McIntyre Tennis

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

What’s the score with Wimbledon 2017?

 

 With Wimbledon underway, things are really hotting up on the courts. With some of the tennis world’s biggest players out of action, such as Maria Sharapova who is battling injury, and Serena Williams who is expecting her first child, there are a few winning slots available for those with the gusto to take it right to the top. For those that like to put their money where their mouth is, this year’s event looks set to be great for the bookies and punters- look to SBAT betting tips for a roundup of the best! 

 When it comes to the women- British Number 1, Johanna Konta has been suffering from an injury sustained to her spine when she fell on it last Friday. It is hoped that her team of physios will get her form up to scratch when it comes to battling it out for the top spot. Murray has also been desperately trying to recover from a painful hip injury which have seen him withdraw from two warm-up matches over the last 10 days. 

The Men  

Some pundits are pencilling in Roger Federer as a top tip to win, which would see him win eight Wimbledon tournaments over the span of his incredible career. Lat week his odds were slashed from 21/1 to 9/4 putting him as one of the favourites to scoop the top prize. But Federer should not get too complacent as he has Rafael Nadal snapping at his heels as second favourite. Following his success at the French Open, he is looking to continue his winning streak on centre court this year. With his chances of winning pitted at 4/1 he is going to be going all out to be in with a chance to win. 

Other favourites include Novak Djokovic 6/1, Milos Raonic 18/1, and Marin Cilic and 18/1. 

The Women  

 

When it comes to the ladies, with Serena out there is a lot of interest around who will make it to the top of this year’s ladies singles. The pundits favourite is the British No. 1 Konta who may be suffering from a bruised spine, but is hoping to still reign victorious. Another name on the lips of the press is Simona Halep, the Romanian tennis ace who nearly won her first grand slam title at Roland Garros, losing out by a whisker to Jelena Ostapenko. Looking to the Eastern Europeans,  Elina Svitolina is looking promising and has made a steady climb to stardom over the last couple of years, but whether she has what it takes to take the Wimbledon trophy, remains to be seen. 

The wildcards in the women's section are Victoria Azarenka, Magdalena Rybarikova, and Jelena Ostapenko who are snapping at the ankles of the favourites. Venus Williams is still powering on at the age of 37 but many think that her days of glory are behind her, but you never know! 

Have a flutter  

It is certainly shaping up to be an amazing tournament with lots of big names competing for glory. While it is almost impossible to predict at this stage, we recommend taking the afternoon off work, pouring yourself some Pimm’s and sitting down to watch the starts of the tennis world battle it out. Why not place a bet on some matches as well, to be in with a chance of winning a little something yourself? 

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.

 

Tuesday Women's Results at Roland Garros

By Mike McIntyre

Photography: Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

Tuesday at the French Open saw the upsets continue in the women's draw with 7th seeded Johanna Konta taken out by 109th ranked Hsieh Su-Wei of Tapei. Konta's success on the hardcourts did not translate onto clay this year as her record on the red dirt now sits at 2-4.

Alize Cornet gave the home crowd something to cheer about as she dismissed Timea Babos in three sets 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-2. Cornet was 1-3 on clay this year coming into the match but no-doubt drew on the French support for inspiration. Her best result here is the fourth round back in 2015.

Babos - showing some visible frustration above - finishes the clay court season with but a single win in the five events she entered.

The French also had the pleasure of watching 28th seed Caroline Garcia advance with ease 6-2, 6-2 over Nao Hibino of Japan. With Konta now out of the draw, Garcia has a clearer path towards a possible quarter-final against 9th seed Aga Radwanska.

Garcia was all smiles as she moved onto the second round.

Anastasija Sevastova lost her balance but not the match as she knocked-off German Annika Beck 6-2, 6-4. The Latvian is coming in hot with a 9-4 record on clay including victories over Sam Stosur, Karolina Pliskova and Johanna Konta.

Mona Barthel was visibly upset with her result today and joined a throng of other Germans who made an early exit this year at the tournament. Barthel was dismantled by Tsvetana Pironkova 6-0, 6-4.

Romanian Sorana Cirstea was pumped-up with her smooth 6-3, 6-1 victory over Shuai Peng who was playing in her 10th Roland Garros and won the doubles crown here in 2014. For Cirstea it is another step in the right direction for someone who is currently ranked 64th but was once ranked just outside of the top-twenty and and made the quarter-finals in Paris back in 2009.

 Elina Svitolina is getting a lot of buzz as a potential French Open winner and dispatched the always tricky Yaroslava Shvedova 6-4, 6-3 in her opening match. Shvedova was a quarterfinalist here in both 2010 and 2012. Svitolina could see Ana Konjuh in the third round and Sevastova in the fourth. A blockbuster quarter-final against Halep would be fun to watch as Svitolina knocked-off Halep in the finals in Rome recently.

Take a good look at Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic. The 17 year old lefty phenom has been crushing her opponents since entering the qualifying draw here and has only dropped 8 games through 4 matches. On Tuesday she destroyed Amandine Hesse 6-1, 6-0.

 Amandine Hesse was feeling the pain after that dismantling from Vondrousova.

 Back in action was Madison Keys who delivered the 6-3, 6-2 win over Ashley Barty. The 12th seed made the fourth round here a year ago but has struggled with a wrist injury this year that has limited her to but five events. Tuesday marked her first win on clay this season so maybe she is about to turn things around.

Third seeded Simona Halep is likely the favorite at this point if she has recovered from an ankle issue that bothered her coming into the tournament. She advanced in straight sets on Tuesday 6-2, 6-3 versus Jana Cepelova.

If Halep can avoid any issues with the ankle she could finally have the Grand Slam breakthrough that people have been waiting for ever since she made the finals of Roland Garros back in 2014. With Serena Williams out of the picture, this would be the perfect opportunity for the Romanian.

And finally, for Canadian tennis fans it has not been easy following Genie Bouchard since her breakthrough performance back in 2014. She started slow today against Risa Ozaki from Japan but recovered to move into the second round with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory.

Bouchard will next face the tournament's 17th seed in Anastasija Sevastova.

7th Seeded Johanna Konta Shocked at Roland Garros by Hsieh Su-Wei

By Mike McIntyre

Photography Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

With World No. 1 Angelique Kerber already having crashed out of Roland Garros on Sunday, the first round upsets continued this week with 7th seeded Jo Konta going down to Hsieh Su-Wei of Chinese Tapei 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-4. The 109th ranked Su-Wei brought a 9-13 record in 2017 into the match and scored the biggest win of her career in dispatching the talented Konta. The pair had not faced each other since 2013 where they split their previous two career meetings, but much has changed for the British No. 1 since that time.

Konta had been on fire so far this season with two titles in Sydney and Miami as well as a quarter-final appearance at the Aussie Open where she fell to Serena Williams. The transition to clay had been more difficult for Konta where she went 2-3 ahead of Roland Garros but was still considered a favorite in this match and her section of the draw. Remarkably for Konta she now remains winless in main draw matches at the French Open having never advanced past the opening round.

For those who might think that Konta's lack of success on clay explains the loss today, Su-Wei is no clay-court wizard either. The 31 year old had an 0-3 record on clay this year and since first playing at the French Open in 2002 has only ever scored a single win there (in 2016) before today's match. Her biggest career win prior to today was over then-20th ranked Sybille Bammer at the 2008 Australian Open in the second round. 

Su-Wei will now advance to face Taylor Townsend of the United States who was a 6-4, 6-0 winner over Miyu Kato of Japan. Quite an opening in that quarter of the draw where the seedings should have produced a Konta vs Radwanska final-eight match.