McIntyre Tennis

Men's Wimbledon Draw Analysis

By Mike McIntyre

 A year ago at Wimbledon Novak Djokovic signaled to the tennis world that he was back in-form by capturing his first Grand Slam in over two years at the All England Club. Now he returns not only as defending champion but also as the current US Open and Australian Open champ and the World No. 1 once again. Djokovic's path towards a fifth Wimbledon title won't be easy so let's take a closer look at who he might face and other contenders at SW19 in 2019.

The Serbian defending champ starts his campaign against tricky German Philipp Kohlschreiber who is tough on any surface but in particular on grass. The pair will face one another for the fourth time this year already with Djokovic capturing the last two meetings after Kohlschreiber got the 6-4, 6-4 win in Indian Wells. These two players met once before at Wimbledon with Djokovic prevailing in the first round back in 2015 by a score of 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. This will be Kohlschreiber's 15th appearance at Wimbledon and he made the quarterfinals in 2012, his best ever showing at a major. Djokovic has fellow Serbian Dusan Lajovic, the 32nd seed, as a potential third round opponent before what would be an interesting encounter in the fourth round against rising Canadian talent Felix Auger Aliassime who is seeded 19th in just the second Grand Slam of his young career.

Auger Aliassime had never before played a professional tournament on grass until a couple of week's ago in Stuttgart where he made the finals. Then last week the 18 year old phenom defeated Grigor Dimitrov, Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to the semifinals in Queen's. Best of five sets will be something relatively new to Auger Aliassime but he has been in great form in the lead-up to Wimbledon.

Other tricky players in the top quarter include the aforementioned Tsitsipas - who has still been unable to beat Auger Aliassime in their pro careers. Daniil Medvedev is also present as the 11th seed along with veteran Gael Monfils who is seeded No. 16 and David Goffin - finalist in Halle - at No. 21.

Moving down the draw we have another Canadian to look out for - 2016 Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic. It has been another up and down year for Raonic due to injury issues but if he can manage to stay healthy he is an automatic top-5 threat on the grass. He'll open against Prajnesh Gunneswaran and could meet Stan Wawrinka in the third round. The pair have never played each other on grass and Wawrinka needs only a Wimbledon championship to complete his career Slam.

This quadrant of the draw also has last year's finalist, Kevin Anderson who comes in as the No. 4 seed this time around. Recently returning from an elbow injury that kept him off the ATP Tour for almost three months, Anderson has played in but one recent event where he fell in the second round to Gilles Simon at Queen's. The Wimbledon fifth set has been altered starting this year in part due to Anderson's lengthy semifinal match last year against John Isner where the South African prevailed 7-6, 6-7, 6-7, 6-4, 26-24. From now only there will be a tiebreak played once 12-12 is reached in the fifth and final set.

Other players of note in this section include the struggling 6th seed Sascha Zverev, Russia's Karen Khachanov seeded 10th and recent Queen's singles and doubles champ - Feliciano Lopez.

In the bottom half of the draw we find a potential Nadal vs Federer semifinal that would have tennis fans lose their collective minds. It's hard to believe that the duo last met at Wimbledon all the way back in their legendary final in 2008 where Nadal prevailed 9-7 in the fifth set to capture his first ever title there. The path towards the semis will not be easy for Nadal who opens against Japanese qualifier Yuichi Sugita but could face Nick Kyrgios in the second round and potentially Denis Shapovalov in the third round. 2017 Wimbledon finalist Marin Cilic could be a fourth round opponent while Dominic Thiem is the 5th seed and also in this section for a potential quarterfinal matchup. It would take quite the effort for Nadal to advance deep in the draw with that grueling list of opponents in front of him but with the Spaniard nothing can ever be considered a surprise given his unparalleled compete level and love for this tournament.

