McIntyre Tennis

Life in the Chair: An Interview With ITF Umpire Eva Asderaki Moore

By Mike McIntyre

Photos Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

This week our guest on The Southpaw Slice tennis podcast will be respected ITF Chair Umpire Eva Asderaki Moore. After giving birth to a baby boy last July, Asderaki Moore returned to the chair in January at the Hopman Cup. While most chair umpires go largely unnoticed, Greece's most recognized tennis official has impressed tennis fans for years with her calm approach and incredibly accurate over-rules and split second calls. I have had the pleasure to speak with her several times over the past few years both in person and via email. Here is a summary of our correspondence that sheds a little light on what it's like to watch some of tennis' biggest matches from in the chair.

Q: How did you get your start as a Chair Umpire and how long have you been doing it for now?

A: Well I started back in ’97, I was a tennis player in Greece and my tennis club organized an international tennis tournament and they asked to us help out as line judges. I enjoyed being on court doing something different and I met other chair umpires from other countries and I was only not even 16 then, so I got very excited when they told me about all the travelling and I thought why not – let’s give it a try.

Q: So it just sort of took off from there?

A: Yes it took off from there, I was lucky enough that we never really had many umpires in Greece, so I started out doing chairs and that gave me a lot of experience as well. I started travelling internationally in 2000. Later on I started travelling in 2007 with the WTA.

Q: So you’re whole professional life has been spent on tennis courts?

A: It has been, it has been more than half of my life that I’ve been doing tennis. But I love it, it’s a great job.

Q: Did you ever go far as a tennis player yourself?

A: I was a tennis player but never professionally. I played in Greece and I played in the junior rankings until I was just under 18 and I was ranked No. 7 under 16 – in Greece.

Q: Do you ever get out now and find the time to hit ever?

A: Every now and then yes, not when I’m on tournaments but when I’m back at home I try to get out and play a little bit.

Q: What are some of the biggest challenges that you face in your job?

Biggest challenges, during a tennis match there is a lot of pressure because the players they play for points, they play for money, it’s their life and you are the person that needs to make sure that the match runs smoothly and hopefully there are no mistakes by anybody and everything goes well and is fair for both players. You play sometimes in stadiums like New York with 40,000 spectators and it’s a lot of pressure. So you need to make sure you’re focused and concentrated and you have to apply the rules as it happens, you don’t have time to think when you make a decision, when you make a call. You have to be super fast and I think that’s the biggest challenge. And then of course not being able to go to the toilet!

Q: Any off court challenges in the role?

A: Travel is what makes this very exciting but it is also one of the negative things because we can be on the road for a few weeks in a row and you’re missing family, you’re missing friends and you’re not at home. So that can get difficult at times.

Q: In terms of enforcing the rules is there one rule in particular that you find the hardest to enforce?

A: I don’t think so. I think the rules that are the most difficult are when you have a situation that doesn’t happen very often. Because that’s when all of a sudden, the rule is somewhere in your head and it needs to come out immediately. I think those situations are always the trickier ones.

Q: Favourite tournament for you to work?

A: So many different ones for different reasons. For Grand Slams I have to choose Wimbledon. I love the tradition, I love the grass, it’s just really nice. Then on Tour there are so many, Indian Wells I think is a favourite of lots of people. And then Rome, or Doha, or here in Canada for so many different reasons.

Q: Wimbledon – is that the one where you have to wear the purple jacket?

A: Not anymore. It used to be. We went through lots of phases of wearing not very nice uniforms. But now for the past few years it’s a nice blue blazer with cream trousers and it’s good – it’s very smart.

Q: You’re happy with the umpire fashion now?

A: Yes, it’s getting better, it’s getting better!

Q: How’s the role changed since you began?

A: I guess the obvious one is technology with Hawkeye, which I think personally has been a great help for everybody, players, umpires, the fans I think love it. Every year there are small changes and different rules. We have introduced on court coaching and again, back to technology - they can come on court with the tablets. So there are a lot of new things.

Q: Some of the older umpires must wish that these things were around when they started?

A: Probably, yes, because we have a lot of tools that help in a way to make our job a little bit easier.

Q: The match that you probably received the most attention for in your career was the 2015 US Open final between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. You were the first female chair umpire to ever work the men’s final in New York. What was your reaction when you found out you were going to be working that match?

A: I was just thrilled that I was going to do that match. It was a personal goal and something that I really wanted to achieve in my career.

Q: Did those circumstances make the final anymore special from your point of view? If so, in what way?

A: The most important thing for me was the fact that I was going to achieve one of my goals. Of course to be the first female was an extra bonus. It only really hit home what that meant, especially for so many other people, other women, colleagues, from the messages that I received and all the amazing things that people wrote about it.

Q: What does it mean to be the first female official to work that prestigious final?

A: I think that for every umpire who has done any Grand Slam final it is an honour. People trust you and choose you to do that match. It is the biggest match of the tournament, the match that everyone will watch, the match that the players play for during the two weeks. Umpiring the US Open Final, with the two best players in the world, in the biggest tennis stadium in the world, makes it even more special. 

