McIntyre Tennis

Serena Williams' Return to Tennis Earns Respect and Praise From Peers

By Mike McIntyre

As Serena Williams prepares to return to the WTA Tour Thursday in Indian Wells, I'm reminded of a conversation with Caroline Wozniacki from last summer at the Rogers Cup in Toronto where the current World No. 2 remarked in jest, "Serena, you know, let us win sometimes that would be nice."

Williams did her best to oblige during her roughly 13 months away from the sport and in the process fulfilled her friend Wozniacki's request at least long enough to allow the Dane her first career Grand Slam title this year in Australia. Hopefully others on the Tour were able to similarly benefit, if even on a smaller scale, while the American legend was pregnant with her first child that she gave birth to this past September. If Williams comeback goes according to plan, she will be back to her dominating ways soon enough and adding to her current mind-boggling total of 23 Grand Slam titles.

One thing is clear - Serena's peers are not going to be surprised one bit if she captures No. 24 this year. Speaking with current No. 4 Elina Svitolina earlier this week in New York, the rising 23 year old star admitted that, "I think she can come back at the same level she was at before. Also there will be something new from her, that’s what I’m expecting. Even for her"

Whether or not we see anything new from Williams remains to be seen. On Monday night at Madison Square Garden in the fast-paced Tie Break Tens event she thrilled the adoring crowd with two tiebreaks that reminded us all of her lethal serve and blazing groundstrokes. Her fitness will understandably still need some time to come into focus and there were more errors against Marion Bartoli and Shuai Zhang than she would have liked, but Serena has over two months to shake-off the rust before she enters the first Grand Slam of her return to the sport at Roland Garros in Paris.

I asked retired pro Daniela Hantuchova, who faced Williams ten times over the course of her steady career, about what she expected in her former opponent's return. "It’s hard to say how she’s going to play within the next few weeks. But knowing her and knowing what a champion she is – it might be a little harder because she has different priorities right now - but she’s been the greatest champion of our game." When I pressed on about whether or not we could expect a Slam from Serena in 2018, Hantuchova replied quickly, "If she wants to...it’s on her terms."

Fed Cup teammate CoCo Vandeweghe echoed similar sentiments when I asked her about her compatriots return to the court. "She's a great competitor. She's a champion for a reason. I expect that if she wants to come back and compete to her full ability, she'll be ready to go." As for whether or not she would expect another Slam from Serena, Vandeweghe said matter-of-factly, "That's up to her - I don't have a crystal ball."

Canada's rising phenom meanwhile, Bianca Andreescu, feels that Serena's potential for Grand Slam success is limitless. The 17 year old - who is less than half of Williams' age - told me that, "I think she can (win a Slam). I think every tournament she goes into she wants to win it and her desire on the court - I don’t think she’ll ever lose it. So I think she’s going to win – maybe even all of them!"

Serena's return to professional tennis begins against Zarina Diyas in her first real match back on the WTA Tour. The American holds a 2-0 career advantage in their head-to-head including a 6-2, 6-0 victory back in 2015 at this very tournament. While a result of that type of lopsided score this time around is unlikely, it wouldn't surprise anyone if it did indeed repeat itself. Just like Serena hoisting another Grand Slam trophy wouldn't either. 

WTA Moves to St. Petersburg and Taipei

What a two week period for women's tennis! An epic final between the top two players in the world saw Caroline Wozniacki defeat Simona Halep for her first career Grand Slam title. The victory propels the Dane into the No. 1 position in the rankings as well for the first time in six years.

The WTA Tour now moves on with tournaments in St. Petersburg and Tapei.

St. Petersburg

Wozniacki remarkably has decided to remain in the draw here in Russia despite the exhausting two weeks she just experienced in Melbourne. I'll be keeping expectations low for her given the physical and emotional toll that the Australian Open no-doubt took on her. She opens against Anastasia Potapova who defeated Tatjana Maria 6-2, 6-4 in the first round. Wozniacki has been a top player for many years but will offer opponents a little extra motivation now that she is the World No. 1 again.

 Daria Kasatkina is the 8th seed and also in Wozniacki's quarter. The always dangerous Alize Cornet is also floating in this section and is totally capable of emerging as the last woman standing in this part of the draw.