In the final quarter of the draw we have of course the 8 time champion Roger Federer. The World No. 3 is seeded 2nd due to Wimbledon's unique seeding formula - a process that has upset some who feel it unjustly bumps Nadal down a spot. Regardless of where you stand on that particular issue, Federer will open against South Africa's Lloyd Harris who is ranked No. 87 on the ATP Tour. Harris is going to have his hands full as he recently fell in the opening round of qualifying in both Halle and Eastbourne. Federer has a nice draw to settle into the tournament and shouldn't be overly challenged until a potential fourth round match against Borna Coric - someone who has a grass court win against him going back to last summer in the finals at Halle.

Beyond that point Kei Nishikori is the 8th seed and recent grass court star Matteo Berrettini is also floating around as the 17th seed in this bottom quarter. Tomas Berdych and Richard Gasquet are two veteran players with grass court skills who are unseeded and could make some noise as well.

Ultimately this event seems the most likely of all four Slams to have the big names continue their dominance. Going back to 2002 the only four players who have emerged victorious at Wimbledon are Federer (8), Djokovic (4), Nadal (2) and Murray (2). It would take a pretty big upset for that trend to change in 2019. While Murray is just making his return to the court in doubles, the other three have been their usual dominant selves leading the ATP in winning percentage through the first half of the season. Enjoy it while it lasts and check back with us later in the tournament for more Grand Slam coverage!

Canadian Clash: Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger Aliassime Faceoff in Madrid

Article and Photos By Mike McIntyre

For those in Canada who once upon a time dreamed of the day when the country would make its mark on the international tennis scene 2019 must signal mission accomplished. Only a third of the way through the season and it seems like Canada can already boast of stealing the show in terms of coming-out parties on both the ATP and WTA Tour's. While there is still plenty of tennis left to be played this year it would be hard to fathom two player's capturing their respective Newcomer of the Year awards other than 18 year old's Bianca Andreescu and Felix Auger Aliassime. Add the just-turned 20 year old Denis Shapovalov and you've got a trio of players who are going to capture this nation's attention for the next decade if not longer. Of course, the more success Canada's tennis crew enjoys, the higher chance that they will inevitably face one another with more frequency. Case in point - the Mutua Madrid Open which begins play Sunday and pits fellow Canadians and good friends Shapovalov and Auger Aliassime against one another in the opening round. 

The two talented youngsters have faced each other once before in an ATP match, just last summer at the US Open in New York. The match was played in muggy conditions and was split at a set apiece when Auger Aliassime was forced to retire while down 1-4 in the third frame due to an elevated heart rate. A worrisome moment to be sure but one that has since been corrected according to Auger Aliassime. At the time Shapovalov was the known quantity to the tennis world, while his younger compatriot had yet to have his breakthrough moment at the ATP level.

Fast forward to 2019 and while Shapovalov has maintained a presence in the top-30, it is Auger Aliassime who has shot up the rankings and made people take notice. The Montreal native began the year ranked just outside the top 100 on the ATP Tour but currently finds himself at a career-high No. 30. One element that sets Auger Aliassime apart from Shapovalov and other North American tennis players is his comfort level on clay, the surface that he and his Shapovalov will play each other on in Madrid. Clay is not a commonly found court surface in Canada unless you are talking about the green har-tru clay rather than the thicker red clay that is preferred in Europe and used in about 99% of ATP clay court events. This year Auger Aliassime boasts a record of 9-6 on the surface while also making his first ever Masters 1000 semifinal on hard court as well back in March in Miami. His versatility is what some predict will give him an edge moving forward in his career over Shapovalov and other contemporaries of his who will attempt to make their mark in the coming years.

Shapovalov is already a well-established product in his home country and elsewhere thanks in part to a stirring run in Montreal in the summer of 2017 where he made the semifinals, taking out Rafael Nadal along the way. Last year he proved he can have success on clay as well making the semifinals here in Madrid, though his game is not as suited to the surface in part due to his impulsivity in shot selection and wanting to end points quickly. He and Auger Aliassime could not be more different on and off the court - kind of in a Sampras vs Agassi kind of way. Auger Aliassime is the more consistent and calm presence who seems to avoid the limelight away from the game while Shapovalov has a go-for-broke style on court and appears quite comfortable crafting his social media presence where he creates entertaining vlogs and regularly shares behind-the-scenes moments with his fans.