Q: Broadcasters, tennis fans and even current players on social media commented throughout that final on the high level of your performance that day. How does that make you feel and were you aware during the match that you were "in the groove" so to speak?

A: I was definitely in the groove that night! You know, being assigned the final is great but it doesn’t end there. You need to prove to the people that trusted you and assigned you the match that they were right to. You need to step up to the occasion and lift your game because that’s what the players are expecting from you and because that’s what a good chair umpire should do. Man or woman is irrelevant in this case. Also there are so many people that would love to be in your shoes- or I should say in your chair- and you need to show that you are there because you deserve to be there. Of course I was aware that the match was going great and I am happy that I was able to stay focused and step up to the occasion but also that I was able to enjoy the moment and take in the atmosphere. The positive reaction of everybody after that match was overwhelming.

Q: Any special reason why your calls on over rules, challenges, etc. were so accurate that day? Carrots for lunch to help your eye site?

A: No carrots but I remember I had a ton of those little animal biscuits in the office while I was waiting during the rain delay. I don’t know if it was nerves or the fact that they were there in a massive jar in front of me but I couldn’t stop eating them. Also at some point I asked my friend Marija Cicak to bring me a coffee and even though normally I don’t drink it strong she gave me on purpose a double shot and that definitely kept me awake! Jokes aside, I think it’s what I said before. You need to be able to step up to the occasion. That’s what the players are expecting from you as their umpire. Ideally this would happen all the time because we always try to do the best we can but I am very happy that I was able to perform the way I did on that night.

Q: You had previously mentioned to me that it was once a men’s doubles final at Wimbledon that was the best match of your umpiring career. Does the US Open Final take the cake now?

A: Absolutely it goes on top of my list! For sure I treasure all my previous finals and in particular that match at Wimbledon but the Final in New York is my career highlight!

Q: Are there any matches that you wish you could forget maybe from when you were younger?

A: Maybe a few, but let’s not mention those ones!

Q: Do you get nervous going up there in the chair even with all the experience you have?

A: Always there is a little bit of nerves just before the match. As I said in the beginning when you walk out there the players are expecting from you to be always on top and to get every call right and to make everything right. I think I always get a little bit tight, but then as soon as the warm up starts I get back into my zone and I’m there.

Q: What’s one thing about being an umpire that most people wouldn’t know or realize about the job that you would like them to know perhaps?

A: I don’t know really.

Q: Some tennis fans must think it’s easy – they just sit there and call the score – but there’s obviously a lot more going on?

A: Exactly, so why doesn’t somebody just try to do a match up there and then they’ll see! (laughs)

Q: Some umpires are known for different things, like Kader for his deep voice of course, and Layani for his enthusiasm. For yourself for what would you say?

A: I know there is Twitter account about my ponytail (laughs) so I think that has to be the one!

Q: Do you follow your ponytail’s account?

A: No, I’m not on Twitter and I’m not on Facebook but it’s impossible not to know these things nowadays.

Q: So does that mean that cutting the ponytail is out of the question?

A: It would be a no, exactly. I always had a ponytail since I was a little girl so I wouldn’t change that!

Kristina Mladenovic Stuns World No. 1 Naomi Osaka in Dubai

By Mike McIntyre

To say that Kristina Mladenovic has been struggling with her singles game is an understatement. Since achieving a career high ranking of No. 10 in the world back in October of 2017, the 25 year old Frenchwoman has been having a tough time obtaining many victories. It was quite the surprise to many therefore that the World No. 67 took out recent Aussie Open champ and current No. 1 Naomi Osaka on Tuesday 6-3, 6-3 at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

After the match, Mladenovic told the press that a new service motion is partially responsible for her victory and optimistic view moving forward.

"It's like more natural. I still think there's still lots of room for improvement, but I see positive signs. Talking with my team and the people with whom I practice, they say it's better with my toss, and maybe before you could more easily read my serve. Now the toss is a bit more the same for any kind of target. So I'm happy about it."

Things were looking bright back in 2017 at the French Open for Mladenovic when she made the second Grand Slam quarterfinal of her career. Later that summer however things took a drastic turn for the worse that saw her go on to lose an incredible 15 consecutive matches starting with a loss to then 17 year old Bianca Andreescu at the Citi Open in Washington, DC. 

Photo: Mike McIntyre

At the time Mladenovic cited not being physically ready after playing through some knee issues that she likely should have taken some time to properly heal from. The inconsistencies in her singles game have persisted since then and she had gone 0-4 to start 2019 until her first round win in Dubai against wildcard Fatma Al-Nabhani who is 407th in the WTA rankings.

Photo: Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

In doubles of course, credit must be given as Mladenovic has established herself as an elite level  player. She closed out 2018 by winning the WTA Tour Championships with partner Timea Babos and has made the finals of all four Grand Slams in doubles winning both the French Open in 2016 and the Australian Open in 2018. She also captured two majors in mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 2013 and the Australian Open in 2014. 