4th seed and defending champion Kristina Mladenovic will attempt to end her 15 match losing streak in singles competition. The Frenchwoman had some positive news recently however as she won the Aussie Open women's doubles event with Timea Babos. Kiki will face the winner between Sorana Cirstea and Dominika Cibulkova in her opening match which doesn't exactly inspire me to believe that a win is on the horizon for her.

No. 2 seed in the bottom of the draw is 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko. The 20 year old has struggled since her Grand Slam victory last year but is still so young and learning how to cope with life as a full-time pro. She will face either Kiki Bertens or 2010 Wimbledon and US Open finalist Vera Zvonareva in her first match. Ostapenko is also the reigning doubles champion here in St. Petersburg.

The most exciting match of the first round sees 7th seed Elena Vesnina face wildcard Petra Kvitova in what should be a good battle. 3rd seed Caroline Garcia is also in the bottom half of the draw and a good bet to make it towards the finish line.

Tapei

 There will be a new champion in Tapei as last year's winner Elina Svitolina is not entered in the draw. Shuai Peng is the top seed this year and will open against Ana Bogdan.

Canadian Genie Bouchard is benefiting from a wildcard and may soon require those on a regular basis if she wants to play in any big tournaments on the Tour. Her ranking has slipped to 121st in the world and her game and confidence are in need of a major overhaul to remain relevant in the sport. She opens against Lin Zhu. Magda Linette and Timea Babos are both also in the top half of the draw and are seeded 7th and 8th respectively.

Shuai Zheng is the 2nd seed and opens in the bottom half of the draw against Kateryna Kozlova. Veteran Sam Stosur is the 3rd seed and also in this part of the tournament and she begins her quest against Nao Hibino.

Sweet Caroline – Can Wozniacki Go All The Way In Melbourne

 

With Serena Williams absent from the WTA Tour after becoming a mother, this year’s Australian Open is arguably the toughest Grand Slam to call in years. The list of realistic contenders is easily in the double figures with the likes of Simona Halep, Garbine Muguruza and Elina Svitolina all fancying their chances. But could 2018 finally be the year that Danish starlet Caroline Wozniacki captures glory on the big stage? 

 The world number two enjoyed a strong 2017, completed with her WTA Championships final victory over Venus Williams in Singapore to clinch the biggest title of her career. However, despite reaching her first Grand Slam final at the 2009 US Open, the great Dane is still waiting to break her duck on the biggest stage of all.  

 Still, many people picked the resurgent 27-year-old before the first major tournament of the year started with experts like Lauren Wood and Nick Smart, as per HeraldSun.com.au, picking the second seed as their choice for the title. Following a dominant opening day first round victory over Mihaela Buzarnescu, those prospects began to to look brighter than ever. 

Then in her secound round match Wednesday, Wozniacki faced a much tougher opponent with Jana Fett pushing her to the brink of defeat. Wozniacki found herself down 1-5 in the third set. The Dane rallied and saved two match points before reeling off six straight games to remarkably win the match 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.

 A third round clash against Kiki Bertens is up next. Bertens is an experienced player but Dutch tennis betting experts point to Wozniacki’s 100% head to head record as a source of confidence. Likewise, the Dane would be heavily favored against either of her potential fourth round opponents between veteran Kateryna Bondarenko and 19th seeded Magdalena Rybarikvova.  

Once at the quarter-final stage, anything can happen. Nonetheless, Wozniacki’s hopes are already boosted by the early exits of CoCo Vandeweghe, Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens and Ekaterina Makarova. With further seeds likely to tumble over the coming days, the 2011 semi-finalist should be in a great position if she can reach week two. 

 Off the court, Wozniacki seems to be all smiles with fiance David Lee, who is in Melbourne to offer support as reported by Independent.ie. Back in 2014, she reached her second Grand Slam final in spite of a well-documented breakup from golf star Rory McIlroy. Now, though, a first title in Australia would be the perfect way to cap off her first 12 months of engagement to the retired NBA star. 

 The bookies don’t often get it wrong, and their odds of 4/1 suggest they feel Wozniacki can reach her third Grand Slam final. Given that her previous finals were against an in-form Kim Clijsters and the formidable Serena, it would surely be her best chance to go all the way. When her defensive play is at its best, she is certainly capable of beating any opponent in Melbourne. 

