McIntyre Tennis

Defending French Open Champion Jelena Ostapenko Out in Paris

By Mike McIntyre

Photos Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

Jelena Ostapenko turned heads last year when she unexpectedly won the French Open. The 5th ranked Latvian surprised the tennis world again on Sunday but for entirely different reasons. The defending champion was taken out by 66th ranked Kateryna Kozlova - a player who had not won a WTA match since early February.

Kozlova refused to be dragged into the go-for-broke style of play that Ostapenko has become known for and walked away with a 7-5, 6-3 victory - her third in as many meetings with the Ukrainian.

Ostapenko's match stats stood out and for all the wrong reasons. She served at a mere 47%, was broken 7 times by Kozlova and she also threw in 13 double faults.

After the match Ostapenko spoke candidly about the pressure of returning to Paris as the defending champion. A pressure that clearly was too much for her to handle on this occasion.

"I made like 50 unforced errors and so many double faults, and couldn't serve today. Everything together just brought me a really bad result. I had this unbelievable pressure. I felt that I'm not myself today on court."

Aside from the mental pressure of defending her Grand Slam title, Ostapenko also revealed she had not completely healed from an injury she suffered against Maria Sharapova in their marathon quarter-final match at the Italian Open in Rome.

While no longer in action in singles, Ostapenko will try to salvage something of her 2018 French Open experience in doubles alongside partner Elina Vesnina where the duo is seeded 10th. As for singles success, that will now have to wait for the grass court season that begins in two weeks time. Hopefully by then the pressure Ostapenko struggled with today will be a distant memory. 

Start of the Clay Court Season Means the French Open is Fast Approaching

By Mike McIntyre

Photo: Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

With the Miami Open just reaching its conclusion with John Isner and Sloane Stephens hoisting their respective winners trophies, the ATP and WTA Tour's now switch their focus from hard to clay courts. The surface transition is an exciting period of time as it means that we are fast approaching the next Grand Slam of the year at Roland Garros. With roughly a month and a half still to go this is the time for players to assert themselves as pre-tournament favorites for the French Open. With that in mind, let's take a look at who to watch out for in the men's and women's games.

Will defending champion Rafael Nadal be healthy enough to capture his 11th title in Paris? The Spaniard had a remarkable return to form in 2017 capturing both the French and US Open's but has been limited in his appearances this year due to knee issues. If at (or close to) 100% he is the heavy favorite to be the last man standing once again in June.

Photo: Bob McIntyre

The biggest challenge to Nadal might well have been the ageless Roger Federer but he has once again decided to skip the clay court season and prepare for his ultimate goal of capturing yet another Wimbledon crown. Federer raced-out to his best start to a season ever with 17 consecutive wins before he fell to Juan Martin Del Potro in the finals in Indian Wells.

Active winners at Roland Garros are few and far between due to Nadal's incredible dominance over the past decade. In fact, the only ones left on the ATP Tour aside from the previously mentioned Federer are Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka. Djokovic continues to struggle to regain his form and his confidence while Wawrinka has a very mediocre 3-4 record thus far in his limited appearances in 2018. In other words, the chances of a first-time French Open winner if Nadal falters are high.

Likely candidates who could take-down the King of Clay include Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev and the previously mentioned Del Potro. Aside from Federer, it has been Del Potro who has had a stellar 2018 with a 21-4 record that has seen him rise to No. 6 in the ATP rankings. His game works well on clay too and he has previously made the semifinals of Roland Garros in 2009 and the quarterfinals in 2012, both times falling in five set thrillers to Federer.

Thiem and Zverev meanwhile represent the future of the ATP and at the ages of 24 and 20 respectively it is only a matter of time before they achieve Grand Slam success. Thiem has gone an impressive 8-1 already this year on clay with a tournament victory in Buenos Aires. Last year he went 24-5 on clay including a run to the semifinals at Roland Garros where he lost to eventual champion Nadal. Zverev is still looking for his Grand Slam breakthrough and he routinely gets knocked for failing to yet attain a major quarterfinal. The German has not yet played on clay in 2018 but had a respectable 16-4 record on the surface in 2017. The kid is going to have his turn at the majors sooner rather than later and there's no reason why that can't happen at the next Slam of 2018.