In terms of her victory against Osaka, maybe Mladenovic was due for a big win, or perhaps Osaka has been distracted by the reaction to her recent split from WTA coach of the year Sascha Bajin. Either way it has got to be a huge confidence boost for a player who used to exude that sentiment in abundance. She'll next face Carla Suarez Navarro who holds a 3-1 career head-to-head advantage over Mladenovic. Their last meeting was at the 2018 US Open and was a close one with the Spaniard prevailing 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.

Brayden Schnur Has Career Week at the New York Open

By Mike McIntyre

Photos Courtesy Amanda Schnur

Brayden Schnur feels like his professional career is in some ways just starting now despite the fact he has been playing on the ATP Tour since the summer of 2016. The 23 year old from Pickering, Ontario says that his first couple of years were such a learning experience that only now does he feel completely prepared to play his best tennis. After a self-described “roller-coaster” of a season in 2018, Schnur now feels he has a better grasp of how to plan his life off the court as well as what he needs to continue to improve upon on the court to work his way up the rankings. It certainly seems to be working as he just had the best week of tennis of his life at the New York Open where won the first four ATP Tour matches of his career en route to the finals. Despite being beaten by Reilly Opelka 6-1, 6-7(7), 7-6(7), Schnur will rise to a personal best ranking of 107^th in the world and he provides Canada with yet another relatively new face to watch in 2019.

I spoke with Schnur just a few weeks before he went on his epic run in New York. In light of his recent accomplishments, it’s quite interesting to see where his mind was at just prior to the best month of tennis he’s undoubtedly ever played.

“Coming into 2019 I think a big lesson that I learned last season was to not put so much pressure on myself when I’m not winning matches and to not get as upset. I don’t take losing really well so I think coming into 2019 I really wanted to emphasize not taking those loses so hard. Obviously always working hard to find out why I lost a match but not to dwell on it so much.”

In terms of analyzing his own strengths and weaknesses, Schnur says he is happy with both his serve and return game, but is working hard to improve his aptitude at the net. He says that his attacking game is still, “nowhere near where it has to be for me to go out and compete on a day to day basis with the best in the world.”

Avoiding setting specific ranking goals, Schnur instead had set his sights on three other objectives as this year began. After his stunning result in New York, it now seems he will have to adjust those modest targets.

Firstly, Schnur talked about wanting to get his ranking high enough that he could be seeded this year for the qualifying draw at Wimbledon. He feels his game is well suited to the grass and you can tell just by talking to him for a few minutes that he is already anticipating the short grass court season on the lawns of Europe. As for the difference of competing on the biggest stages of the world at the majors, Schnur says, “It’s definitely the most pressure. You can feel it as you get closer and closer to the match. When the matches start you can feel the tension climbing in the locker room, all the guys are just a little on edge. It’s tough at times to manage all of those emotions because everyone wants to do well at the Slams so badly.” It looks now like getting seeded for the qualifying draw at Wimbledon won’t be an issue, and instead if Schnur continues his strong play he may even be able to get direct entry into the main draw.

Schnur’s second target for 2019 was to win a Challenger event and he already came very close to accomplishing that in January when he reached the finals in Newport Beach, California. Despite falling to Taylor Fritz 7-6(7), 6-4 in the final, Schnur defeated American Mackenzie McDonald who is ranked inside the top 100 on the ATP Tour, as well as the former highly touted Donald Young.

The final goal for 2019 that Schnur shared with me was that he wanted to win the first main draw ATP match of his career. At the New York Open this week he took scratched that one off his to-do list by defeating wild card and fellow Canadian Jack Mingjie Lin in the opening round. Not satisfied with just one ATP victory, Schnur added another three before bowing out in the final against the big-serving Opelka. Wins over American veterans Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey en route to the finals – both ranked in the top 50 in the ATP Tour rankings – were quite impressive and a sign of the enormous potential that Schnur hopes he can tap into on a more regular basis this year.

Another area where Schnur is seeking results in his development as a professional tennis player is off the court. He has shown a willingness recently to engage in discussion aimed at improving the viability of a career as a full time tennis player for those outside of the top 100 in the sport. For many pro athletes if you’re even one of the best 500 players in the world you’re making enough money to earn quite a good living. In tennis however, the struggle for players like Schnur is real and it is an area that he – along with many others – feel needs to be properly addressed.

“It’s extremely tough I’m not gonna lie. I think that the ATP and ITF have a lot of work to be done. I think the prize money today where it stands is extremely - it pays well at the top and it’s kind of like a pyramid. It pays huge at the top and as you go down there’s a huge drop and I think that needs to improve. Like I said on Twitter, we need the top guys to voice their opinions. If they don’t say anything then nothing is going to get changed, but the hard part is that they’re getting paid well so why would they complain?”