 Wozniacki’s resurgence to the top table of tennis has been a slow burner, but she is now firmly back among the top contenders. While the competition will be fierce, she has to be considered one of the favourites. 

Preview of the U.S. Open Women's Draw

By Mike McIntyre

There has perhaps never been more at stake in women's tennis at the final Grand Slam of the season as there is this year, as eight different players could leave the U.S. Open with the World No. 1 ranking. While some have a much stronger shot at accomplishing the feat than others, it reflects a WTA Tour that is still in-flux with the absence of Serena Williams and reveals a group of players who have yet to decide who among them might settle into the role for an extended period of time. Here is a look at the four quarters of the main draw and who we think stands the best chance of hoisting the trophy, and perhaps also emerging as the next No. 1 player in the world.

First Quarter

Current World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova assumed the role thanks to a Johanna Konta victory over Simona Halep at Wimbledon after she herself had already been knocked-out of the draw. Pliskova seemed comfortable talking about her new position at the top of the rankings while she was in Toronto at the Rogers Cup but was pushed to a third set there by 19 year old Naomi Osaka in the third round before falling to veteran Caroline Wozniacki in the quarter-finals. Pliskova would get revenge against Wozniacki in the quarter-finals in Cincinnati before falling to eventual champion Garbine Muguruza in the semi-finals there. I foresee this progression continuing for Pliskova with a return to the finals in Flushing Meadows as a distinct possibility. She's in a great section of the draw filled with recent underacheivers like Kristina Mladenovic and over overachievers like Barbora Strycova in her path towards the final sixteen. Potential quarter-final foes include the struggling Aga Radwanska, a relatively dormant Svetlana Kuznetsova and a couple of dangerous floaters like Lucie Safarova and the young CiCi Bellis. By the quarter-finals I see Pliskova's game coming into a groove and believe she will fight hard to keep her No. 1 status. 

Photo by Mike McIntyre

Keep an eye on: Bellis, Safarova and Vandeweghe

Pass on: Kuznetsova, Mladenovic and Radwanska

Second Quarter

The two big seeds in this section of the draw couldn't be heading in more different directions. Fourth seeded Elina Svitolina may be a surprisingly unknown quantity to many quasi-tennis pundits - she was seriously undervalued by the media in Toronto - but she is a major obstacle to any serious U.S. Open contender. The 22 year old has won a whopping five titles in 2017 and is proving she is ready to claim her first Grand Slam. It may not happen in New York, but it will indeed happen at some point in the near future the way she has been playing.

Photo by Bob McIntyre

Also in this section is sixth seeded and defending champion Angelique Kerber who has had a abysmal season for someone who came into 2017 holding two Slam titles to her name. Kerber is limping into the Open and has not given any signs in match play that she is ready to raise her game to the levels it was at a year ago. Playing rising star Naomi Osaka of Japan in the opening round might very well afford Kerber a quick exit like she experienced at the French Open back in the spring. Osaka has pushed the likes of Konta, Halep and recently in Toronto, Pliskova, to three sets and seems poised to have a breakthrough. She's a hard hitter and if she's healthy I think this could swing her way.

Photo by Mike McIntyre

Keep an eye on: Gavrilova, Keys, Osaka

Pass on: Bouchard, Ostapenko

Third Quarter

Caroline Wozniacki has had a resurgence this season and has climbed her way back into the top-ten in the rankings with appearances in six finals. Unfortunately for her she has lost every one of those finals and in straight sets to boot. Having made the finals twice at the U.S. Open (2009 and 2014) means that Wozniacki knows how to handle the pressure at the final major of the year. I can see a quarter-final appearance here this year but I don't think she has the fire of some of her younger top-ten peers.

Photo by Mike McIntyre

Venus Williams at the age of - well, does it even matter anymore - is also in this section of the draw and the American superstar has already surprised us by making the finals of two Slams in 2017. Her summer appearances don't inspire confidence but you can't count out someone who has made the finals here four times previously including two tournament victories. Her last showing in the finals was fifteen years ago however so I'm not banking on Venus to make it past the fourth round or quarter-finals at best.

