sets to love down to win.
Kokkinakis is proving to be a big match player- he knocked out 13th seed Ernests Gulbis in the Australian Open first round, winning 8-6 in the fifth. He also boasts a straight sets win over Julien Benneteau in Sydney and has qualified for ATP Tour main draws in his last three tournaments (Memphis, Delray Beach, Acapulco).
Watch highlights of Kokkinakis’ win over Ernests Gulbis in the first round of the Australian Open below.
This will be Kokkinakis’ first appearance in the main draw of Indian Wells (he lost in the first round of qualifying last year), and his third appearance in the main draw of an ATP 1000 after he qualified for the main draws of Canada and Shanghai last season.
Kokkinakis has earned his wild card and the chances of him upsetting a lower seed or pushing one of the favorites are anything but wild.
Commentary by Christian Deverille.
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Federer’s Dubai Run Reviewed: Mastering Tennis’ Past, Present and Future
Photo courtesy of http://www.straitstimes.com Roger Federer defeated tennis’ past, present and future on his way to his seventh ATP 500 Dubai title. The Tennis Review looks back at how the Swiss’ timeless game mastered three generations of tennis.
First and second rounds: d. Youzhny 6-3 6-1, Verdasco 6-4, 6-3.
Federer and Mikhail Youzhny go all the way back to Stockholm 2000 when the then 19 year old Swiss got his first of fifteen wins over the then 18 year old Youzhny. That day Federer came from a set down to win, one of only four sets Federer has dropped in a head to head that was 15-0 in his favor before their first round clash in Dubai.
Youzhny, aged 32, suffered his 12 straight sets loss to the 33 year old world No.2, and one of the most crushing, winning only four games.
In the second round, Federer beat 30 year old Verdasco for the sixth time since 2005. Verdasco did push him in Dubai, leading 4-1 in the first set, but Federer won 20 points in a row to take control of the match.
On his way to Dubai title No. 7, Federer’s game, which has changed now and then over the years, was, for the 21st time in fifteen years, too good for the two players he met of his generation. The Swiss’ superiority came down to two fundamental strengths that have always been at the core of his game- the variety of his serve and his all-court skills.
Those assets, and the Swiss’ fairly recent commitment to a predominantly attacking game, have helped the Swiss stay at the top of the ATP tour while other players of his generation have declined.
Back in 2009, the last year in which Federer won multiple slams, Verdasco reached his first slam semi-final at the Australian Open and Youzhny finished the season a top 20 player. Six years later, Verdasco is ranked 30, Youzhny 64, and while Federer may have dropped his level to that of world No. 2 and lacks the status of reigning slam champion, the Swiss is still in the mix and still at the top of his generation.
Present and Past: d Gasquet 6-1, ret.
When Gasquet beat Federer in the first round of Monte Carlo 2005 in a third set tie-breaker, the future looked bright for the then nicknamed ‘Baby Fed’ who was part of the Djokovic-Nadal-Murray generation, and predicted by pundits to become an integral part of that slam contending mix and challenge Federer.
The Federer comparisons soon vanished though as Gasquet never reached a slam final let alone won a trophy, and the Frenchman managed only one more win against Federer in 15 matches, once again on Clay, at the 2011 Italian Open, and once more in a final set breaker.
Currently ranked 25, Gasquet, aged 28, was not even able to complete his quarter-final match against Federer, retiring with injury after losing the first set 6-1.
Future: D. Borna Coric 6-1, 6-2
Coric’s defensive skills and double handed backhand, his favorite shot, and their resemblance to the game of the world No.1 Djokovic are a testament to the Serbian’s legacy.
Both skill and shot have been honed to give Coric the best possible shot of succeeding in the modern game, a game that features very little of the all-court skills Federer displays, and barely any of the Swiss’ all out attack. And just as Djokovic has found the Federer attacking game overwhelming at its best, so did Coric, going down to the Swiss in just short of an hour.
The Present: d. Djokivic 6-3, 7-5.
Federer was 19-17 against Djokovic before the final. This rivalry, first played at Monter-Carlo 2006, has turned out to be one of the ATP’s most prolific in history, and at times, due to the contrasting styles and the see-saw nature of the matches, the most entertaining.
In 2014, Federer beat Djokovic three times (Dubai, Monte-Carlo, and Shanghai), each time in the semi-finals, and in his two losses, both in finals at Indian Wells and Wimbledon, Federer won the first set and went on to lose in the decider.
In those finals, Federer simply ran out of gas against the game’s best mix of defense and offense in one of his best ever streaks on the tour (Djokovic won three ATP 1000 events and a slam from six events played between Indian Wells and Wimbledon in 2014).
But if anyone is going to stop a Djokovic streak, it is Federer, who put an end to the Serbian’s 43 match winning streak at Roland Garros 2011.
Some of those wins have been nothing less than old-fashioned thrashings (Cincinnati 2012, Shanghai 2014), as Federer’s fast court skills have proved too much for Djokovic to handle, even at his peak, and Federer had to be as dominant if he was going to beat Djokovic in Dubai, avoiding the stamina sapping marathons Djokovic thrives on.
The Serb simply has no answer to Federer when he can sustain a high level attacking game for an entire match on a faster court, and that scenario played out in Dubai. Federer struck 11 aces, including the 9000th of his career, saved seven break points, won 80 percent of his first serves, and approached the net 21 times, winning 9 of those points, many when it really mattered, such as when Federer was set point down in the second set and kept his second set chances alive with a sublime volley that died right on the baseline.