Schnur was quick to admit that in our country players of his ranking are lucky enough to receive assistance from Tennis Canada. Clearly in recent years that strategy is working out as Canada can boast about the rise of several players such as Genie Bouchard, Milos Raonic, Vasek Pospisil as well as in more recent times Denis Shapovalov, Felix Auger Aliassime and clearly this year both Bianca Andreescu and now Brayden Schnur.

“I’m fortunate enough to have Tennis Canada support me and help me out with a coach. If that wasn’t the case I’d be losing money every year. Even (inside the top 200) in the rankings I would be losing money. To have a coach who can travel with you – it costs a lot of money. On top of taking care of your own expenses and your coaches expenses. I don’t think that anyone ranked 150-200 in their sport should be losing money.”

One very positive aspect to belonging to this Canadian contingent for Schnur is the close vibe that prevails amongst them.  “Yeah for the most part I think we’re really friendly…I think we’re all a pretty tight knit group. We get along extremely well, we practice a bunch, we do things off court, grab dinner just as friends all the time and it’s a great group of guys.”

The success that Canada’s players have been enjoying in recent years was really sparked over the past five years with breakthrough singles performances from Raonic on the men’s side and Bouchard on the women’s. Both of them are still well under the age of thirty and have made the finals of Wimbledon among other achievements. For someone like Schnur, those accomplishments do not go unnoticed. He went out of his way to acknowledge the impact that Raonic’s results have had on him personally.  “It pushes us to do better and expect more of ourselves which you find is what happens with countries that get these groups of players that come up on the rise. I think that obviously Milos was the first once to do all of this, he was the leader and kind of set the tone for everyone else moving forward.”

Regardless of what level of success Schnur can achieve himself, his outlook for this coming season has already taken a gigantic leap forward thanks for his incredible week in New York.  His main priority overall is to, “Stay healthy and keep a positive outlook on things. Focusing on my game, more than the results and knowing that when my game is put in place the results will come.” He proved that statement this week and then some with the first ATP final of his young career.

Brayden Schnur Into Finals of New York Open

By Mike McIntyre

There have been a number of Canadian tennis players who have started 2019 off with a bang and it's not the typical names we've been accustomed to seeing in the headlines. On the women's side 18 year old Bianca Andreescu has carved out an impressive 18-2 record to start the season and crack the top 100 in the world for the first time in her young career. For the men meanwhile, 23 year old Brayden Schnur is making his own move in the rankings with a finalist result at the Newport Beach Challenger and is now - even more impressively - into the finals of the New York Open, a level 250 ATP event. I caught up with Schnur just a couple of weeks before the start of his impressive run. Here are some of the highlights from our conversation that reveal a player who is ready to take the next step forward in his emerging career.

Assessment of 2018:

2018 was a roller coaster for me results wise. I had a lot of really good results, I think I was in like 4 or 5 semifinals of challengers, along with a final and then I also had a bunch of runs where I lost 3-4 weeks in a row first round. It’s really tough mentally those kind of years, just because you’re always on a high or on a low. Coming out of 2018 I think I finished the year great, I had 2-3 weeks back-to-back-to-back where I was playing really great and I could feel the momentum again. In October/November I was playing really good tennis and I knew the result would come. Coming into 2019 I think a big lesson that I learned in 2018 was to not put so much pressure on myself when I’m not winning matches and to not get as upset. I don’t take losing really well so I think coming into 2019 I really wanted to emphasize not taking those loses so hard. Obviously always working hard to find out why I lost a match but not to...dwell on it so much.

Feeling more at ease as a tennis pro:

Yeah for sure. My first year and a half I was playing mostly Futures I guess and I feel like playing Futures and then playing Challengers are two completely different Tours almost. I think that first year and a half I wouldn’t even count it as being a pro just because, last year I played a full schedule. In 2019 I can kind of schedule around the tournaments that I like. I have a much better idea of where I like to play, what conditions I like to play in, obviously the travelling times and all that stuff that goes with it.

On living and training in Montreal:

When I’m back in Montreal I’m training full day schedule, six days a week training. I enjoy being in one place for more than 5-6 days at a time. So when I’m there it really feels like home. Montreal is home base. I’ve brushed up on my French. I wouldn’t go as far as cheering for the Montreal Canadiens. I’m a Leafs fan.

How often he gets back home to Pickering:

Not too often to be honest. I have a younger sister who goes to school in Ottawa and my parents still live in Pickering. I’m living in Montreal so my parents actually commute more to visit me and my sister in Ottawa and Montreal rather than us going home. Just because it’s easier for me and them as well. With tennis it’s kind of hard for me to practice when I’m there in Toronto, there’s not many players and obviously living in Pickering makes it hard because clubs are so spread out, Toronto is such a huge city

Goals for this season:

It’s hard to put a number on things just because you never know. You have these expectations and obviously you want to play a certain level and have a certain ranking but I feel it’s really hard in tennis to put a timeline on somethings. Just because there’s so many things that can not go your way, like injuries obviously or conditions that week, or sometimes you have a bad draw. I would love to win a Challenger and also get a main draw ATP level win. I’m focusing on my game, more than the results and knowing that when my game is put in place the results will come.