Photo by Mike McIntyre

My pick here - and it's not groundbreaking by any stretch - is Garbine Muguruza. She can play more freely now after picking up her second Grand Slam at Wimbledon as she proved with her recent win in Cincy. She has a nice draw, matches-up well vs Wozniacki and Venus, and isn't afraid to take her chances and go for it. I also like Caroline Garcia of France as a potential dark horse here who is the 18th seed in this part of the draw. People might also be mentioning Petra Kvitova and who wouldn't want to see her succeed, but I don't like her play on hardcourts this summer.

Keep an eye on: Garcia, Makarova

Pass on: Kvitova, Rybarikova

Fourth Quarter

Let's just get right to it and admit that the Simona Halep vs  Maria Sharapova match is one of the greatest first round matches of all-time at a Slam. We get the No. 2 seed against the former World No. 1 and U.S. Open champion of 2006. Halep must have been in disbelief when she found out who she drew in her opening match and yet I feel that overcoming this obstacle is almost a necessity for Halep if she wants to hoist a Grand Slam trophy one day. Mentally she needs something to prove to herself that she is a true champion and what better than by defeating one of the greatest players (love her or hate her) of recent history. Her 0-6 record against Sharapova is daunting, yet Halep has played very consistent tennis this year and has made it deep in almost every tournament she has played. Recent no-shows in the later stages of Toronto and Cincy have me concerned if I'm a Halep fan, as there is clearly something that is holding her back from playing anywhere near her best tennis when it seems to count. As if her 6-1, 6-1 thrashing by Svitolina in the semi-finals of Toronto wasn't bad enough, she followed that up by getting blitzed 6-1, 6-0 in the finals of Cincinnati by Muguruza. Halep is only five points behind Pliskova for the No. 1 ranking and that can either motivate or hinder her performance against Sharapova depending on how she reacts Monday night.

Photo by Mike McIntyre

The good news for Halep is that a) Sharapova has not proven to be healthy enough to compete in recent months and b) the rest of her draw is pretty favorable. Her second through fourth round matches don't make me blink an eye if she wins her opener, and Johanna Konta could meet her in the quarter-finals but the Brit has not really performed on the hardcourts since her Wimbledon semi-final run.

Photo by Jimmie48 Photography

Do keep a close eye on Sloane Stephens who has been straight-up fire this summer. In only her third tournament back after an eleven month layoff, the American made the semi-finals in Toronto beating Kvitova and Kerber along the way. She then followed that up with another semi-final appearance in Cincinnati to prove that Toronto was no fluke. That saw her ranking skyrocket from 934 in the world to its current spot at No. 84. Only a matter of time before she is back in the top 20 and with her recent confidence she is not someone you would want to face. A second round match against New Haven finalist Dominika Cibulkova is an early test, but she has had plenty of those lately and handled them with relative ease. 

Photo by Mike McIntyre

Keep an eye on: Goerges, Stephens

Pass on: Everyone else not named Halep or Sharapova

Elina Svitolina Crowned Champion of the Rogers Cup in Toronto

By Mike McIntyre

Elina Svitolina doesn't like being compared to other players nor does she spend an excessive amount of time trying to predict what they will try to do against her on the court. "I try to just play my game and be really focused on what I have to do with the ball and where I have to place the ball. That's my main goal," she has said. That goal was realized on Sunday in Toronto as Svitolina stayed focused and won the Rogers Cup 6-4, 6-0 over Caroline Wozniacki, alerting the tennis world that she is a major threat as the final Grand Slam of the year approaches at the U.S. Open.

Photo Cred Mike McIntyre

The match started out on even footing with both players breaking each other twice early, but at 4-4 it was Svitolina who would break for 5-4 and then manage to hold her serve to close-out the opening set. In the second set the 5th seeded Svitolina would break Wozanicki right away and never look back.

Overall Svitolina broke her more experienced opponent in six of Wozniacki's eight service games and was able to negate any nerves she may have been feeling in closing out the match with ease. Although she made it look easy, Svitolina admitted that she was equally relieved and excited to be the last player standing. "It's been really, really tough physically. Today was very hot. So I've been really struggling. So I'm just very happy that it's finished. And with a title, it's even more special."

While some reporters in her post-match press conference mentioned that Svitolina seemed to "fly under the radar" coming into Toronto, the win should be anything but a surprise. It was her fifth tournament victory of the year and she becomes the first WTA player to win three Premier 5 events in the same season. With previous Rogers Cup champions either retired or currently away from the tour, (Serena Williams and Belinda Bencic) Toronto was guaranteed to have a new champion this year. Svitolina's name might not yet be as recognizable as Wozniacki's or other top-ten mainstays like Simona Halep or Venus Williams, but her win today along with others this year reveal she will likely stay among the best in the game for the foreseeable future.