Some pundits feel that Auger Aliassime is the favourite coming into their Madrid match due to his preference to the surface while others feel that the quicker playing Madrid courts and higher altitude give Shapovalov the edge. Whoever emerges victorious has the unenviable task of facing the greatest clay court player of all-time in Rafael Nadal in the second round. Regardless of the result one thing is certain - these two players will have ample opportunity moving forward to establish a simultaneously strong Canadian rivalry and friendship that should grip tennis fans in the country for years to come.

Canada Ready to Battle Slovakia in Davis Cup Qualifiers

By Mike McIntyre

Canada is set to open their Davis Cup tie against Slovakia on Friday at 3pm local time, 9am ET. The Canadians will be putting a much younger and different looking squad on the court than we have seen in recent years as 18 year old Felix Auger Aliassime and 19 year old Denis Shapovalov will carry the load in both singles and doubles.

Gone are familiar faces like Milos Raonic who is dealing with some knee issues, Vasek Pospisil who just had spinal surgery and of course the legendary Daniel Nestor who has recently retired. It is now up to the next wave of Canadian talent to show they are ready to get the job done for team Captain Frank Dancevic and Tennis Canada.

Action begins with two best-of-three singles matches on the red clay in Bratislava. The 25th ranked Shapovalov will get the call first against 26 year old Filip Horansky who is ranked 219th on the ATP Tour. Horansky has only four ATP matches under his belt with a 1-3 record. He has never faced either of the Canadian players before.

The second match of the day will pit Auger Aliassime, ranked 106th, against the 38th ranked Martin Klizan. Klizan is the veteran amongst the singles players at 29 years old and is a lefty. He will be playing in front of his hometown fans in Brastislava that will no doubt give him some added motivation to perform well. The Slovak has never faced Auger Aliassime but does boast a 1-0 career head-to-head against Shapovalov, beating him 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 on indoor hard court last year in St. Petersburg. Klizan has six career singles titles and an overall win/loss record of 140-133.

On Saturday Auger Aliassime and Shapovalov will first team-up in doubles against Filip Polasek and Igor Zelenay and then will play reverse singles against Horansky and Klizan if needed.

While Canada does not have an abundance of success on red clay, Shapovalov did make the semifinals last year on the surface at the Madrid Masters event while Auger Aliassime played the bulk of his 2018 calendar on clay - something that is rare among Canadian players.

Team Canada is rounded-out with Peter Polansky who is currently ranked 121st in the world and Captain Frank Dancevic who has come-in clutch for Canada in past ties and could play if needed. Neither Polansky nor Dancevic is expected to play unless of an injury or if there is a dead-rubber - a meaningless match - on Saturday.

Check back with us for more coverage throughout the weekend as well as updates on our Twitter page. You can also click here for an interview from my Southpaw Slice co-host Ben Lewis who chatted with Dancevic a day ahead of the tie for his take on what we can expect from the young duo of Auger Aliassime and Shapovalov.

Great Things in Store for Canada at the Rogers Cup

By Mike McIntyre

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal captured his fourth Rogers Cup title on Sunday in Toronto and reminded the Next Gen on the ATP World Tour that their time has not quite arrived yet. The Spaniard was - in the words of vanquished 20 year old finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas - a "beast" whose competitive drive and hunger for victory still remains unparalleled among his peers. 

This edition of Canada's Masters 1000 event will be remembered by Nadal's brilliant win but also as one where the young guns made their presence truly felt. Aside from Tsitsipas - who defeated four members of the top ten en-route to the final - there were strong performances by Karen Khachanov, Daniil Medvedev, Canada's Denis Shapovalov  and of course 21 year old Sascha Zverev who as the current World No. 4 has already transcended his Next Gen label to become a force on the professional tour. 