The added pressure trying to qualify for a Slam:

It’s definitely the most pressure. You can feel it as you get closer and closer to the match. When the matches start you can feel the tension climbing in the locker room, all the guys are just a little on edge. It’s tough at times to manage all of those emotions because everyone wants to do well at the Slams so badly. I was extremely nervous at times and I just didn’t handle the moment as well as I would have liked to. It comes down to the fact that it’s a learning curve.

The financial challenges for those outside the top 100:

It’s extremely tough I’m not gonna lie. I think that the ATP and ITF have a lot of work to be done in tennis in order to make the players happy. I think the prize money today where it stands is extremely - it pays well at the top and it’s kind of like a pyramid. It pays huge at the top and as you go down there’s a huge drop and I think that needs to improve. Like I said on Twitter, we need the top guys to voice their opinions in order for the ATP and ITF to be heard. If they don’t say anything then nothing is gonna get changed but the hard part is that they’re getting paid well so why would they complain? I’m fortunate enough to have Tennis Canada support me and help me out with a coach. If that wasn’t the case I’d be losing money every year. Even at 190 in the rankings I would be losing money. To have a coach who can travel with you – it costs a lot of money. On top of taking care of your own expenses and your coaches expenses.  I don’t think that anyone ranked 150-200 in their sport should be losing money.

Playing internationally for his country and the recent Davis Cup tie vs Slovakia:

I was invited but I kind of sat down and talked to Frank (Dancevic) and my coach was also in the conversation with us and just kind of looking forward with what was best for me and my schedule. Just because I wasn’t going to play if I went to Slovakia, I was going to be a hitting partner/if anyone gets hurt kind of guy. Second in line after Peter. Looking at my schedule and everything it was decided for my game that it would be better for me to stick to the plan to play Cleveland and Dallas which are two hard court challengers vs just coming from Australia, flying to LA, being there for ten days and then flying out to Europe to play on clay for another ten days. It didn’t make the most sense. Frank politely asked me what I wanted to do and I wasn’t going to lie to him. The Davis Cup is something I’m always up for doing and I love playing for Canada and if anyone got hurt out of those top three – Denis, Felix or Peter – I told Frank that I’ll be on the next plane out there to Slovakia on the next plane.”

The Team Canada vibe:

Yeah for the most part I think we’re really friendly. We get along extremely well, we practice a bunch, we do things off court, grab dinner just as friends all the time and it’s a great group of guys. Obviously I think that having the success of Denis and Milos, and Felix doing extremely well right now, it kind of pushes us, even though they’re younger, it pushes us to do better and expect more of ourselves which you find is what happens with countries that get these groups of players that come up on the rise. I think that obviously Milos was the first once to do all of this, he was the leader and kind of set the tone for everyone else moving forward.

Hobbies and interests away from the game:

I like to watch a lot of movies – I’m a big Netflix guy – watch a lot of movies on the road. Every now and then I’ll pick up a book just to kind of mellow out and read. Some people think that it’s weird but that’s the life of a tennis player. There’s a lot of down time on the road and often times you don’t get to go out and explore all the time so it’s what are you going to do in your room. I really enjoy watching tennis at the ATP level or the Challenger level even just online, I’m constantly watching my opponents or guys I’m going to be playing. I’ll get dinner, go out to dinner a lot with coaches and other players kind of in small groups which is always fun. But it’s pretty quiet on the road, it’s a pretty quiet life.

What would you be studying or doing if not for tennis?

I’m trying to think of that a lot and I really don’t know. I don’t know where I can see myself. I’ve tried to think of what I would do after tennis but that’s so far away and so impossible to think of anything outside of tennis because I’ve spend so much time in the sport. If I wasn’t playing tennis I think I would be an athlete of some sort. I’m too competitive not to be, so I think it would have been a sport or something – possibly soccer, I played a lot of soccer when I was young. I studied communications – so maybe commentating is something I could see myself doing some day, I feel like I see the game really well so maybe that’s in the future, you know, knock on wood. That’s kind of what I would pursue.

The longevity and talent of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic:

They just have an edge, they really do. These guys are unbelievable. I watched Nadal in Australia play an exhibition match and obviously it’s an exhibition match but it’s the week before the Aussie Open starts, and I watched him play and I thought to myself there’s no way he makes it out of the first week of the Slam - he was playing awful. He was getting killed by Kyrgios, barely getting games against Kyrgios and all of a sudden the guy can turn it on like nothing else. It seems like the way those top guys can turn it on so fast and find their games is just something else.

Into the Quarterfinals in Cordoba, Montpellier and Sofia

By Mike McIntyre

The three ATP 250 level tournaments this week have reached their midway points as the quarterfinals are now set in Cordoba, Argentina, Montepellier, France and Sofia, Bulgaria. As is often the case early in the season there have been many of the top seeds falling by the wayside which has offered up some fortuitous opportunities for some players to gain some unexpected ranking points and prize money. It certainly makes it tricky if you're into sports betting, so let's take a look at the remaining eight players in each draw.