Photo Cred Mike McIntyre

Svitolina handled four top-ten players in Toronto over the past few days including Venus Williams, Garbine Muguruza, Simona Halep and then Wozniacki in the final. She beat those four WTA stars by a combined score of 52-22 and only dropped one set - the opener to Muguruza on Friday.

For Wozniacki, her losing streak in finals continues in 2017 as she now drops to 0-6 without winning a single set in any of those matches. Still, she has seen her ranking return to the top-ten this year and she even has a shot at returning to World No. 1 depending on how things go from here. After the match she remained positive stating that, "It was a good week and I beat some great players, and I can really take a lot with me and be proud of that."

Photo Cred Mike McIntyre

As for Svitolina, at only 22 years old she has clearly established herself as one of the few players of the early-twenty crowd on the tour that is ready to make her presence felt and push for the No. 1 ranking. She got some much needed revenge from her French Open collapse at the hands of Simona Halep when she thrashed the Romanian 6-1, 6-1 in the semi-finals in Toronto and with five tournament wins in five finals, Svitolina is proving to be able to handle the magnitude of those big moments.

Photo Cred Neena Channan

Next for the young Ukrainian will be to assert herself at the Grand Slam level. Her quarter-final results at the French Open in 2015 and again this year are her greatest moments to-date at the majors. With the way Svitolina has progressed this season and with her incredible run this week in Toronto, she certainly is capable of taking that next step. We'll have to wait and see if she will be playing on Arthur Ashe Stadium on September 9th to find out if that next step will happen this season or not.

Photo Cred Mike McIntyre

Svitolina and Wozniacki to Contest Rogers Cup Final in Toronto

By Mike McIntyre

In a tournament where most of the top seeds have fared well, it will be No. 5 Elina Svitolina and No. 6 Caroline Wozniacki who meet in the Rogers Cup final on Sunday in Toronto. The rising star Svitolina, 22 years old, will take a 2-0 career head-to-head record against the veteran Wozniacki, who is 27 years old.

On Saturday it was the Ukrainian, Svitolina, who first took to the court to finish her match against No. 4 Garbine Muguruza that was halted due to rain from the previous day with the Spaniard up a set. Svitolina came out determined as the match continued and sent the Wimbledon champion packing with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory. 

Next-up was the former World No. 1 Wozniacki against American Sloane Stephens who just recently returned to the WTA Tour after an 11 month layoff due to a foot injury she sustained last summer. Stephens lost in the first round of her first two tournaments back this summer but caught fire this week in Toronto defeating - among others - No. 14 Petra Kvitova and No. 3 Angie Kerber coming into the semi-final match against Wozniacki. Her magic ran-out however against Wozniacki, who took the match easily in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 to advance to her sixth final of 2017.

For someone who was winless in her five previous Rogers Cup's in Toronto, Wozniacki admitted she was playing more freely this year with expectations low. "Maybe that's also the key why it's been going so well," she told me after the match, "because I just walked in and I was more relaxed about the whole thing."

On the Grandstand Court meanwhile No. 2 Simona Halep used the heavily Romanian crowd to her advantage and dispatched of Caroline Garcia 6-4, 6-2 to set-up a second match of the day for both her and Svitolina. Halep was bringing a 2-1 advantage in their previous encounters into the match and had the easier quarter-final as well. The Romanian also held perhaps a mental edge having a huge come-from-behind win over Svitolina back in June at the French Open.

Their semi-final match took the court just after 6pm and a mere 56 minutes later it was surprisingly over, a decisive 6-1, 6-1 win for the young Svitolina. It was sweet redemption for Svitolina after seeing her 5-1 second set lead in the French Open quarter-finals erased by Halep two months ago.

As Svitolina super-fan Céleste Pagniello put it to me after the match in Toronto, "Elina's heartbreaking loss to Halep in Paris was easily her lowest moment in a season filled with so many highs. To see her get her revenge, and so convincingly is special beyond compare."

For a baffled Halep, all that she could offer to reporters after the match was, "Well, I really don't know. So if you can analyze this match, I would be happy to listen."