While the Grand Slams are still being dominated by three guys - Nadal along with Roger Federer and a resurgent Novak Djokovic, the kids coming-up the ranks are proving that they are ready to compete for titles at the other tour events and it is only a matter of time before one of them has a breakthrough at a Major. 

Stuck in the middle are those in their mid to late twenties. The Grigor Dimitrov's and Milos Raonic's of the world who, while talented, are at risk of seeing their chances of winning one of tennis' most coveted tournaments disappear. A combination of health issues, inconsistencies and general misfortune of playing in the Era of three of the best players - perhaps THE best players - ever has cost them their quest for Grand Slam triumph so far. 

Crowds in Toronto seemed to be among their all-time highs this year and this is a trend that we should see only continue to blossom as Canada asserts itself in tennis as a nation to keep an eye on at the international level. Aside from the 27 year old Raonic - who still could conceivably have some good years ahead if he can stay healthy, there are two rising talents that will soon be superstars both at home and abroad.

Denis Shapovalov made his presence felt last summer during his surprising semifinal run in Montreal. While he could not repeat that accomplishment this year in Toronto, he looked good in his two opening round victories before falling to Robin Haase in his round of sixteen match. Give the kid some time to mature and develop his entertaining game and he has nowhere to go but up. As if one budding star wasn't enough, tennis fans also had a glimpse of the promise Felix Auger-Aliassime holds. The just-turned 18 year old seemed to be poised for a second round victory against Medvedev but ultimately fell 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(7). Nerves got the better of him in the late stages of the third set tiebreak, but he is already the youngest player in the top 200 of the ATP rankings and has a game that is far more developed than it should  be for his age. 

While Raonic had an exciting run to the Rogers Cup finals in 2013 where he lost to - you guessed it - Nadal, his arrival was just foreshadowing the success Tennis Canada is on the cusp of enjoying. With Daniel Nestor set to retire next month at the age of 45 after winning every conceivable accolade in the doubles world, Canada is ready to now see if it has what it takes to experiences that kind of success in singles competition as well. When Nadal, Federer and Djokovic do finally pass the torch, there is no doubt there will be some Canadians lining up to try to have their turn. 

Felix Auger-Aliassime Announces Himself at the Rogers Cup

By Mike McIntyre

Canadian tennis fans have plenty of reason to get excited after 17 year old Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated World No. 18 Lucas Pouille of France on Centre Court at the Rogers Cup in Toronto on Tuesday. The youngster showed no signs of nerves as he won the match 6-3, 6-4 for his first career Masters 1000 level victory. Aside from the four Grand Slams, this is the biggest stage for tennis players on the ATP World Tour and Auger-Aliassime looks like is ready to  have his name added to the NextGen list of young players to keep an eye on moving forward. 

While Canadian doubles legend Daniel Nestor has had enormous success over the years, Canada was never known as a tennis power house. That is beginning to change with the constant threat that Milos Raonic presents along with 19 year old Denis Shapovalov - and now Auger-Aliassime as well. The future with these three is bright indeed and in time should make the nation one to watch at the international level in Davis Cup competition. 

Auger-Aliassime has been working his way up the rankings this year mostly at the Challenger level. He recently completed a stretch that saw him play 15 straight tournaments on clay but made the transition quite smoothly today onto hard courts. His ranking is already 133rd in the world making him the youngest inside the top 200 in the world rankings. 

Regardless of what comes next this week for the talented youngster, he has served notice that he is comfortable playing on this stage. His second round match will be against Daniil Medvedev of Russia, who at 22 years of age is ranked 68th in the world and considered a dangerous opponent. The Russian defeated 13th seed Jack Sock in the opening round, so both he and Auger-Aliassime have achieved higher than their rankings would have initially suggested. A likely third round encounter against No. 2 seed Sascha Zverev would await the winner. 

For now Auger-Aliassime can be more than satisfied with how he handled himself today and how he has instantly added himself to the dangerous mix of players we can boast of. The secret is out folks - Canada is one to watch on the ATP World Tour.