Cordoba, Argentina

 lIn total five of the eight players remaining in the draw are from the host nation which should give Argentinian fans a lot to get excited about. Guido Pella, Federico Delbonis, Juan Ignacio Londero, qualifier Pedro Cachin and No. 3 seed Diego Schwartman are all through to the quarterfinals. With the draw being the way it is, tournament organizers must be thrilled that there will be at least two semifinalists from Argentina.

No. 1 seed Fabio Fognini was his often enigmatic self as he was defeated for the first time in eight meetings by Aljaz Bedene by a score of 6-1, 6-4. The second seed was also defeated as up-and-coming Spaniard Jaume Munar beat French Open semifinalist Marco Cecchinato 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to advance.

Montpellier, France

Despite defending champion and No. 1 seed Lucas Pouille going down in the round of sixteen, there are still three Frenchmen left in the Open Sud de France draw. The Aussie Open semifinalist Pouille was taken out by Marcos Baghdatis, himself a finalist at the first Grand Slam of the year way back in 2006.

Jo Wilfried Tsonga beat fellow veteran Gilles Simon 6-2, 7-6(3) in what very well might be his last season on the ATP Tour. He'll next face compatriot and sixth seed Jeremy Chardy for a spot in the semifinals.

Another local hope will be in tough in the bottom half of the draw where Frenchman Pierre Hugues Herbert will play 19 year old Canadian Denis Shapovalov. Shapovalov is looking for his first ATP Tour title and the question is when, not if, that will happen. Already cracking the top 30 in the rankings, the young Canadian's development almost seems destined to enjoy his first tournament victory at some point this season.

One of France's hopes who is not advancing is the 8th seeded Benoit Paire who was soundly beaten by a resurgent Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-0 in a match he will not soon forget. Berdych is my favourite to win the title based on his experience and fine form so far in 2019.

Sofia, Bulgaria

In the final tournament of the week, the trend of losing No. 1 seeds continued as young Russian talent Karen Kachanov was beaten by Italian Matteo Berrettini 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-4.

There will be two new players in the finals this year as the defending champion, World No. 99 Miza Basic lost his opening match to Martin Klizan, while finalist Marius Copil lost in the second round to Fernando Verdasco after taking out Stan Wawrinka in his first match.

No. 2 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas is still alive after a 7-6(5), 6-4 win against Jan-Lennard Struff. He'll next play the always entertaining Gael Monfils in a match that should give spectators their money's worth to say the least. Third seeded Daniil Medvedev is also in the bottom half and a match between he and Tsitsipas would be a great semifinal between two of the brightest rising stars on the men's tour.

Françoise Abanda Refocused for 2019

Article and Photography By Mike McIntyre

Count Canada’s Françoise Abanda as someone who was happy to turn the page on 2018. The just-turned 22 year old had a trying season both on and off the tennis court last season and says she is ready to grind it out in order to get things back on track.

On the cusp of being ranked in the top 100 towards the end of 2017, Abanda was unable to take a step forward in her professional growth due to a combination of injuries and off-court distractions that stalled her progress.

Abanda wisely decided to skip the Australian tennis swing to start this year, opting instead to play a series of Challenger events in the United States. Despite the lure of attempting to qualify for the first Grand Slam of the season she chose the path that she felt would help her improve her ranking for better opportunities down the road.

“I just decided to play smaller events regarding my ranking and also I’m looking to playing more matches so I think it was just a smarter move to play some lower tournaments and try to grind and get a lot of matches under my belt.”

Abanda’s decision reaped some immediate success as she made her way to the finals in Daytona Beach where she ultimately fell to 6^th seed Anna Bondar by a score of 6-7(3), 7-6(5), 7-5. She followed that up with a first round loss in Plantation, Florida and Midland, Michigan but nevertheless seems inspired to stay positive as she gets her game back to where she believes it can be.

Her assessment of 2018 is fair given her 14-20 record which includes both qualifying and main draw matches at the Challenger and WTA level. Abanda also reveals an ability to keep things in perspective in her comments and allows for a bit of self-depreciating humour as well.

“For me as a player it was obviously not a good year. Not a year I wanted to have. It’s the ups and downs of tennis. My situation is also difficult because I don’t have a full time coach. It’s tough to improve my game. I’m trying to manage everything and hopefully (this) year is going to be better – it shouldn’t be too hard (laughs).”

One moment that will stand out for many when looking back on Abanda’s season in 2018 were the comments she made on Twitter following her ascension to the No. 1 ranking in Canada. She was tagged in a tweet that stated that she would not receive the same kind of attention that Genie Bouchard did when she assumed the role of Canada’s top female tennis player. Abanda now admits she did not realize the swift reaction she would receive when she replied that she would never receive that kind of attention because she was black.

When I asked her about that decision and whether or not she has any regrets about her response she replied without hesitation and addressed the fallout full on.