Svitolina meanwhile referenced the learning experience from Paris in her post-match press conference. "From the first point today till the last point, I was very focused and I was just 100% on every ball. I learned from that experience that, you know, you need to play until the last point...just one point at a time." 

On paper the final has loads of potential, but as we witnessed in the Halep/Svitolina match anything is possible. Will the veteran Wozniacki be able to win her first title of the season after five previously futile attempts? Or will the ever-improving Svitolina be able to defeat her fourth top-ten opponent of the week and capture her 5th title of 2017?

Svitolina has won both of their previous career meetings. She took the first one in the round of 32 in Miami last year 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(1) and the second in more routine fashion in the finals of Dubai earlier this year 6-4, 6-2. It will be key for Wozniacki to take the first set to give herself a boost of confidence as she has been beaten in straight sets in each of the finals she has contested this year. The Dane will likely have the crowd behind her as was the case in all of her matches this week. Tennis fans are more familiar with Wozniacki but are quickly learning that Svitolina is one to watch for now and undoubtedly for the foreseable future. 

Karolina Pliskova Suffers First Loss as World No. 1

By Mike McIntyre

Karolina Pliskova's first loss as the World No. 1 had to happen sometime and against someone. That turned out to be Friday in Toronto against 6th seed Caroline Wozniacki. During a match that was delayed by rain several times, Wozniacki managed to use the repeated stops to her advantage en route to a 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4 victory on Centre Court at the Rogers Cup.

Things weren't clicking as easily as Pliskova would have liked vs Wozniacki.

The match started out well for Pliskova who raced to a 5-1 lead. Then after yet another weather delay, Wozniacki came back and reeled-off six straight games to snatch the opening set from her stunned opponent.

"I think the biggest mistake was the first set," revealed Pliskova after the match. "So because of that, I think I lost."

Pliskova being escorted off the court for a rain delay.

The match lasted 2 hours and 53 minutes without taking into consideration the rain stoppages. It seemed to have the crowd mostly behind the more experienced Wozniacki, who herself once occupied the position for a total of 67 weeks.

After the rain Wozniacki picked-up her game.

Casual tennis fans may take some time to warm-up to Pliskova who comes across as quite focused and business-like on the court. With the press after the match it was encouraging to see her crack a few smiles that revealed someone who isn't taking her new role as too much of a burden. "I think I felt pretty good," she said when asked about her first week as No. 1.  

Still able to crack a smile.

One move this week that revealed a player who is not shying away from a little extra attention was Pliskova's decision to play doubles with Canada's top player Genie Bouchard. The idea was Pliskova's as her twin sister was not available for her to partner with. The move allowed Pliskova a little extra time on the court after her post-Wimbledon break.

World No. 1 with Canada's No. 1

One thing if for sure - there will be more of a target painted on Pliskova's back now as her peers attempt to ensure that her stay at the top is short-lived. Other players like Simona Halep and Elina Svitolina have mentioned this week that they too aim to occupy the top position at some point in the future. For now it is on to Cincinnati and a chance for fans in that city to see what the new World No. 1 can do.

Women's Wimbledon Preview 2017

By Mike McIntyre

Waking up to the release of the Wimbledon draws feels a lot like waking up Christmas morning. Some of the players on Friday probably felt like they were either receiving presents or a lump of coal depending on who they drew as their first round opponent. Here is a closer look at the (once again) wildly unpredictable Grand Slam women's draw that tennis fans will be enjoying over the next two weeks.

First Quarter

What are the chances that the (for now) World No. one Angelique Kerber will do better than her first round exit at Roland Garros? Kerber does not have a nice draw and will face qualifier Irina Falconi in the opening round. Beyond that she faces either of the talented Kristen Flipkens or Misaki Doi in round two, the tricky Lucie Safarova potentially in round three and then likely the 14th seeded Garbine Muguruza in round four. With Kerber's confidence at a seemingly all-time low I can't see her making it out of there in one piece.

Former Wimbledon finalist Aga Radwanska is in this quarter of the draw but her game has been in steady decline over the past year it seems so I wouldn't get my hopes up for her to go deep in the tournament either. Radwanska faces a player whose career is even more in decline in Jelena Jankovic in the opening round.