With the women, few would have given Jelena Ostapenko a realistic shot of winning her first major title last year at Roland Garros but the 20 year old certainly cannot be underestimated this time around. While her game lay dormant to start 2018, she made the finals in Indian Wells on hardcourt and that boost in confidence should propel her into the clay court season feeling pretty solid about her game.

Photo: Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

Other active female winners in Paris include Svetlana Kuznetsova (2009), Francesca Schiavone (2010), Garbine Muguruza (2016), Maria Sharapova (2012, 2014) and, of course, Serena Williams (2002, 2013, 2015). Of that group I'd give only Muguruza - the current World No. 3 - a valid shot at taking home the trophy. Sharapova is on-again, off-again dealing with nagging injury issues, just recently parted ways with her long time coach and just doesn't seem to have it since returning to the WTA Tour following her 15 month suspension that ended last Spring. As for Serena Williams, let's give the 23 time Slam champion a little more time to shake-off the rust after her nearly 14 month layoff from competition while she was pregnant and became a first-time mother.

Legitimate female contenders in 2018 aside from Muguruza, include World No. 1 Simona Halep who was oh-so-close a year ago. The Romanian was heavily favored heading into the final vs Ostapenko last year but could not capitalize despite being up a break in the third set. Another Slam disappointment happened for Halep to start this year as she lost the Aussie Open final to Caroline Wozniacki. Halep however has maintained a positive attitude thanks in part to her own internal sense of competition but also due to the wonderful influence that her coach Darren Cahill has on her. Halep is widely considered to be the leading contender to win the French Open and finally break through the barrier to her first career major.

Photo: Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

Other noteworthy competitors who will also be in good standing to triumph in Paris among the women are rising star Elina Svitolina, former World No. 1 and 2017 semifinalist Karolina Pliskova and two time semifinalist Timea Bacsinszky if she's healthy and has some matches under her belt, as she only recently returned to the tour following a few months off due to injury. 

Aside from Rafael Nadal, the men's and women's fields are really wide open with a list of younger and more experienced contenders at this year's edition of Roland Garros. Tune-in again later in May to see how the above mentioned players have navigated the lead-up tournaments on the red dirt and who is poised to achieve Grand Slam Glory in Paris.

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.

Ekaterina Makarova Sends Jelena Ostapenko Packing in Sydney

By Mike McIntyre

Photos Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko may have already realized that this year is not going to be as free-wheeling as the last. The 20 year old Latvian was defeated by Russia's Ekaterina Makarova in the opening round of the Sydney International where she was the third seed in the draw. This marks the second consecutive first round loss for Ostapenko to start her 2018 season.

Makarova is currently ranked 33rd in the WTA Tour rankings and is certainly a player most would prefer to avoid in their first match of any event, but all the same Ostapenko can no longer expect to fly under the radar now that she is starting the season as one of four Grand Slam holders on the WTA Tour.

Not much can be read into the 7-6(3), 6-1 scoreline against Makarova at this point of the season although it must be troubling for Ostapenko that she could not muster much opposition in the final frame.

Ostapenko played Serena Williams just over a week ago in Abu Dhabi in an exhibition match at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship but with the 23 time Grand Slam champion having not played a match in nearly a year, that was probably not such a great preparation for Ostapenko before officially starting her season. I'm sure the pay day made it all worthwhile though. Ostapenko then went to Shenzhen, China where she fell in the opening round to Kristyna Pliskova - twin sister of World No. 6 Karolina - before heading to Sydney.

Makarova will next face the winner between compatriot Daria Kasatkina and Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic in the second round. Garbine Muguruza, the top seed, looms as a potential semifinal opponent should Makarova get on a hot streak. For Ostapenko, the doubles draw still remains, where she forms a fun partnership with fellow singles Grand Slam title holder Sloane Stephens. The Latvian will then proceed to the Australian Open that begins January 15th in Melbourne hoping to see a reversal of her early season struggles.

Here are a few more shots of the match courtesy of Jimmie48 Tennis Photography who we will be partnering-up with throughout the year. Check back with us regularly this week for more coverage from Sydney.

Above: Ostapenko is one of the best on tour when it comes to facial expressions.

Above: not the face you want to be making often at the start of the season

Above: Makarova waves to the crowd after the upset.

Above: Off to the Australian Open for Ostapenko - in singles at least.