In a rivalry that has seen Djokovic have the recent upper-hand in finals, Federer turned that storyline around, and placed himself in a position to carry that momentum into a possible, and more important meeting, at the upcoming ATP 1000 Indian Wells tournament.
Federer’s future.
Federer’s past is legendary, his present is impressive, but what about his future?
The Dubai win shows Federer has what it takes to defeat all-comers, including the best player in the world, at an ATP 500 week long best-of-three event, no more, no less. Federer’s fans, and the man himself, want more than ATP 500 titles, though. They want much more. They want Slams, and Dubai tells us little about Federer’s chances of winning Slam No. 18 anytime soon.
The question whether Federer’s game can stand up against the very best in the fortnight long best-of-five slam format has been answered with a no since Federer’s return to form and his commitment to a more aggressive-minded game in 2014. Five times Federer has competed in slams since then, and he has made only one final.
If Dubai showed us anything it was that Federer’s return to form and commitment is still very much present, and that as long as the Swiss can bring both to the court against the past, present and future of tennis, then, between this season’s French and U.S Opens, he has as much chance as anyone to to win a slam, and add to a legendary tally that will not be beaten for some time.
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Roger Federer’s Dubai Win: Five Factors for Success
Photo courtesy of http://www.dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com Roger Federer hit all the right notes in his 6-3, 7-5 win over world No.1 Novak Djokovic in the ATP 500 Dubai Final. The Tennis Review looks back at the five factors that worked in Federer’s favor as he took his 84th career title.
The Serve:
Federer’s serve had to be at its best against the game’s best returner, and it did not let him down when it mattered most. Federer hit 11 aces, striking the 9000th in his career in the match
, and won 80 percent of his first serves.Djokovic earned seven break points on the Federer serve in the match, but could convert none of them, Federer’s aces and service winners foiling him. And when Djokovic worked his way into the Federer service games and got to 0-30, Federer’s variety, slices, spins, speed and accuracy on the serve came up trumps as it left the best reader of the serve unable to anticipate the direction of the Federer serve as the Swiss’ delivery struck every corner and line of the service box.
Federer’s serve has rarely been more clutch at crucial moments, see the two set points he saved in the second set, in recent history. And for a 33 year old, Federer’s serve and the free points it earns him, are nothing less that invaluable.
The conditions:
The Dubai hard courts are among the fastest on the tour and Federer now has seven titles at the event. Thirteen of Federer’s seventeen slams have come on the faster tour surfaces in London and New York, and his serve and all court play thrive on them.
Playing the final at 7 at night made the conditions even better for Federer. The weather is colder and the ball bounces lower allowing the Federer serve to bite through the court and skid low and for his volleys to die quicker, an invaluable edge against the game’s best defender and returner.
The Attacking strategy:
Federer committed to an attacking game
plan against Djokovic and never relented. History told us all that Federer had to get the win in straights, and he came out refusing to play the waiting game from the back of the court that Djokovic has so successfully employed in the past.From the get-go, Federer took on the net, and won 9 of 21 attempts up there, a statistic that shows how successful Djokovic is at passing the Swiss, and how committed Federer was to taking the match to him anyway.
Federer’s attacking strategy denied Djokovic any rhythm from the back of the court, and when the Serbian did keep Federer back and tried to impose his game, his lack of rhythm resulted a few costly errors, and his confidence suffered.
Federer stuck to his attacking strategy and it paid off- he avoided a dangerous third set, closing out the match
in two.The single
handed backhand:It is no secret that Federer’s forehand is his strength in baseline rallies and that his single
handed backhanded is his downfall against the game’s aggressive baseliners.Not in the Dubai 2015 final, though. Federer struck his single handed backhand with ruthless intent, two of the most remarkable instances when returning the Djokovic serve at 3-3 in the second set.
Those shots told Djokovic that the Swiss’ weaknesses were as strong as his strengths, leaving a floundering Djokovic with even less of an idea where to go in the match.
Watch the video below to see how good Federer was striking his single handed backhand in the final.
Hunger:
Federer lost two big finals to Djokovic in 2014, at Indian Wells and Wimbledon, finals he had chances to win
. Each time he won the opening set only to lose out to Djokovic’s steadier game and stamina.From the get-go in this year’s Dubai final, Federer played with a hunger for victory that showed he was not going to lose his one set lead and be runner up to Djokovic again.
An early loss to Seppi in Melbourne also meant Federer had even greater motivation. In 2015, in which he won five titles, Federer was a few matches away from taking the ATP No.1 spot from Djokovic, but the early Melbourne loss set him back and also cast some doubts as to his chances of winning another big title anytime soon.
Federer proved the critics wrong in his very next event. And while it is not an ATP 1000 or a slam event -Dubai only has ATP 500 status- the way Federer’s serve and attack proved so effective against Djokovic is even more valuable than those points. It shows Federer is on top of his game, and that there is still a chance he can make it back to No.1, and perhaps even the Grand Slam winner’s
circle.Federer looked hungry in his Dubai win, and the victory no doubt tasted good. The Swiss and his fans will be hoping that the win will merely serve to whet his appetite and he will be even hungrier come the upcoming ATP 1000 tournaments and Slams.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
Tennis from a fan's point of view
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