“This is the most asked question of my life. For me I was just speaking for myself. My intention was not to attack anybody or point fingers but it’s a delicate subject because everybody has their opinions. In a way I’m happy that I just spoke out for myself and the next up-and-coming girls or guys that are going to be in my situation and maybe it will help them. For me I was just speaking on my reality. I did have a lot of people supporting me and understanding where I was coming from but I did get a lot of heat because of it. I definitely got a lot of social media heat, negative heat, and that’s why now I just try to stay away from it and just kind of be low key about. I think it’s just better off for me to leave it at that.”

Challenges for Abanda this year will remain solely with her tennis she says and in that sense the biggest obstacle for her remains the grind of life as a tennis player ranked outside of the top 100 on the WTA. Not a big fan of travel, Abanda feels the wear and tear of life as a travelling tennis professional trying to deal with the ebbs and flows of competition.  

“The biggest challenge for me is the number of weeks you travel. You’re just never home so it’s tough. The second thing is to find consistency in your game and be able to come up with results every week, every tournament. It’s unrealistic – you’re not going to make the finals every tournament but every player is taking to go deep every week so it’s demanding. So I would say the expectations and the whole travelling. Personally I don’t love to travel.”

An area of positivity amongst these challenges for Abanda is the support she has received over the years from Tennis Canada. She is quick to point out how much her Tennis Federation has been there for her since she was a junior tennis player. This has been a refrain that many Canadian tennis players have echoed and is certainly not the case in every country.  

“Yeah it’s definitely a grind but in a way I’m still happy because being a Canadian athlete I’ve had the Federation supporting me throughout my junior career. They really helped a lot for sure. I think we’re lucky compared to other Federations. In that financial aspect I think the Canadian Federation is doing well. For me I’m grateful to have been in that system. It gives you the opportunity to save up during your junior career and prepare while they are paying your expenses.”

Abanda’s next event will be the Fed Cup where she will join Bianca Andreescu, Rebecca Marino and Gaby Dabrowski representing Canada in their tie February 9^th and 10^th in the Netherlands. Representing her country is something that Abanda never tires of and she is hoping to see a better outcome from last Spring when she had to withdraw just ahead of Canada’s tie against Ukraine due to a concussion she sustained in warm-up.

“I’ve always had great Fed Cup experiences. I’ve always come out and played at a really good level. I really like how you have a whole team, you’re really taken care of as a player – like a top-ten athlete, which I don’t really get when I’m in regular tournaments. I’m really happy to rep Canada and I’m hoping to play more Fed Cup. Last year was unfortunate because I was supposed to play the singles with Genie, but Bianca had to replace me because I fell during my warm up. So I ended up not playing at all.”

Finally healthy and excited at the opportunity to represent her country in International competition, this Fed Cup tie offers Abanda the opportunity to move past the unfortunate injury she sustained a year ago. At only 22 years old, the young Canadian has already accumulated her share of lessons on and off the tennis court and seems poised to do whatever it takes to make sure that 2019 is a step in the right direction as she continues her professional growth in the sport.

Recap of WTA Events in St. Petersburg, Russia and Hua Hin, Thailand

By Mike McIntyre

With the Australian Open now completed and 21 year old Naomi Osaka firmly entrenched as a major star on the WTA Tour, the past week has given some other faces the chance to steal the spotlight as the tennis season continued in both St. Petersburg, Russia and Hua Hin, Thailand.

In Russia, Petra Kvitova was eager for more matches despite making a run all the way to the finals in Melbourne. The early feel-good-story of 2019 defeated former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka before falling in the quarterfinals to Donna Vekic. None the less, Kvitova is now 12-2 on the season with a title already in Sydney.

Vekic would make it all the way to the finals and aside from her big win over Kvitova also defeated former Roland Garros semi-finalist Timea Bacsinszky, former Wimbledon finalist Vera Zonareva as well as rising star and Russian hope Daria Kasatkina. An impressive week to say the least.

Ultimately the 22 year old Vekic was denied her third WTA title and was defeated by No. 2 seeded Kiki Bertens of Netherlands 7-6(2), 6-4 in the finals. Bertens had a great week dropping but a single set en route to the championship. It marks the eighth WTA title of her career. On her way to the finals, Bertens defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova who made it to the final eight at the Australian Open, and then took-out rising star Aryna Sabalenka as well.

In Thailand meanwhile, both of the top two seeds failed to get deep into the draw. No. 1 Garbine Muguruza was beaten in the quarterfinals by eventual champion Dayana Yastremska while No. 2 Caroline Garcia suffered the third opening round loss of her season, this time against American qualifer Jennifer Brady.

Yastremska is a relative unknown on the WTA Tour to many, but at the age of 18 the Ukrainian has already faced Serena Williams in a Grand Slam match recently in Australia and seemed to have learned a thing or two since that 2-6, 1-6 defeat. Yastremska captured the first title of her career late in 2018 in Hong Kong and is clearly going to be one to watch as this season progresses. She battled back in the finals against Ajla Tomljanovic after trailing 2-5 in the final set. She ultimately won the match 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(3).