So who should we keep an eye on in the top quarter of the draw then? Dangerous players include 7th seeded vet Svetlana Kuznetsova along with Olympic gold-medalist Monica Puig, the always dangerous Ekaterina Makarova and French Open semi-finalist Timea Bacsinszky.

I'm going to go with a Muguruza vs Bacsinszky quarter-final.

Second Quarter

Karolina Pliskova is the 3rd seed and has a nice path in her section of the draw. Of the top seeds hers is the quadrant with the least amount of known obstacles towards the quarter-finals. Sloane Stephens makes her return to the Tour after a foot injury that kept here away from the game for nine months and opens against Alison Riske and has a potential second round match against 12th seed Kristina Mladenovic. Coco Vandeweghe would be the likely third round opponent in that section. ESPN Body Issue cover-girl and former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki is a good pick as a potential fourth round match-up.

This quarter seems like the most stable to me and I expect a Pliskova vs Wozniacki quarter-final to emerge.

Third Quarter

There are just so many incredible first round matches happening at the All-England Club this year. Dominika Cibulkova gets Andrea Petkovic in this quarter, Sabine Lisicki makes her return as well to competitive tennis and faces Ana Konjuh the 27th seed and Elina Svitolina the 5th seed will face recent Birmingham finalist Ashleigh Barty.

On top of that we have Venus Williams, French Open champ Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys in this quadrant. Ostapenko and Keys could provide a terrific third round match here.

I'm going with Williams vs Svitolina for the quarter-finals. Gosh I wish I could be more bold with my picks!

Fourth Quarter

Finally we have 2nd seed Simona Halep opening against Marina Erakovic and on-course for a tough third round match against one of: Carla Suarez Navarro, 2014 finalist Genie Bouchard or up-and-coming Marketa Vondrousova. Victoria Azarenka is yet another player making her return to the court at Wimbledon and gets a very difficult opening match against CiCi Bellis. In the upper portion of this quarter Petra Kvitova - who won in Birmingham last week - is going to be on a collision course with home crowd favorite Johanna Konta. There is simply no shortage of capable players who could be hoisting the Venus Rosewater dish in 2017 and many of them are in this quarter of the draw.

My picks for the quarter-finals are Kvitova and Azarenka for an enticing battle of the recent comeback players.

 

Women's Results from Wednesday at Roland Garros

By Mike McIntyre

Photography: Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

It is rare to see Tunisia steal the spotlight in the tennis world but that was the case on Wednesday with 22 year old Ons Jabeur shocking 6th seeded Dominika Cibulkova in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. Jabeur capture the Junior Roland Garros crown back in 2010 and played with incredible confidence in her match against Cilbulkova. She is the first Arab female tennis player to ever make the third round of a Grand Slam. Prior to this tournament she last qualified for the main draw of a major at the 2015 U.S. Open but had never actually won a round until here in Paris. Jabeur will next face Timea Bacsinszky the 30th seed.

Cibulkova was one of the players I thought was flying under the radar despite her high seeding. I guess it turns out there was a reason nobody was really mentioning her along with the Halep's and Svitolina's of the world. For someone who had made the quarter-finals in 2012 and the semi-finals in 2009 this is surely a great disappointment.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands got her first ever victory against 15th seeded Petra Kvitova 7-6(5), 7-6(5). For Kvitova the result must still seem like a win after her playing career was in doubt after a knife attack at her apartment back in December. Mattek-Sands presented a tricky and experienced opponent and the Czech's conditioning still needs some time to get back to her usual self.

Transitioning to grass court tennis after the French Open will surely give Kvitova the chance to rediscover her form and despite the long layoff she will be considered a top contender at Wimbledon next month.

Former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki put on a clinic against a much younger and less experienced opponent. She double bageled 20 year old Canadian Françoise Abanda in their second round match. Wozniacki has a nice opportunity in her section of the draw with seeds  like Kerber, Bertens and Vinci already out of the draw. She is on track for a fourth round meeting against 2009 Champion Svetlana Kuznetsova who also advanced today.

While the young Abanda must be feeling down after the thumping by Wozniacki, she has made it to the second round of a Slam for the first time in her career and is solidifying herself as the second ranked Canadian female tennis player behind Genie Bouchard.

Some Americans are proving they can still win on clay as Shelby Rogers won 7-6, 6-4 against Çağla Büyükakçay. Rogers will next play against 13th seed Kristina Mladenovic who dispatched Sara Errani today.