Women's Wimbledon Quarterfinal Preview

By Mike McIntyre

Manic Monday lived-up to its name and saw some fantastic fourth round action of tennis from the remaining sixteen women who have now been narrowed down to the final eight. They will be back at it on Tuesday so let's take a quick look at the four matches on the schedule.

Garbine Muguruza vs Svetlana Kuznetsova

Muguruza has been to the finals at Wimbledon before (2015) and came up short against Serena Williams. With that Williams on the sidelines perhaps the Spaniard can make amends for the loss. The 23 year old leads her head-to-head against the 32 year old Kuznetsova by a 3-1 margin. Kuznetsova is in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the fourth time but has never made it any further. The Russian has only dropped 20 games through her four matches thus far and the 7th seed appears to be rejuvenated over the past year on tour. The winner from this match will be considered a heavy favorite to make the finals compared to the other two players who are left in this half of the draw.

Magdalena Rybarikova vs Coco Vandeweghe

Rybarikova is currently ranked 87th in the world but that is due to her absence to injuries. If we focus on recent results it is clear that she is comfortable on grass with a 17-1 record on the surface this summer. At 28 years old she seems ready to make the most of this Grand Slam run. In 36 career Grand Slam appearances Rybarikova is into the quarterfinals for the very first time. Her opponent is 25 year old hard hitting American Coco Vandeweghe who made the semifinals here in 2015 and is currently benefiting from the coaching tutelage of 1987 Wimbledon winner Pat Cash. Vandeweghe turfed Caroline Wozniacki 7-6(4), 6-4 in the fourth round but has never previously beaten Rybarikova in their two career matches including most recently at the French Open where it was the Slovakian who won easily 6-1, 6-4.

Venus Williams vs Jelena Ostapenko

The two bottom half quarterfinals are going to both be really interesting battles for a variety of reasons. The Williams vs Ostapenko one pits an ageless wonder with 49 career titles against a young upstart with but a single tournament victory. That being said, the 20 year old Ostapenko's lone victory was the last Grand Slam at Roland Garros. Ostapenko is aiming to be the first player on the WTA Tour since Jennifer Capriati in 2001 to follow-up her maiden Grand Slam win with the following major as well. She captured the Junior Wimbledon trophy in 2014 and doesn't seem to be phased one bit by the pressure of the moment. Venus on the other hand is trying to become the oldest player to reach the finals at Wimbledon since Martina Navratilova in 1994. Fun fact: Venus turned pro in 1994 while Ostapenko wasn't even born until 1997!

Johanna Konta vs Simona Halep

Konta is carrying the pressure of an entire nation on her back and doesn't appear to be having any problems with that so far. Past the second round at Wimbledon for the first time in her career, she is attempting to be the first British woman to win at the All-England Club since Virginia Wade in 1977. Already she is the first from her country into the quarterfinals since Jo Durie in 1984. Progress, right? Konta is going to face Simona Halep for the first time since Great Britain fell to Romania in a tense Fed Cup tie in April. Both players were rather frosty in their recollections of that encounter which should give their match Tuesday a little extra drama. While Halep won that last match to seal the victory for her country, Konta has won their previous two matches - both on hard courts. For extra motivation, Halep knows that if she can make the final this weekend she will take Angelique Kerber's place as the World Number One.

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.

 

Jelena Ostapenko Wins the French Open

By Mike McIntyre

Photos: Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

Jelena Ostapenko claimed her first Grand Slam title Sunday over the more experienced Simona Halep 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. 

The 20 year old Latvian ignored any nerves she may have felt to overcome a one set and 0-3 deficit to capture the title. Ranked 47th in the world she will now catapult to 12th in the WTA Tour rankings and ensure more favourable match-ups moving forward as a seeded player in the events she enters.

Ostapenko claimed some impressive victories over her seven matches in Paris including versus 2016 Olympic Gold medalist Monica Puig, 2011 US Open champ Sam Stosur, former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki and of course the 2014 Roland Garros Finalist Simona Halep.

With many so-called tennis fans and pundits lamenting the lack of "talent" in the women's field in Paris, Ostapenko provided a gripping Cinderella story for people to embrace. Certainly the Tour misses Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and (judging by their reaction since her return in April) Maria Sharapova, but it will need to start promoting others such as Ostapenko to allow for some succession planning. 

Here is a look back in pictures of her magical run at the French Open:

 

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.