Next on the women's side of the game is the Fed Cup - the female equivalent of the Davis Cup that just saw it's qualifiers take place on the weekend.The international competition will see the Czech Republic as the No. 1 seed and the United States as No. 2. The top eight teams in the world will battle it out for a spot in the World Group I semifinals.

The next round of actual WTA events will begin February 11th in Doha, Qatar where Petra Kvitova is the defending champion in singles and Jelena Ostapenko and Gaby Dabrowski hold the title in doubles. If you're interested in any sports gambling then do keep an eye out for Fed Cup results to see who, along with Bertens and Yastremska are ones to watch early on in 2019.

Check back with us often here at ProTennisFan for previews of upcoming events as well as recaps of the action that is already in the books. You can also follow us on Twitter for timely updates and check out my podcast The Southpaw Slice that I co-host along with Ben Lewis every Monday.

 

The Week Ahead on the ATP Tour: Cordoba, Montpellier and Sofia

Article and Photography by Mike McIntyre

With the first Grand Slam of 2019 now behind us as well as the Davis Cup qualifiers, the ATP Tour can begin to settle into its usual groove of tournaments. This week there will be three level 250 events taking place and here is a short preview of what we can expect. If you're the wagering type and looking for tips on how to bet on sports, then perhaps this preview can be of assistance as well.

Cordoba Open

Italy's Fabio Fognini will be the No. 1 seed for the inaugural installment of this clay court event in Cordoba, Argentina. He gets a first round bye and then will face the winner between Aljaz Bedene and Max Marterer. Neither should give the World No. 15 much trouble, as Fognini is 1-0 vs Marterer and a whopping 8-0 H2H against Bedene in his career.

Diego Schwartzman is the tournament's third seed and also in the top half of the draw. The Argentinian No. 2 will enjoy tremendous home court support and his first match will be against either a qualifier or wildcard Thiago Seyboth Wild who is ranked 451st in the world.

In the bottom half of the draw, surprise 2018 French Open semifinalist Marco Cecchinato is the No. 2 seed. Since his stunning run at Roland Garros, the 26 year old Italian has gone 10-14 on tour and will very likely have a major ranking tumble this year in Paris.

Best bet for the lower portion of the draw is instead 4th seeded Pablo Carreno Busta or 7th seeded Leonardo Mayer - both very capable clay court players.

Open Sud de France

Turning our attention over to Europe, there is a hard court tournament for French tennis fans to flock to in Montpellier located near the southern coast. This event has been one by a Frenchman in six of the eight times it has been held, including by Lucas Pouille a year ago. Pouille would be a solid pick to repeat as champion given his past success in the event and the fact that he recently made his first ever Grand Slam semifinal in Melbourne. He opens with a bye and will then face the winner between a qualifier and Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic. Pouille has a 2-0 record against Vesely at the ATP level, but lost both matches that were prior to 2016 against him at the Challenger/Future level of play.

The top half of the draw is littered with other talented yet aging French players such as 4th seeded Gilles Simon, Jo Wilfried Tsonga as well as Jeremy Chardy. All three are over thirty years old and Tsonga required a wildcard to enter the event as he is currently ranked 210th in the world.

The bottom half of the draw has Canada's Denis Shapovalov as the third seed. Shapovalov just helped his country qualify for the Davis Cup finals that will be held in November as he won both of his singles rubbers against Slovakia. The talented 19 year old has yet to win his maiden ATP title, and this week in Monpellier might afford him a solid opportunity to do just that.

David Goffin is the No. 2 seed and has had an underwhelming year thus far, falling in the opening round in Doha before losing to Daniil Medvedev in the third round of the Aussie Open. Veteran Tomas Berdych also lurks in this section of the draw and has had a resurgent start to 2019 by making the finals in Doha and then the last 16 in Melbourne.

Sofia Open

In Bulgaria, the Sofia Open has Mirza Basic as defending champion. The World No. 99 represents Bosnia-Herzegovina and accomplished little else at the ATP level in 2018 save for his surprising run of 7 victories in Sofia where he had to endure two qualifying wins before eventually taking down Marius Copil in a close final.

Young Russian sensation Karen Khachanov is the No. 1 seed this year and after an opening round pass will face either Denis Istomin or Matteo Berrettini in the second round. Stan Wawrinka could be a potential third round opponent for Khachanov but he will first have to get by Copil and then potentially face fellow veteran Fernando Verdasco. Robert Bautista Agut had a great run at the Australian Open and he is in the top half of the draw here as the No. 4 seed.

In the bottom half look out for No. 2 Stefanos Tsitsipas and No. 3 Daniil Medvedev as likely contenders for the title. You will also find the always entertaining Gael Monfils and last year's champ who we previously mentioned, Mirza Basic, who it appears will have a much tougher time this year if he dreams of repeating as champion.