Büyükakçay who is from Turkey surprised Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the opening round but then as is so often the case could not sustain the momentum from the upset in her next match.

18 year old CiCi Bellis was another American who won on Wednesday by a score of 6-3, 7-6(5) over Kiki Bertens the 18th seed. It doesn't get any easier for the young Bellis who is currently ranked 48th in the world as she will next face Wozniacki.

Bertens was a Roland Garros semifinalist just a year ago and will be losing some significant ranking points with the loss. 

Another youngster who is having early success in Paris is 19 year old Jelena Ostapenko who looked quite focused while taking to the court against Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig. The Latvian won 6-3, 6-2 to set up a match versus Lesia Tsurenko in a suddenly wide open top quarter of the draw. Between the two of them, Mattek-Sands and Sam Stosur, one will be guaranteed of making the quarter-finals.

Puig has still been unable to build upon her epic Olympic gold medal from last summer in Rio.

Rogers Cup Reaches Third Round in Toronto

By Mike McIntyre

The Rogers Cup in Toronto has reached the third round and will see 16 players battle it out for spots in the quarter-finals on Thursday.

Starting the day off at Rexall Centre will be 3rd seeded Agnieszka Radwanska from Poland against 14th seeded Sloane Stephens of the United States. Radwanska has a 2-0 career head-to-head against the young American though both victories took three sets to accomplish. Radwanska easily dispatched the hard hitting but error prone Yanina Wickmayer on Tuesday night while Stephens took out Mona Barthel in a match that went the distance. Radwanska has been looking sharp this week and I'd expect her to get past Stephens today.

Over on the Grandstand court, Alize Cornet of France will see if she can continue to deliver upsets against 5th seeded Sara Errani. Cornet defeated 11th seeded Russian Maria Kirilenko in the second round in straight sets while Errani took out Klara Zakopalova 6-2, 7-6 yesterday. Errani has won two of the three meetings against Cornet and should be favored to move on today.

Beginning no earlier than 1pm on Centre Court, the 4th seeded Li Na from China will face 16th seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia. The two have only met once before, on clay back in 2006 in a match that Ivanovic was forced to retire after trailing 1-6. Neither player has dropped a set yet this week here in Toronto. Coin toss in this one, although don't forget that Li Na did make the finals a year ago in Montreal.

The second match on the Grandstand is between Wimbledon winner and 7th seed Marion Bartoli against the unheralded Magadalena Rybarikova of Slovakia. This is their seventh career meeting with Bartoli holding a 4-2 advantage. Look for Bartoli to advance with ease as her confidence is huge at the moment.

World number one Serena Williams will take to the court not before 2:30pm and faces Kirsten Flipkens the 13th seed. Flipkens ruined any chance of an all-Williams match-up when she dropped Venus in the opening round 0-6, 6-4, 6-2. Will she be able to defeat two Williams' in one tournament? Don't count on it. This will be the first career meeting between the two but I wouldn't expect it to last too long.

Jelena Jankovic the 15th seed will be up against Sorana Cirstea who out-lasted Caroline Wozniacki in a match that lasted 2 hours and 56 minutes Wednesday night. Cirstea saved two match points against Wozniacki and we'll see if her good fortune continues today against the talented Jankovic. The pair have split their previous four meetings although Jankovic has won the last two in a row on hard court.

Dominika Cilbulkova and Roberta Vinci have played each other more than any other third round combo here in Toronto. This will be their eighth match against one another with Vinci holding the 5-2 lead. Vinci in fact has won the last five straight and that includes victories on clay, grass and hard court. That being said, Cilbulkova has been striking the ball awfully hard all week and is coming off an excellent performance in Stanford two weeks ago where she won the title by defeating Radwanska in the final. I can see her pulling off the mild upset here today.

At night, Petra Kvitova will play Sam Stosur in the last of the third round matches. Kvitova dashed the hopes of Canadian tennis fans by knocking off Eugenie Bouchard last night in straight sets 6-3, 6-2. She leads Stosur 4-1 in their previous encounters although Stosur won their most recent match on clay in Rome earlier this year. Stosur is coming in hot with a tournament win in Carlsbad and will have a great shot at upsetting her higher ranked opponent today.

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